How to Improve Your Golf Game While It's Cold Outside
Although the winter weather has arrived, this does not imply that you should put your clubs away for the season. Yes, you may not be able to play as often as you would want, but that does not preclude you from continuing to improve your game. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind so that you don't have to re-learn the game once the spring season arrives.
Grip
A good grip is the foundation of a good swing. It might be really unpleasant to learn how to use the right neutral grip. It is most convenient to work on it when you are watching your favorite television program. Get your hands on a practice club (ideally one with a training grip on it) before the show begins and make sure your hands are in the proper posture. While you are viewing, your attention will be drawn away from your grip and onto the television program. As soon as a commercial begins to play, release your hold. When the performance resumes, re-position your hands on the club once again. Because you are seated in front of the television, you will not be thinking about how unpleasant it is to learn how to hold the remote properly. If you continue to do this frequently throughout the winter, you will have perfected the appropriate neutral grip by the time the new season arrives.
The preparation
It requires work to get into the ideal athletic set-up position. After a lengthy period of inactivity, your body will attempt to reorganize itself into a posture that requires the least amount of work. As a result, you may find yourself in a situation where you are bent over or not athletic at all. You might try setting up a practice station at your house with a full-length mirror to alleviate this problem (these can be purchased cheaply at Home Depot or Wal-Mart). After you've obtained your mirror, get into the proper setup position and have a friend or spouse apply masking tape to the mirror to indicate your spine angle, hip and knee flex, and other important information. Make sure to stay on top of the setup and check to see if you match the masking tape while you are in your set-up position during the winter months. This is a simple technique to ensure that you don't get complacent and lose track of your set up angles over the winter.
The full force of things
An extended layoff has a negative impact on your complete swing as well. It is necessary to correctly coil and uncoil your body in order to make a good swing. This activity requires considerable effort. After spending some time away from this game, you'll want to strike the ball in the most straightforward manner possible. This implies that you will just attempt to strike the ball with your arms, rather than coiling and uncoiling your body like you normally would. Take one of your clubs, a broom stick, or a weight lifting bar (without weights) and grip the ends of the item as you position it over your shoulders. This will help to maintain your body's coiling and uncoiling appropriately. After that, go into your athletic set-up position. The next step is to simply curl your shoulders back in a round, clockwise manner, while avoiding the urge to turn your hips. Once you have been tightly wrapped, uncoil in a counter-clockwise motion by rotating the lower body in the opposite direction of the clock. With the right execution of this workout, the item resting on your shoulders will have the appearance of rotating helicopter blades. Your club is not coiling or uncoiling correctly if it is moving in a see-saw motion up and down the length of the club. Just remember to coil back in such a way that you replicate the helicopter blades and experience the tightness that comes with it. If you do, you will be able to retain the right coiling and uncoiling of your body, which will prevent you from just trying to strike the ball with your arms the next season.
The short-term strategy
In golf, as you are aware, the short game is a very significant component of the game. Unfortunately, taking a lengthy break from golf might lead you to lose whatever sense of touch you may have on the greens. Simply practicing a little bit each day over the winter can keep your short game in top form.
First and foremost, you should establish a putting station. There are a plethora of low-cost putting devices available that will allow you to build an artificial golf hole in your own house (some even incorporate indoor/outdoor carpet for people who do not have access to a suitable surface). Make an effort to putt as much as you possibly can (especially the short putts). In the event that you have a buddy or spouse who enjoys golf, attempt to schedule putt-putt tournaments on a regular basis with them. When the new season arrives, you'll be better prepared to putt with accuracy and precision.
You may also use this similar putting station to practice your chipping stroke (if you don't have a chipping surface, just locate a 1x1 piece of higher pile carpet and place it on the ground to serve as a chipping surface). In the event that you do use a piece of carpet, as I recommend, you may move it closer or further away from the hole in order to change your chipping distance. When the new season starts, you will be able to get the ball near the hole rather than having to settle for chip shots that fall short of the hole.
Finally, if you haven't practiced throwing in a long time, it might be really challenging. The winter months were spent practicing pitch shots in an old upholstered chair, which I found to be rather enjoyable. This game provides me with a definite target to shoot at. If you don't happen to have an old chair like this hanging around, you can always purchase a tiny pitching net from any golf shop to use instead. Simply place the net or chair in a location where you will not be able to destroy anything. When you are ready to pitch, utilize your tiny piece of carpet as a launch pad, and you will be sure to maintain your presence on the greens.
It just takes a little imagination and experience to avoid the frustration that comes with the start of the season. Perhaps you will set up a practice station at your house and try out a few of the exercises that I described in this article. It will take some time and effort, but once the next season begins, you will be pleased that you put in the effort to improve your game.
Until next time, take care.