(NC)-Like many warm-weather sports, there are things golfers can do to prepare themselves over the winter to ensure that they are ready for the next golf season as soon as the snow melts.
"A few simple exercises and activities over the winter can do wonders for improving your game in the spring," says Callaway Golf Canada on-staff professional Barry Wallis. "Maintaining flexibility and building core strength are key, along with practicing your swing as best you can indoors."
To build power in your golf swing, Wallis recommends doing exercises that work your core muscles around the trunk of your body and your legs.
"In the golf swing, it is the legs and hips and not the arms that create the platform for adding distance to your ball," commented Wallis. "Squats and lunges are great to build the explosiveness and power needed in your legs to hit the ball farther, while standard sit ups will work your torso for similar results."
Wallis also recommends going to the garage or a room with a high ceiling to practice your swing in front of a mirror, watching for proper form. For another great way to build strength and flexibility into your swing, when practicing, try holding your club at the top of your backswing for 30 seconds and feel the stretch across your back.
However, the best way to get ready for the season is by taking lessons and hitting at an indoor facility or into a net at home. Callaway Golf offers hitting and chipping nets that can be used for both in- and off-season training. When swinging at an indoor facility or into a hitting net, you cannot see your full ball flight, so don't focus on where the ball is going, but instead on how your body is moving. Concentrate on tempo and balance; this will help your swing immensely.
The best feedback will come from seeing your swing on video. Try to find an instructor who can record your swing and provide analysis. Even recording your swing on video at home and then comparing it to pros such as Ernie Els and Morgan Pressel will provide valuable feedback and help you have an improved start on the course in the spring.
- News Canada