Keeping game sharp through the winter months

[MrW00t10]

Whats some stuff you guys do in the winter (I live in New England) to keep your game sharp for the following season? Due to eligibility reasons I could not play in any tournaments this fall for my school, but this upcoming spring I can so I need to be able to come out of the gates ready to go in March.

Any suggestions?

[jamo]

http://thesandtrap.com/trap_five/fiv...ver_the_winter

FWIW, I wrote that, and I'm from Massachusetts also.

[MrW00t10]

http://thesandtrap.com/trap_five/fiv...ver_the_winter

I actually do most of that lol. From going to a heated driving range to sitting in my living room with the Wii Remote, I've pretty much covered all of that. Gotta love New England -_-

[lumpuckeroo]

Practice putting and chipping, even in the house!

[Leftygolfer]

For me, I come out playing my best golf early. I think a little time away helps me. I'd go practice chipping and putting as early as possible on the greens.

[saevel25]

I tend to just practice putting stroke, to me if your putting even 28-30 times, that still over 2/3rds your strokes. Its the only part of my game that deserves winter practice. I don't like hitting off mats, it throws me off. I will do slow motion swings with a mirror to work on swing path.

Mostly i try to work out as much as possible, i loose my weight in the winter... I try workout at least 5 times a week in some form.

[Danattherock]

Whats some stuff you guys do in the winter (I live in New England)

Are you in western Mass? I have been on Nantucket for 4 years and get over to the cape a good bit to play golf as well. Must be very different weather where you are. Don't get me wrong, it is cold as a well digger's ass and the wind can blow 40-50 mph here, but snow doesn't prevent playing year round. Curious how it varies where you live. Never been inland much. We get up to Maine a few times a year, and head south on 95 to home in NC, but never seen much of Mass other than the coastal area. -Dan

[osgoods]

I joined a indoor league and play every week and sometimes more. I live in New Hampshire

[Old1964]

Fly to Florida to visit family - it's a winter golf must!

[Magdalena]

One way of staying close to your swing during winter is to have one of your short clubs always handy in the leaving room . Try to swing it every night, slow or fast motion. Providing that there aren't any obticle. That keeps me going!

[wrx_junki]

I have my video camera set up on the tripod indoors and try to look at my swing once in awhile. Working on a better take away and back swing in general since I find mine to be a bit erratic.

[Yeri]

Fly to Florida to visit family - it's a winter golf must!

Or for any other reason -- I'm in Orlando and it was a great day to be outdoors, and is gonna stay that way for a while -- shorts & t-shirts all the way!

[soloredd]

Although I don't have to deal with snow, I do take two months off from any rounds of golf. Kind of letting my body and brain refresh itself and to just relax. I did a few things last winter that were beneficial for me: 1) putt indoors 2) swing my 9 and 7 iron in the living room every few days 3) went to the local golf shops and used their indoor hitting areas.

My plan this winter is to go to the range in the afternoons when it is warmest, maybe once a week. But again, I don't have to deal with snow. I don't mind mats so it's not a worry for me.

[MrW00t10]

Yeah I usually putt in my basement..approx. 100 putts a day. And I absolutely despise mats. They are the evil of golf. This past fall I sustained a stress fracture in my leading wrist trying to hit out of a hazard so I don't see myself hacking range balls off of a frozen mat anytime soon. I do go to the gym though. Try to focus on core and strength training, some flexibility too. 5 days a week. Gotta love the winter.

[Deryck Griffith]

Putting, putting and more putting in the house. Exercise (core muscles and endurance - you'll be surprised how much endurance can help your golf game), once a week visits to the indoor range and one trip down south with either work or friends.

[SteelCitySlice]

For me, I come out playing my best golf early. I think a little time away helps me.

I agree completely! For some strange reason, I usually feel the most confident and shoot one of my better rounds of the year during that first round back in the spring. Not sure if it's because there are no expectations during that round, I'm just coming out, swinging the club just trying to get back into the groove.

I usually don't pick up my clubs at all during the winter. The local driving range 5 minutes from the house I grew up in did not have heated bays, so it made it tough to head to the range in below freezing weather. This year though I think I'll take advantage of living about 15 minutes from one of 3 TopGolf facilities in the U.S.! I pass it on my way home from work so I might try and stop at least once a week and hit a bucket.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Hit the range and work on the nine-shot drill: high draw, high straight, high fade; medium draw, medium straight, medium fade; low draw, low straight, low fade; with every club. Work on your mind being totally prepared before you hit the ball. Every ball.

Too cold? It was 29 degrees at the range today and I hit a big bucket.

Putt! Chip! Pitch!

Get lessons to patch up the holes you found this summer.

[WUTiger]

I mainly work out at the gym and get in shape physically. Also, I try to get rid of at-home and job-related distractors while it's snowy so I don't have to deal with them in the spring.

As far as sharpness goes, I try to set aside a spring two-week period when I pick up the clubs every day or two and get back into the groove. If I don't do this, I end up with a season where it's rough to break 90.