Five areas of your golf game to improve over Winter
The colder weather has firmly set in, the wind is up and the leaves have begun falling (heavily) on the golf course. This means two things: winter golf is here (be sure to check our winter rules guide) and the summer season of golf is well and truly over.
As the winter frost settles in, it's tempting to tuck away your golf clubs, but true golf enthusiasts know that the off-season is the perfect time to hone skills and emerge stronger come spring. We certainly don't think its time to close up for the winter - keep your clubs and golf tees handy!
Green Swing presents a guide to the five key areas of your golf game to work on during the winter months.
- Perfect Your Swing
Use the winter downtime to refine your swing at the range. When you step out onto the course you want your swing to feel like an extension of yourself. When you get back out on to the course and address the ball you don’t want to be overthinking the complexities and changes you have been working on – yes you may have some focus adjustments – but the winter time is perfect to correct any issues you have been facing and get that swing to perfection so you can achieve consistency every time (easier said than done!)
- Precision Putting Practice
Winter weather might deter you from the putting green, but it shouldn't halt your putting practice. Get out to the practice green (or even in the house) and work on your putting. Be the master from 3 foot out so you don’t leave anything short in the future. Work with your putter to hone in on your skill – our tip is to keep your putter out the bag so you can practice when you have a few moments spare. You can’t recreate a course situation but you can gain extra confidence which will help you no end.
- Play Some Golf!
With winter rules in play, the game will be a bit different and the course won’t play as it does in the warmer months but do get out and play – if only for 9 holes or infrequently. This will give you a chance to practice your course management and keep you in touch with those tweaks and changes you have been making in your practice sessions. Better still – golf is a social game. Get out and enjoy some company and keep your mental health in check across the darker, colder months.
- Refine your Equipment
Take a deep dive into your bag and work through the clubs you have used and identify any excess items you carry or perhaps any gaps in your current set up (but no need for 5 wedges!). If the grips on your club are feeling a bit tired, give them a new lease of life with some fresh grips – hop onto YouTube for an easy how-to guide or drop into your local club shop and we are sure they can help you. Give those clubs a clean and make your you are topped up and well prepared the season ahead (with plenty of bamboo golf tees of course!).
- Fitness and Flexibility
Use the winter months to focus on physical conditioning. How did you feel playing 18 holes last year? Did your game drop off across a long round? Working on your flexibility and core strength will certainly have a positive impact on how you play. We would specifically recommend working on increasing flexibility in your hamstrings which are heavily linked to your lower back muscles. Introduce some daily stretching and notice a huge difference in your overall posture, playing and subsequent recovery time in the future.
Winter isn't a break from golf; it's a strategic opportunity to fine-tune your skills and come back stronger and with more enthusiasm for next year. Transform the winter months into a journey toward golfing excellence. Embrace the cold, stay committed to improvement, and emerge from winter ready to conquer the greens with a refined and perfected game.
At Green Swing we see a huge shift in November to the gifting season and the loved ones of a golfer seeking out the perfect golf gift. Whether looking for a golf gift set, some new bamboo golf tees or maybe even some personalised golf tees, we have your gifting options covered here.
Feeling the cold? – be sure to pick up one of our fleece lined bobble hats. Available in six different colours and made from recycled polyester.
Winter is the season of preparation. Your journey to golfing excellence starts now.