Golf Tips: How to Keep Your Golf Swing Loose This Winter
The following is an article I originally published on Suite101, an online magazine. There; now I can't get scolded for improper referencing of my own material.
For golfers who live in areas of the country affected by cold weather during the winter, maintaining a loose golf swing can be a difficult task. However, throwing one's golf clubs in the garage for three months is not a good way to stay on top of one's game during the winter. Here are a few exercises any golfer can perform at home during the winter in order to keep his or her swing loose and ready for the next season.
Rotational Exercises
One of the best ways to keep one's muscles loose during the winter is by stretching and exercising at home. For golfers, muscles in the core and back are most important for performing a golf swing. One exercise a golfer can perform to stay loose involves a starting position of lying on his or her back on a flat,smooth surface. Next, the golfer should rotate his or her lower body to one side while also rotating their upper body and shoulders to the opposite side of the body. This movement will produce a strong yet comfortable stretch across the golfer's core. After holding this position for a brief moment, the golfer can then switch sides and rotate to the opposite direction. For best results, this exercise should be repeated numerous times a week or as often as comfort will allow.
Swing a Club
Even if a driving range is not available during the winter, golfers can still practice their swings in the basement or garage in the offseason. Setting up a practice net in one's garage, for example, allows the golfer a change to not only work on his or her swing, but also to keep the feel of hitting an actual golf ball during the winter. If a player does not have access to a basement or garage, he or she can take a wedge or short iron and practice making slow swings in the bedroom or living room away from furniture.
Putting Practice
As one of the most important aspects of any golfer's game, putting can be easily practiced indoors during the cold winter months. For example, setting a glass or plastic cup on its side on the floor can serve as a putting target. If a golfer's house has carpet that is too long to simulate a proper green feel, he or she can also purchase a putting mat on sale at most major golf stores. Keeping a solid putting stroke throughout the winter will not only keep a player's muscles loose, but will also grant them an advantage on playing partners when the next season is underway.
Staying on top of one's game during the offseason can be difficult, especially for working adults who do not have a ton of extra time on their hands. With a few adjustments at home, however, any golfer can keep their game in top shape and ready for the next season.
