7 Winter Golf Tips
I am fortunate enough to live in Central Texas where winter golf means wearing pants and maybe being delayed by an hour because of frost. Not to brag, but I can play golf year around and don’t have to worry about my golf game getting rusty during the months of November, December, January and February. Unfortunately for a lot of golfers though, the game is completely vacant from their lives during these four months.
But just because mother nature doesn’t like to cooperate when it comes our wants and needs as golfers doesn’t mean you have to completely lose your golf game during the winter. Below I’ve put together seven winter golf tips to help you stay sane and keep your game sharp even with 12 inches of snow on the ground outside.
Get An Indoor Hitting Net
I recently got a golf hitting net and was really blown away with the quality and ease of use. Setting up something similar in your garage or basement can provide you with the perfect area to take full swings with all the golf clubs in your bag. While you may not be able to see the ball flight with this setup, you will still be able to have a good feel for impact and club positions through the entire swing.
Set up an Indoor Putting Green
If you can only choose one of these golf tips to execute during the winter months, having an indoor putting green is probably the most ideal. Dialing in your putting stroke and keeping it sharp during the winter months will help save several strokes once the snow finally melts. Adding in putting aids or other gadgets can also help you get better while your golfing buddies are probably doing nothing.
Get Fit
Look, I get it. You couldn’t work out during the spring, summer and fall because you were trying to play as much golf as possible. But now that winter is here and you’re not playing golf, why not use this time to lose a few pounds and get stronger for the next golf season? Working on your flexibility, leg strength and core muscles can help you pick up pick extra yards when spring time rolls around.
Take Indoor Golf Lessons
Indoor golf lessons are a great way to avoid the winter weather outside while sharpening and fine tuning your golf game for the upcoming spring months. Places like Golfsmith offer GolfTec instruction inside their stores and many other local independent golf instructors also offer indoor lessons complete with video recording and the latest technology.
Use a Golf Simulator
A golf simulator can be a great addition to the indoor hitting net from above. While high-end golf simulator packages can set you back up $25,000 or more, there are other much reasonable packages out there to help you stay golf ready during the winter months. Take OptiShot Golf for example. Packages range from $300 – $500 and you can hook it directly into your computer and play some of the best courses in the world.
Carve out some space in your garage or basement, set up a golf hitting net, hook up the golf simulator and invite your regular golf group over for some winter golf competition indoors!
Go to a Golf Retail Store
This one is the only tip that doesn’t involve spending money and I bet many of you already do this even in perfect weather. My local Goldsmith store has four golf simulator screens and another 8 hitting bays in which you can test all the golf clubs you want. They also have a massive putting green with every putter you can think of. I go in there frequently throughout the entire year just to swing the new golf clubs and test the new putters. Why not do this 1-2 times per week during the winter months to at least get some full swings in and loosen up? I guarantee you won’t be the only one doing it!
Move to a Warmer Climate
While this winter golf tip may be unrealistic for most folks, it is probably the best solution for helping to keep your golf game in shape until spring. Relocating to a warmer climate during the winter months will allow you to play real golf on real golf courses until the snow melts. Texas, Florida, California and Arizona are some of the most popular places to relocate to during the winter months. Is it coincidence that these four states are well known for having great golf courses?
Even by implementing just one of these winter golf tips to your routine during the snowy months can greatly help your game. Just think how much better you’re golf game will be if you execute on several of the ideas?
Do you live in an area where playing golf outside is completely void from your life during the winter? If so, let us know in the comments below how you keep your golf game sharp!
Front9Back9 – Ryan Young – Front9Back9.com
Blogger, Golf Fanatic
Have you ever met a real life golf nut? Meet Ryan. He blogs about golf, has a podcast about golf, watches a lot of golf and reads a lot about golf. If he’s not playing golf, he’s likely thinking about the next time he will play golf. He hails from the great state of Texas and has a unrealistic goal of playing all 800+ golf courses in the state.