Not one day after my last post Back in the Swing of Things, I got sick again; one of the lovely benefits of working with people who are sick and continue to come into the office. This put my total sick time to over 2 weeks and my practice and productivity for this golf blog at an almost stand still.
While complaining to one of my college friends that lives in VA, he not so subtly reminded me that he has to take months off at a time due to winter weather. He also told me it typically takes him 3 to 4 months into the golf season to really feel like his game is back to peak level.
This got me thinking about what he could do to cut this recovery time in half if not almost erase it completely. There are a lot of ways I practice when I have limited time or there is crappy weather out. Here is a list of 3 things you can do to keep your golf game up to par during the winter or down periods:
1) Get in front of a mirror: I was recently brought up to speed on the benefits of this by my instructor Brian Bobbitt. All you need is a closet mirror and a place to swing your club where you won’t hit anything (or anyone). A range mat or launch pad comes in very handy if you have one but isn’t necessary. Practicing swinging in front of a mirror not only keeps the rust off your swing, but gives you a chance to get a visualization on any areas you may need to improve upon. A couple times a week for 30 min to an hour can go a long way.
2) Get an indoor putting mat: I’ve got a 9’ SKLZ putting mat that I use inside when I just want to work on my putting stroke. It’s got markings for 3’, 5’ and 7’ so I can practice various distances. This isn’t going to make you the world’s greatest putter, but will help you keep and improve your current stroke from some must make distances. I’ve also seen guys build their own putting greens in garages and basements. They get very creative and some of them look pretty awesome. Here is one to check out.
3) Indoor Golf Net: This one requires a little more room but if you have a garage or basement it is easier to pull off than one might imagine. I’ve got a 7’ SKLZ golf net I set up in my garage with a range mat and launch pad for fairway and rough lie shots. Be careful with this one as it is possible to hit a shank and end up breaking something. The first swing I made with this I was a little nervous and put a nice little ding in the wall.
If you’ve got any other ideas for keeping your practice and golf game active during down times please share.
On a side note, I do not have any sort of deal with SKLZ, just went a little crazy for my birthday last year and bought half their products. I will only endorse products on this blog I use myself and would recommend to friends. However, if anyone from SKLZ reads this and wants to endorse Underdog Golf Blog, I’m more than willing to talk!
