Getting better at golf is the focus of most of my writing in one fashion or another, and since the cold days of winter make it even harder to do the things necessary to improve I figure that focusing on spending the winter constructively would definitely be a good idea. First, let’s make a quick list of general things that would help anyone improve, then see how winter would affect the golfer’s ability to implement these items, then try to come up with alternative ways to not only cope but to move in a positive direction.
There are three main areas that a golfer should focus on if he or she wishes to improve:
Concept: the term “concept” refers to the golfer’s knowledge regarding all parts of the game, including the short game, the long game, course management, equipment, and the mental game. After watching a student hit a few shots I often start the lesson by asking them what they are thinking about. “What do you think the club should be doing?” “How are you trying to hit the ball?” “How do you want to start your swing?” For every aspect of the game every player is using their own concept of what they think is the correct way to do that particular thing, even if they haven’t thought about it specifically. For example, quite often I will ask specifically what the student thinks the clubface should be doing just before, at, and just after impact. If the answer is “I don’t know, I’ve never thought about it”, I will press on by asking “if you had to explain to a beginner what to do with the club in that area how would you describe it?” At some point I am going to be able to draw out of the student their picture of what the club is supposed to do. Most of the time part or all of the student’s ideas are wrong, and I will explain that since you are going to practice what you think is the right way to do it if you are thinking about it wrong your practice is going to be well-intended but fruitless. Part of an instructor’s job is to impart knowledge, to explain to the student how things are supposed to work. This is a must if the student is ever going to be able to help themselves when the instructor is not available.
Technique: A golfer’s technique refers to his physical execution of his concepts, and it is attended to through actual practice and play. Through constant repetition patterns are reinforced, complex thoughts become more familiar and mental instructions become less intrusive. Some players love their time on the range and gain more benefit from that than they do playing, while many others are just the opposite, getting more out of being on the course to see how their ideas work. Visual aids are an important adjunct to physical practice, as they allow the golfer to see what he is doing, and to note how different ideas affect what actually occurs when the swing is triggered.
Physical Fitness: A large part of the golfer’s ability to execute a concept depends on his body’s ability to move into and through positions at the required speed. It is a recent development in the game (if you discount Gary Player, who was light years ahead of his time in this regard) that players are addressing their physical limitations, working to improve their strength and endurance, and attempting to better prepare themselves for the high stress levels of competition. Simply look at the physiques of Tiger Woods and Camilio Villegas and you know you are in a different era.
Now, what is it about winter time that might make it difficult to incorporate these ideas? Obviously, the main deterrent for winter play and practice is the weather. Facilities go to temporary greens and range mats or close altogether. When it snows even the hardiest of golfers are hard pressed to find a way to get outside and hit a few. There are, however, ways to get the most out of the days between November and March.
Extend your playing season. Don’t pay any attention to Labor Day. Schedule tournaments or play dates through the end of November wherever you live. Travel becomes a must. Figure out how to work in a 3 or 4 day trip to somewhere warmer once a month for December, January and February. Find a group of friends who are as up for winter golf as you are and schedule trips and outings. The key to extending your play locally is your enthusiasm about playing when it is cold outside. Everyone has their limits, but if you dial your minimum temperature down you can play more every winter. For example, if you avoid playing once it goes below 50 degrees, try playing in anything above 40. Clothing manufacturers have made huge strides in providing garments that keep you warm and still allow you to make a swing. It used to be that 3 or 4 layers would make you warm, but unable to make a free enough swing to fell like you were getting any benefit out of playing. Now, gear such as Under Armor or Compression Wear from Adidas allows more layers that are thinner and actually keep you warmer than you used to be with more, thicker layers.
Find heated practice facilities in your area. Call every possibility in your general vicinity. Don’t limit yourself to what is conveniently local: if it takes an hour or more to get to a nice heated range, it’s worth it. Plan it out so that you have the time to spend at least a few hours working on your swing. Don’t kill yourself hitting drivers for an hour when you haven’t hit balls for weeks. Spend far more time on your wedges and short irons. Be careful to monitor your wrists and elbows when hitting irons off of mats. If you feel any pain or discomfort switch to clubs that don’t require a sharp descending blow.
Consider taking lessons from a pro who works at a facility with a heated indoor-outdoor range. Indoor only is OK, but it is always preferable to see the ball fly. Any instructor working indoors should be making constant use of video. There are many people who make greater progress with their technique over the winter simply because they don’t have to play, and thus can concentrate on making changes that might feel too odd to incorporate during the season. It is always difficult to take a lesson out to the course when you care about how you are going to play, either in tournament conditions or in a social atmosphere where embarrassment is not an option. The tendency for everybody is to default back to what is comfortable, which is why the next lesson usually addresses exactly the same issues as the last one.
Consider the time when everything is frozen as an opportunity to peruse new offerings in instructional books and video. I say this with great reserve, however, as I have seen great harm come from instruction that offers no feedback. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that books, magazines, video or television instruction is necessarily bad; I am saying, on the other hand, that when a student can’t ask a question of the teacher there are bound to be problems. One of the greatest golf books ever penned, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons, probably ruined as many people as it helped, through no fault of Ben Hogan or Herbert Warren Wind. The subject of the golf swing is simply too complex and open to variation and interpretation for a golfer to depend entirely on a theory or set of ideas culled from a book or video. That being said, there are some smart people (among the not-so-smart) putting out good information. For the avid golfer, having more knowledge is a good thing, although it would be better put to use during a lesson, where you might be able to ask some pertinent questions, than on the range where you are trying to incorporate involved swing scenarios by yourself.
It will always be a great idea to both find a good instructor and to buy a video camera that allows you to see what you are actually doing as opposed to relying on what you think you are doing. It may be winter, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t take care of these two major issues if you haven’t yet. The best way to find an instructor is through word of mouth. After that, consider magazine rankings or your local PGA of America sections for lists of possibilities. Video cameras need to have a fairly sizable flip-out screen and a remote that works the camera forward and backward in slow motion. To get crystal clear slow-mo the camera must have a shutter speed capability of 1500 or more, or have a program mode setting for sports that sets the camera at somewhere around 4000. A suitable camera setup and tripod will run you between 500 and 800 dollars.
Start a workout program. Easy advice, right? It sounds good, and you probably have started one more than once in the past, but for whatever reason ended up not working out. Two things may help you this time. One: put equipment in your house, and set a time to work out on a consistent basis, preferably in the morning. Two: find a trainer who knows what he or she is doing, meaning that he can map out an overall body program and explain the correct form for every exercise you do, with machines, dumbbells, stability balls, stretch bands, or anything else. You need to get going on this, and you need to do it right. Without proper form, you are bound to hurt yourself. Start slow and progress slowly. I put a Bowflex machine in my basement, along with an elliptical machine, four years ago, and I am hitting it further now, at 51, than I ever have.
So there you have it: you don’t have to let the winter pass by watching golf on TV and letting your game slowly disintegrate. If you are tired of starting over every April, try some of these ideas. You’ll thank me in the spring.
