Dec. 12, 2005

With the cold weather upon us and another warm golf season in the books, it is time for improvement and preparation for the upcoming golf season. The two most important areas of concern when the weather gets cold should be your short game and physical conditioning. These two areas are the easiest to improve upon when outside golf is not appealing.

Let’s start with the easiest part of the game to improve and the place where improvement is quickly attained. A basement or garage provide plenty of room for a few drills. For that putting stroke, find a coin and a area of no more than five feet. Work on repitition of the stroke and putting with your eyes closed. Putting with your eyes closed will cause you to trust your stroke and get rid of the mental roadblocks that prevent us from putting well. Move around a circle and do not putt anything over eight feet. The same drill can be done with your chipping clubs. A couple of balls and a small target can make for productive practice. When chipping, work on lessening the lower body motion, and making that chipping motion feel automatic.

When it comes to keeping the body in golf shape, the word of the winter is—FLEXIBILITY. Ten minutes a day stretching the hamstrings, back, and core area can make for a more enjoyable round and increased distance. These stretches, combined with situps, and some light jogging can keep the body in great golf shape and build some stronger muscles for the upcoming year.
This is the time of year for improvement and maintenance. Thirty minutes a day, a couple of times a week working on these mentioned drills, can make for a more enjoyable winter and lower scores to look forward to in the spring.

Happy Holidays and A Great New Year!

GO COCKS!