WATCH: Rory McIlroy spotted with unique practice aid at Hero Dubai's Desert Classic

Rory McIlroy is set to begin his 2024 season at the Dubai Desert Classic from January 15 to 19. The Irishman was recently spotted at the Majlis Course driving range of the Emirates Golf Club, practicing a drill with the assistance of a unique training aid.

The PGA Tour superstar was spotted swinging with a tiny club at the DP World Tour event. Here's a look at McIlroy's action ahead of this week's tournament (via X @DPWorldTour):

McIlroy's drill sparked a lot of curiosity and interest from fans and golf analysts alike. The club has a molded grip equipped to promote a consistent gripping technique to combat his strong left-hand tendencies. The heavy swing weight of the club head allows McIlroy to grasp a better feeling of his club head position during his actual swing.

Here's what McIlroy had to say about his new training aid (via Golf.com):

"It’s a little club I can carry with me everywhere. Bring it back to the hotel room with me, swing it in the house just any time I wanna get a feel with it. It helps sometimes because my left-hand grip gets a little strong at times. I’ve used it since basically October when I was trying to make a little bit of a change in my backswing. It sorta comes with me everywhere.”

The drill aids McIlroy in maintaining a consistent swing while having awareness of the club head's position throughout his swing. The high swing weight enables for a much better feel of what the club head is doing through impact.

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Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TGL off to a great start

TMRW Sports' TGL league, co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, debuted on January 7. The opening match of the inaugural season was played between The Bay Golf Club and New York Golf Club, with the former emerging victorious.

The second match of the inaugural season will be played on January 14 at 7:00 PM EST between Tiger Woods' Jupiter Links Golf Club and Los Angeles Golf Club. The 15-time major championship winner and his teammates Kevin Kisner and Max Homa will be up against Collin Morikawam, Sahith Theegala, and Justin Rose.

Meanwhile, McIlroy will make his TGL debut on January 27, along with his team Boston Common Golf Club. Together with Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama, and Adam Scott, they will take on Tiger Woods' Jupiter Links Golf Club. The match will take place at 5:30 PM EST at the innovative SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The golf world is eagerly anticipating to see the two co-founders go up against each other in a friendly competition. Broadcasts of all TGL matches will be available live on ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Xtra, and Sirius XM across North America.