Golf Practice | Shooting 90

As winter quickly approaches across the northern hemisphere, courses begin to close for the season, and our thoughts turn away from golf. But winter can be a great time to improve your golf game. By working on your game over the winter, you can be ahead of where you left off in the fall and avoid a slow start in the spring.

There are several things you can do in the winter to improve your golf game.

Begin a Stretching and Strengthening Program

Increased strength and flexibility benefits your swing in multiple areas. You will have increased hip and shoulder rotation and faster clubhead speed resulting in a more consistent swing and added distance.

While you can begin a golf specific exercise program, a general strength and stretching program may be best for high handicap golfers who do not currently exercise regularly. A general exercise program that includes stretching and strength training will be easier to implement and stick with while still providing many benefits.

By starting an exercise program in the fall, you will immediately see the benefits your first time on the course in the spring.

Create a Consistent Swing

A consistent swing is created by repetition and muscle learning. Only by repeating a proper swing can you train your muscles and obtain the muscle memory needed for a swing that you can repeat without thinking about it. One of the big challenges for high handicap golfers is creating a consistent swing that can be executed without a lot of thoughts going through your head.

There are several options for working on your swing during the winter.

Practice regularly at an indoor or heated driving range. This may be the best option if you are fortunate enough to have one close to you.
Use an indoor practice mat and net at home. An indoor net allows you to practice your full swing with real golf balls.

The Net Return Pro Series Net

The only golf net in the world that automatically returns the golf ball to the golfer. Our Pro Series net can also be used for additional sports with no modifications, this includes Soccer, Baseball, Softball and Lacrosse.

No matter where you are practicing your swing, you need to be analyzing it in order to make necessary adjustments. The most prevalent way for amateurs to do this is to videotape their swing. This is still a viable method but requires a tripod or camera mount and multiple angles. Recently, swing analyzers that traditionally were too expensive for a single golfer, have dropped below the $150 price point. These devices attach to your club and transmit swing data to your smartphone or tablet.

Swingbyte Golf Swing Analyzer

The Swingbyte Golf Training Device pairs a smartphone or tablet compatible application with a lightweight swing sensor that attaches directly to your golf club–allowing you to capture and analyze your swing for improved results on the course. The Swingbyte device secures easily to any golf club just below the grip–and out of your way.

SwingTIP Wireless Golf Swing Analyzer Package

SwingTIP lets you capture, analyze and visually examine your golf swing anytime, anywhere – at home, on the range or on the course. Let SwingTIP be your mobile golf swing coach. So small it fits into your pocket. So lightweight, that it won’t affect your swing. Use it anytime, and every time, you swing. Clip the SwingTIP sensor onto your favorite club, just below the grip. Take a swing. Within seconds, it wirelessly transmits your golf swing analysis data to your mobile device for viewing (iOS 5.1 orAndroid 2.3+).

Perfect Your Putting

Your putting stroke is easier than other areas of your game to work on indoors. Synthetic putting surfaces have continued to improve. Working on your putting stroke and distance over the winter will help you sink more putts and cut down on three putts when spring arrives.

SYNLawn Portable Golf Green (3 x 8)

SYNLawn Portable Golf Green – 3 x 8 The SYNLawn Portable Golf Green is a versatile practice putting green designed to accurately replicate the surface and performance of a true professional putting green.

StarPro Greens Three Hole Practice Putting Green (3 x 9)

StarPro Greens 3 x 9 Practice Putting Green (3-Hole): Putting realism is all about the turf. StarPros 90 oz. nylon turf is engineered for one thing and one thing only, putting realism. Their 3/4 in. nylon filaments are twisted and heat set to 1/2 in. to play and feel like real bent grass, and sheared for true roll and perfect country club speed.

Take this winter as an opportunity to advance your golf game. Instead of taking the winter off, put in some work and you’ll see an improved golf game in the spring.

Hitting balls at the practice range is essential for a high handicap golfer to reach playing bogey golf. You are being unrealistic if you think working on your swing only during rounds is enough to quickly progress your game. While we all live busy lives and not many of us have the time that pros do to hit thousands of balls a week, an hour a week at the practice range could be the difference between shooting 90 or not.

Committing an hour a week at the practice range is the first and most important step but you also have to use that hour as productively as you can. Many amateurs hit too many balls with their driver or go through every club in their bag each time at the range. The best plan is to work primarily on the areas of your game that are costing you the most strokes. Keeping statistics during each round is the easiest way to know what you need to address at the practice range. Take the guesswork out of it and let your game tell you what you need to work on. Don’t work on improving an area of your game that is already relatively strong when there are other areas that truly need the work. Your golf game is only as strong as its weakest link.

Once you have determined what clubs to work on at the range, don’t just robotically hit one ball after another. Do some role playing. What I mean by this is to pick a definite target and go through your pre-shot routine. Simulate shots you will encounter during actual play. By doing this you will find it easier to translate what you gain on the range over to the course.

Along with a driving range, golf courses have a practice green to go along with it. Most of these practice greens also have a sand trap along side. The short game is the most important part of anyone’s golf game. It’s vital that you spend time on and around the practice green along with the time you spend on the practice range. More of your strokes come from putting than any other area of your game. Work on producing a consistent putting stroke so you can correctly judge the speed of your putts. Remember to work on the short putts so you can consistently drain the three foot putts on the course.

Putting is not the only part of your short game. We do not hit every green in regulation so we need to build proficiency around the green. Make practicing your chipping part of your regular routine at the practice range. Many amateurs use a wedge around the green for all their shots and attempt to fly the ball almost all the way to the hole. A better way is to get the ball rolling as soon as possible by using a less lofted club such as a seven or eight iron. Practice chipping the ball just on the green and correctly reading its roll to the hole. It’s easier to judge the slope of the green than it is to correctly fly it the right distance to the hole.

Most amateurs are terrified of hitting out of a green side sand trap. The truth is while it takes a different setup and swing to successfully get out of the sand, it is a shot that can become consistent for you with a little practice. Spend time in the practice bunker until you feel confident you can successfully land your ball on the green from a green side bunker while out on the course.

There may be some talented athletics who can take up golf and shoot 90 by just playing rounds, but most of us need to spend regular time on the practice range to elevate our game. Just spending time on the practice range isn’t enough. Target specific areas of your game that need the most work and include time for your short time in each practice session. Making time for quality practice each week will put you on the fast track to shooting 90.

By Shooting 90

By Shooting 90