What Does the Widener do?
If you’ve been fighting your golf swing, you know the feeling of getting “stuck.” Over-swinging, losing width, and having your arms trapped behind your body often lead to those frustrating blocks to the right or hooks off the planet.
Professional training aids like the ProSendr Widener are designed to solve exactly this by maintaining space between your lead wrist and trail shoulder. However, with a price tag near $200, it’s a steep investment.
This DIY version—which we’re calling the “Project Golf Widener”—does the exact same job for under $20 using simple hardware store materials.The goal of this tool is to provide immediate feedback on your swing width. By connecting your lead wrist to your trail shoulder socket, it:
Promotes Consistency: It forces you into a tour-pro-style position where your arms and body move in sync.
Prevents Over-swinging: It physically stops your arms from collapsing at the top of the backswing.
Eliminates “Getting Stuck”: It keeps your hands in front of your chest, allowing you to drop the club into the slot and rotate through the ball.
The Materials
You can find all of these items at your local hardware store (like Home Depot or Lowe’s).
PVC Cutter or Saw.
PVC Pipe: A short length of 1/2″ or 3/4″ PVC pipe (Schedule 40).
PVC T-Fittings: 2 total.
60° or 45° PVC Elbows: 2 total (to create the shoulder “cradle”).
Adjustable Buckle Strap: A simple tie-down strap or nylon buckle strap to attach the device to your wrist.
PVC Glue (Optional): Highly recommended for the shoulder assembly.
The Cut List & Measurements
Note: These measurements are adjustable based on your arm length and height.
- Shoulder Extensions: Cut two (2) pieces of PVC pipe at 3 inches each. These will fit into the elbows to create the “U” shape that sits on your shoulder.
- Main Support Bar: Cut one (1) piece of PVC pipe at 13.5 inches. This is the bridge between your wrist and shoulder. You can trim this down or leave it longer depending on where you want it to sit on your wrist at address.
- The Connectors: No cutting required for the two T-fittings and two 60° elbows.
Assembly Instructions
- Build the Shoulder Cradle: Take one T-fitting and insert the two 3-inch pipes into the side outlets. Attach the 60° elbows to the ends of those 3-inch pipes, angled toward each other to form a cradle that fits over your trail shoulder socket.
- Attach the Support Bar: Insert the 13.5-inch main pipe into the bottom of the shoulder T-fitting.
- The Wrist Connector: Attach the second T-fitting to the other end of the 13.5-inch pipe.
- Add the Strap: Thread your adjustable strap through the wrist T-fitting. This will allow you to cinch the device to your lead wrist.
Pro Tips for the Build
- Offset the Wrist: Don’t align the wrist T-fitting perfectly parallel with the shoulder cradle. Offset it slightly so the T-fitting sits flat against the back of your wrist when you’re in your golf posture.
- To Glue or Not to Glue? Glue the shoulder cradle assembly together so it doesn’t pop apart during high-speed swings. However, leave the main 13.5-inch bar unglued to the T-fittings. This allows the device to break down easily so you can toss it in your golf bag.
- The “Vanish” Test: When using it, the device should feel slightly loose at address. As you take the club back, you should feel it “engage” and keep that trail shoulder from collapsing.
For more DIY golf projects and to follow the journey to a scratch handicap, check out the Project 72 series on the Project Golf – Matthew Ryan YouTube Channel.
