Keeping gains during the winter

[Machine528]

I've taken every step possible to improve my game.  About to start working with a top ranked instructor, focused practice daily, playing as much as I can, reading this forum non stop and im starting to see great improvement already but my fear that keeps lingering is the North East winter ! I have done this before and played amazing into the fall only to get crushed by a 5 month layoff.   What do you guys in the North East do during the winter?  Find a heated driving range, simulators, I was even thinking about buying a few thousand junk balls to shovel a spot out and hit them away once or twice a week during the winter? 

[BuckeyeNut]

Sadly......... there is no way around winter rust short of moving south and continuing to play golf all winter.   You can definitely continue to improve, but your game will follow that cycle that includes a big HC Bump upwards every spring.  I need to play at least twice a week to maintain any resemblance of form.  

[RandallT]

15 minutes ago, Machine528 said:

I've taken every step possible to improve my game.  About to start working with a top ranked instructor, focused practice daily, playing as much as I can, reading this forum non stop and im starting to see great improvement already but my fear that keeps lingering is the North East winter ! I have done this before and played amazing into the fall only to get crushed by a 5 month layoff.   What do you guys in the North East do during the winter?  Find a heated driving range, simulators, I was even thinking about buying a few thousand junk balls to shovel a spot out and hit them away once or twice a week during the winter? 

One big problem I've had is that I've put golf out of my mind after my last round of the year. "Winter is Coming" has meant the clubs go away, and I stop even doing drills inside at my house or reviewing my last lessons. By spring, I have amnesia about my body movements, and I need time to even remember what the swing felt like or what my recent breakthroughs were.

This year, I'm going to try to post every day in this thread, right through winter:

My thought is that the daily reminder (even if I don't do DAILY as strictly as the thread asks) of doing something will keep me fresh. Give it a shot sometime, as I was once a skeptic, but now find it isn't a burden. It's kinda cool to keep up with the others posting there too.

I'll review lessons I've had periodically, and post occasionally in my swing thread with something indoor. My hope is just keeping some activity (slow motion swings, even soft swings indoors) will not just help me solidify any gains, but possibly even advance a tiny bit- even if I don't get outside much.

 

 

[iacas]

Find an indoor practice facility.

Like http://thegolfevolution.com/.

[Jeremie Boop]

I've had issues with this ever since I took getting better serious. The first year I lost basically all the improvement I made because I didn't even think about golf all winter. Since then I try to at least keep thinking about what I worked on during the year so I don't completely lose everything. This year I'm planning on getting a mat to hit off if in the apartment. I have high ceilings so I can at least take full swings with a short iron and hit some foam or whiffle balls into a net or old blanket. This may be the first year I actually make improvements through the winter. It struck me that it may even give me the opportunity to make more improvement and more strongly ingrain proper mechanics because I won't be going to the course and reverting to bad habits. It's kind of an exciting prospect.

2 minutes ago, iacas said:

Find an indoor practice facility.

Like http://thegolfevolution.com/.

This is also something I am hoping to be able to do through the winter is make at least one trip up to Erie. Hopefully it can be dual purpose if the funds allow and I'll get fitted for a putter and/or wedges.

[iacas]

16 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

I've had issues with this ever since I took getting better serious. The first year I lost basically all the improvement I made because I didn't even think about golf all winter. Since then I try to at least keep thinking about what I worked on during the year so I don't completely lose everything. This year I'm planning on getting a mat to hit off if in the apartment. I have high ceilings so I can at least take full swings with a short iron and hit some foam or whiffle balls into a net or old blanket. This may be the first year I actually make improvements through the winter. It struck me that it may even give me the opportunity to make more improvement and more strongly ingrain proper mechanics because I won't be going to the course and reverting to bad habits. It's kind of an exciting prospect.

Many of our students actually start the spring stronger than they finish the fall, because they can focus on the right mechanical changes (which they may think of as a feel) without worrying about where the ball is going for the early parts of the change.

[Jeremie Boop]

3 minutes ago, iacas said:

Many of our students actually start the spring stronger than they finish the fall, because they can focus on the right mechanical changes (which they may think of as a feel) without worrying about where the ball is going for the early parts of the change.

That's not surprising in the lease, once I get on the course I start getting much more results oriented than I am when I'm practicing and not seeing the ball flight.

[Machine528]

I play with some guys that start the first few rounds of the year on fire! If I'm shooting in the low 80's or upper 70's by fall it seems like I forget everything the first 10 or so rounds.  I will actually stay active this winter and work on my swing, find and indoor range and maybe even take 1-2 long weekends south just to keep playing. 

[Patch]

Perhaps a search of a story on a Major Nesmith might help. He was a Viet Nam POW who plyed golf in his mind during his captivity to help pass the time. 

Doing something similar might help during those " no golf allowed" months. 

[natureboy]

When you have breakthroughs or discover tendencies on the range or course, write them down / record them on a word processor doc or spreadsheet.

Then revisit at the start of the next season.

[DrvFrShow]

I won't have anywhere to practice this winter unless I brave the courses. We're expecting a La Nina and that means stormy conditions which also means many of the courses will probably be closed. 

So it'll be a full layoff from about the end of October until April. 

[Rainmaker]

Get a mat and a net.  I have a Net Return net and a Real Feel golf mat in my garage.  They weren't super cheap but they have lasted 4 years and still going strong as well as fun to use.  I used to have, briefly, a DIY net set-up that was loud, rickety and no fun to use.  I do about 90% of my practice with it year-round.   

I can't really say enough good things about the mat and net without it starting to sound like a sales pitch, lol. 

[DrvFrShow]

4 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

Get a mat and a net.  I have a Net Return net and a Real Feel golf mat in my garage.  They weren't super cheap but they have lasted 4 years and still going strong as well as fun to use.  I used to have, briefly, a DIY net set-up that was loud, rickety and no fun to use.  I do about 90% of my practice with it year-round.   

I can't really say enough good things about the mat and net without it starting to sound like a sales pitch, lol. 

In my garage? rotflmao.

[WUTiger]

Play and practice as best you can.

And... use the cold weather to get things out of the way which could slow your spring golf start.

• Get your income tax done by Valentine's Day.
• Complete some indoor home-improvement projects.
• Work on your basic and golf-specific conditioning at the gym.
• Regrip your golf clubs in January.

[uitar9]

I tried the following the last two winters:

-swung a club in the basement 100 times, no balls, two or three times a week. Still swing , hitting nothing, before a round. 

-started a simple yoga workout, two three times a week

-went to the indoor range, once a week

-took a few lessons

[Patch]

Anyone working on their golf game, indoors, during the winter, needs to make sure their ceiling is high enough. Especially with full swings. 

[Machine528]

Thank you for all the tips!  I have enough room in my garage to put a real feel mat and net... My fiancé won't like it but oh well.    I found a heated driving range an hour away so I plan on making that trip once or twice a week.  I am hoping this winter is a good one ! Last winter I could have played up until mid January. I would love to jump into our March Myrtle Beach trip at the top of my game!  I'm usually struggling to find my swing and happy to shoot mid 90's! 

[Dave2512]

I typically play good coming out of winter. The limited practice and play time tends to increase focus, in the summer I just play.