Spring Cleaning For Your Game

Much of the country has had a very long and cold winter.  For those in the northern states, it has seemed to be an endless battering of snow and ice that is never going to leave.  Well, eventually it must, and with that thaw the golf courses will be opening and you’ll have the chance to get back out on the links.

If you’re lucky enough to be in a location where the weather is warm enough to be outside golfing, good for you.  I wish I was there with you.  But those in the snow, there are steps that you can be taking now so that once the opportunity arises, your ready to take advantage.

First thing to do is make sure that your equipment is ready.  If you aren’t one to do the work yourself, take your clubs to a local repair shop to have a new set of grips installed.  This is often overlooked, but very important.  The grips are you contact point with the club, why would you want to be using old, dry, cracked, and slippery grips when you can have brand new rubber installed?  Since your clubs are already in for repair, make sure to have the loft and lie angles checked and adjusted if needed.  Even though your clubs are made of metal, they are soft and malleable.  The repeated hitting of golf balls and hitting the turf will eventually cause the neck area of the clubs to bend, altering the loft and lie.  Make sure to have the loft put back to their original specs, and the lie angles set to match your swing (maybe a club fitting session is needed).

Now that your clubs are all taken care of, lets take care of ourselves.  If you been exercising and stretching throughout the winter (like we all should) then this might not apply to you.  But if you’ve been sitting sedentary during the past few months, then you need to get back into golf shape.  Start with stretching, especially focusing on your legs and hips, torso and back, followed by the shoulders and arms.  Being limber will allow you to maintain your posture, make a full rotation of your body, and help prevent injury.

Finally, lets start getting the swing in shape.  Even if your unable to get outdoors, it doesn’t mean you can’t be improving your swing.  Work on things such as your posture and grip in front of a full length mirror.  Practice your putting stroke on the living room carpet.  You should also be making full swings with a club, even if you’re not hitting a ball.  These are just a few quick ideas that you can do at home, but by starting to get the muscles going again you’ll be more prepped for getting back on the course.