Not talking G&Ts here… but Supplements!

Recently I was asked to review a new product: swingOil. It’s a supplement drink many golfers are taking as a boost to their energy.

What is swingOil? Here’s the promotion from their website: “Why does Jason Day the #1 Player in the world make swingOIL a part of his daily routine? swingOIL is a 3 oz. drink—the Ultimate Golfer‘s Supplement made by golfer‘s for golfers with several key ingredients to help support & promote flexibility & focus. NSF certified, it is great before your round, at the turn or after your round.”

First, prior to several strength training sessions, as I wanted to see if the taurine improved energy and whether it was like some other products which promise good energy and mindful concentration. I also tried it prior to several practice sessions at the range.

It definitely gives an energy boost. It did help my lifting. And I think it could be particularly helpful for golfers who lose a bit of energy mid round.

I didn’t care for the taste of the 2 flavors I tried, but that’s just me. (Ed. note: The product comes in three flavors: orange, lemon-lime and strawberry-banana.) I take another energy supplement occasionally before golf, but only ½ a drink- which is about 1 ounce.  It does not taste great, but I prefer the taste of that product to the taste of swingOil.That being said, I’ve found that many of these kinds of supplement drinks taste odd at first and take a while to get used to. swingOil has a consistency similar to cough syrup, and since it has more volume than other supplements, it’s hard to drink quickly.

The product contains glucosamine, chondroitin, tumeric, taurine, citrulline malate, ginseng extract and rhodiola rosea extract.

I think the most effective is the taurine which boosts energy and may aid with performance as a golfer.

As far as glucosamine and chondroitin, they never act immediately to produce any lubrication or increase in fluidity or flexibility, and take at least a couple of months to have an effect.

From arthritis.org: Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine are popular supplements used to treat the pain and loss of function associated with osteoarthritis (OA). However, most studies assessing their effectiveness show modest to no improvement compared with a placebo in either pain relief or joint damage.

I gave some swingOil to my teaching pro, Peter Hulbert, and he was very excited to have them. He loves Jason Day, and feels that if Day is putting his name on it, it has validity. So…good marketing here by swingOil.

The bottom line: Adding ginseng and Glucosamine/chondroitin to this product does not add any real value, and even if these ingredients do work on some people, they need to be taken daily over extended periods of time to have an effect. The taurine is effective as an energy booster. The taste takes some getting used to.

Do you ever use a supplement before, during or after golf? Does it work for you? Add your comment in the spot below and share your ideas. If you’ve ever tried swingOil, add your review as well.