B29 Blue Brick training Aid

[golf4pj]

4 hours ago, mb123 said:

next version on the printer, will take about 9 hours.  pics tomorrow from sim area...

What changes did you make - very cool of you to share your design and progress!  Can't wait to see your next creation!!

 

[mb123]

Made it lefty and righty. Also wider. Also hole spacing. Need to print again. Messed up a few hole sizes. Pic fuzzy not intended but only one I have right now  

[Helkey]

You guys selling these? Lol

[golf4pj]

17 hours ago, mb123 said:

Made it lefty and righty. Also wider. Also hole spacing. Need to print again. Messed up a few hole sizes. Pic fuzzy not intended but only one I have right now  

Can you post the new file?

Thanks!!

[mb123]

Ran out of filament. Hopefully tomorrow. This is face view.  Will also add in multiple ball position markers  eg gor stack and tilt standard  shot is two balls right of center   

[mb123]

V4.  Trying more weight to balance it. Still getting shrinkage. But was able to hit some balls. Definitely made the driver feel like I had to come in more in to out.  Back to it next weekend. 

[petero]

Its looking good.   Any reason you can't make dimples on the top to set 2-3 balls to hold it down?   If your practicing golf you always have balls on had.

[mb123]

1 hour ago, petero said:

Its looking good.   Any reason you can't make dimples on the top to set 2-3 balls to hold it down?   If your practicing golf you always have balls on had.

Thank you, still evolving and moving things around. 

 

To answer your question, printing this out of plastic and then putting an alignment stick in there on an angle needs weight to hold it down more thank a golf ball. If you pick up an alignment stick and hold the bottom 1" and angle it 45 degrees and you'll feel the weight of it.  

[petero]

23 hours ago, mb123 said:

Thank you, still evolving and moving things around. 

 

To answer your question, printing this out of plastic and then putting an alignment stick in there on an angle needs weight to hold it down more thank a golf ball. If you pick up an alignment stick and hold the bottom 1" and angle it 45 degrees and you'll feel the weight of it.  

I see, so it probably needs some added weight no matter what.   plastic from printing probably won't be enough.    Steel bolts, sand, (other stuff from hardware store) are cheap.

[RossDonald]

Guys this is fascinating, please keep us up to date!

[Mattie4653s]

@mb123 are you going to be selling these? Cheers from Canada! 🍻

[Micko_Jadams]

On 1/13/2025 at 12:07 PM, mb123 said:

V4.  Trying more weight to balance it. Still getting shrinkage. But was able to hit some balls. Definitely made the driver feel like I had to come in more in to out.  Back to it next weekend. 

Keen to buy one of these off you once you are happy with it! So cool 

[mb123]

V10 now. Lol. Lots of fine tuning. Really trying to figure out the counterweight. The typical driveway markers at 48” are heavy. Testing a collapsible one from Amazon but holes are smaller. This v10 in green is with driveway marker holes. 

[PRM93]

*Deleted. Sorry I wasn't able to get this done!

-P

Edited April 25 by PRM93
redacted :>

[mb123]

Looks good RPMzz!

[PRM93]

39 minutes ago, mb123 said:

Looks good RPMzz!

Cheers man! I credit you as the catalyst to get me to go for it. Love seeing your progress!

 

Have you considered steel shot/BBs to ballast your design?

[RonS2]

 

this can’t come fast enough, thank you for the hard work. Greatly appreciated 

 

what site will you be posting in on?

 

On 1/18/2025 at 4:50 PM, RPMzz said:

PLEASE DO NOT DM ME ASKING FOR FILES.

• I DO NOT HAVE A MODEL READY FOR PUBLIC RELEASE (but hope to soon).
• I WILL POST FILES IN A NEW THREAD WHEN AVAILABLE (not here). 
   

This has been quite the engineering challenge! I have a better appreciation for the engineering behind the $129 training device. I still think the price is ABSURD, considering lefties are told to “stick the rod in the ground” for wedge impact training. 

My first print (v1.0) is a working prototype. I will expand on adjustments I intend to make/challenges I am currently facing in an edit (posting pics from my phone). 
 

Bottom lid/plate. Name is a WIP/placeholder. 

25° “inside impact” 

Wedge impact 25°/65° (LH & RH)

Wedge shallowing 72°

Iron shallowing 60°

Driver shallowing 48°

 

Edit with more details to follow. 

 

EDIT1:

Here are some more thoughts.

3D Printing:

• My 3D printer is very capable, however my experience with the machine & slicing software (OrcaSlicer) is less than 2 weeks. (Birthday present to myself.)
  • Surface finishes, text etc will be vastly improved with some software tweaks.
  • OBJECTIVE: Simplify text/small details, optimize first layer quality.
• I used a LOT of filament for this prototype. During the printing process, I recognized there are a lot of opportunities to reduce filament use. But at least this prototype is bullet-proof & works!
  • Note this was printed with a 0,8mm nozzle, 0,56mm layer height, and took almost 10 hours of print time.
  • OBJECTIVE: Optimize print dimensions & internal supports to reduce filament usage & improve printing time.
• Some things were done with this design simply to get the thing off the computer & into real life. This included removing all integrated text from the top, rushing a way to secure the body & lid to each other, and making some guesses on sufficient ballasting. There are a few basic changes I intend to make for v2. The base should be solid & filled with ballast, with lid on top (I did the opposite for structural integrity, but it isn't needed).  

 

Functionality:

• Self-contained ballasting system. My prototype is using concrete poured into cavities. Concrete is less dense than steel BBs, which will likely be optimal for 'at-home' construction. 
  • This means I can use it indoors/on artificial turf/solid ground, or on a grass range etc.
  • OBJECTIVE: further lower COG & optimize ballast positioning to increase stability.
• Both ~92g collapsible alignment rod (red+white+red) & ~112g driveway markers (orange+white) fit and are held securely at any angle available on the device.
  • The 48°, 25°/65° wedge impact, and 25° inside DO NOT SECURELY SUPPORT A 75G MINI POOL NOODLE! 
    • (This is where you actually would want a pool noodle. The device + rod + noodle either gets 'tippy' or falls when not on perfectly level ground.)
  • OBJECTIVE: adjust the positioning of ballast as well as 'rod insert locations' to allow for foolproof use of a 'mini' pool noodle placed over a rod.
• While it is cool that the device is truly ambidextrous in this configuration, there is definitely some redundancy. I am certain some basic optimizations can improve stability & reduce total size.
  • OBJECTIVE: consider alterations to design to maintain ambidextrous use while improving stability/reducing total size.

 

Actually using it:

• The 48 driver plane, 25/65 wedge impact plane, and 25 inside plane are definitely useful for anyone (IMO)
  • In these configs, you're gonna want a pool noodle to protect #1 your hands, #2 your golf equipment, #3 anyone nearby at risk of a flying alignment stick (lol)
• The 60 & 72 planes don't seem very helpful but could be useful for someone fighting a very OTT swing or a beginner learning the golf swing (IMO)
• The 'divot spacers' are not special. Just put two sticks on the ground.
• The 'alignment slots' in the base (where I put 3, with 1 centered) don't seem great. I'm open to suggestions & will look into possibilities for a rework. 
  • OBJECTIVE: potentially strip down the design to reduce footprint & improve stability.
  • OBJECTIVE 2: design revamp with added functionality. I have some great ideas in mind!

 

Final Thoughts:

• This thing is freakin' sweet & I am a badass
• An original design with added functionality is something I intend to continue work on & potentially bring to market. 
• A public release is coming! With some minor tweaks to geometry, I think there is a version anyone with a 3D printer & large amount of steel BBs can put together. 

 

I'm happy to answer questions/take suggestions &/or connect with anyone interested in working on design iterations/optimizations. I won't mind if you DM me ab

[CHM 12]

It’s insane how much this thread has evolved. I hate I don’t see updates automatically after starting a thread. I saw a commercial for the blue brick then came back on here. The innovation and engineering you guys have done is amazing. Nice work!

[Cwing]

Great work!!!

[me05501]

On 1/18/2025 at 3:23 PM, mb123 said:

V10 now. Lol. Lots of fine tuning. Really trying to figure out the counterweight. The typical driveway markers at 48” are heavy. Testing a collapsible one from Amazon but holes are smaller. This v10 in green is with driveway marker holes. 

 

Do the holes go all the way through the device and out the bottom? It would be cool to be able to secure the box just by pushing the alignment sticks through the block and into the ground. That way the device is much lighter but still stable on grass. Obviously your removeable weight idea would be great indoors. 

 

[Jonr44]

3 hours ago, me05501 said:

 

Do the holes go all the way through the device and out the bottom? It would be cool to be able to secure the box just by pushing the alignment sticks through the block and into the ground. That way the device is much lighter but still stable on grass. Obviously your removeable weight idea would be great indoors. 

 

That’s a great point, or perhaps a removable back?

[HiHandicapper]

Would it be worth adding a flat extension plate to the base to change the pivot point and make it harder to tip? You could make it click in like a puzzle piece on the bottom. 

[ziggy34690]

Here is one I made with room for weight, with or without the base plate.

[ziggy34690]

Here is the STEP file!

Zwing Trainer_STEP.zip

[mb123]

Getting close to final version

[Rambo500]

I've always just drilled holes in scrap pieces of 2x4 for garage practice.

 

When at the range I just put them in the dirt.

[RonS2]

On 1/24/2025 at 7:51 PM, ziggy34690 said:

Here is the STEP file!

Zwing Trainer_STEP.zip 1.26 MB · 38 downloads

Started the print, ordered some adhesive stick on wheel weights to fill the space, and attach to outside as needed, thank you

[ziggy34690]

let me know if you run into any issues, or have any better ideas and I can modify it accordingly 

[Djmc25]

On 1/10/2025 at 2:25 PM, mb123 said:

next version on the printer, will take about 9 hours.  pics tomorrow from sim area...

 

Any interest in selling me one of these? Feel free to take it to the DMs

[LeftDaddy]

Yes, please DM if anyone has a lefty version they are willing to sell. Thanks!