Winter Golf Practice and Training
Keeping Up Your Golf Skills During the Cold Months
For many, winter means the end of the golf season. Heated driving ranges and winter leagues are just two of the ways to work on your golf game during the cold months.
The winter months are soon upon us, thus many golf lovers in many regions will soon have to store away their golf clubs and await the return of good weather and another season of golf. Avid golfers will be sure to take one or two trips to Florida or South Carolina for a few days of golf. But what can be done on a regular basis to stay fit and ensure that one’s swing and golf game stays in tact?
1. Maintain Golf Fitness and Conditioning - Stretching is imperative to maintaining your golf physique. Areas to focus on include the arms, wrists, back, quads and calves. Stretching will aid in your flexibility as well as your endurance. You might also check with your local gym to see if they offer golf fitness classes, and/or if they have stretching and flexibility equipment such as the back extension, torso twist or wrist strengthening machine.
2. Practice/Work On Your Swing - Chris Cullen, Golf Specialist at Old Channel Trail Golf Course in Montague, Michigan, told Suite 101 he suggests that golfers work with a weighted club like the Momentus Swing Trainer over the winter months. “Momentus training aids help in the conditioning of the golf muscles as well as the strengthening and timing of the golf swing” says Cullen.
3. Master Your Short Game - The short game can make or break your score, so be sure to work on your putt during those cold winter months. You can purchase training equipment to help with your short game such as an indoor putting green, and/or a golf chipping net.
4. Practice Driving - Many cities have heated driving ranges and/or indoor practice facilities. One such facility is the Saginaw Golf Centre in Saginaw, Michigan. At the Saginaw Golf Center one can use the heated driving range where you tee off from a synthetic turf mat. Above your stall is a heating unit to keep you warm on those cold days.
5. Indoor Golf Centers - The popularity of golf simulators is growing. In fact, many indoor golf centers now offer winter leagues utilizing this technology. This is another way for you to keep your game sharp. Golf simulators allow you to play your choice of many famous golf courses such as Pebble Beach, Banff Springs, Eagle Palms or Phoenix Mountain, and you use your own clubs and real balls. Many simulators offer the option of playing a traditional game, scramble, par 3 shootout or just practicing your drive.
Cold weather doesn't mean you put away your golf game all together. It simply means you'll need to improvise and try new ways to enjoy and work on your golf skills.
