Don’t let a fresh blanket of snow sent you into a four-month depression mourning the loss of your favorite golf course. Plenty of golf activities can and should continue during the cold winter months to keep you in top golf shape come spring. Follow these tips to winterize your golf game — the time will fly by and before you know it, you’ll be back on the course!
Perfect Your Putting Game
Winter is a great time to nail your putting game. An indoor friendly activity, focus on getting your grip right to optimize your hand and wrist response. It’s easy to over-put when you’re outside by putting too much power behind the stroke, but when you’re inside in a much smaller space you’re more inclined to the gentle, smooth strokes that should be happening for a great putt. Work on stroke movement to level up your putting game.
Hit Chips With Your Knees
Use the winter months to tune into your lower body movements during a swing. A great way to practice this indoors is by hitting solid chips with your knees. Stay mentally engaged during your chip-hitting exercise by focusing on your lower body movements. Even better, do it in front of a mirror to visualize your movements. The goal of this exercise should be to improve your technique by getting your weight on your front foot while simultaneously hitting down on the ball. Build this muscle memory during the coldest months and see the results in the spring!
Work on Your Wedge Shot Accuracy
This winter, get intimate with your favorite sand wedge by drilling shots. The goal here is to up your game with consistent, accurate shots from a variety of angles and surfaces. Try to hit the ball high, make it grab and stop, and see if you can get the ball to run out once it lands. By sticking to just one club you can develop better control, which will drastically improve your short game.
Learn to Drive Through the Ball
Take your iron driving to the next level by building your muscle memory to drive through the ball. Line up two foam balls in a larger room or gym, and drive like you want to hit the second ball, but only hit the first. After a while take the second ball away but continue to visualize its presence during your swing.
Invest in some new equipment
Winter is a great time to update some of your aging equipment. Take the time to do research into what you’d like to purchase and test out different models. One of the best investments you can make is the purchase of new grips in the off-season, so you hit the ground running come spring. Many golf retailers will run grip specials during winter as well so keep an eye out. Lastly, don’t forget to properly store your golf equipment for the winter! A heated location is best (so avoid the garage) and keep your expensive investments in tip-top shape for the cold spell.