Winter Practice Perfects Your Golf Game

Get Off The Couch, Get Onto The Range

This time of year it is difficult to keep your game sharp. If you live in the southeast or southwest, chances are the courses have become too crowded, the greens fees a little too steep, or your calendar is too full to fit in the six hours needed to play golf. If you live in snow country, chances are your courses are closed until Spring or you have too much cold and ice to even think about playing golf. There is one sure way however to get in a little golf and improve your game. Practice.

Many areas up north now have domed practice ranges or the practice tee is covered and heated. This allows those businesses to make a few extra dollars during a time when they would otherwise be closed. In the warmer areas, you can usually find a dedicated range or a course with a practice area that will allow you to get in some swings.

All you need is about an hour of free time to hit a bucket of balls. I can usually do this during my lunch hour. I pack a canned drink, a sandwich and a piece of fruit to eat on the way or at the course. With so many courses here in Florida, finding one within a few minutes drive from my home or office isn’t too hard. If you live up north, try your basement or garage, and set up a net or even an old mattress to hit balls into. I even know someone who hung an old set of drapes from the ceiling in his garage. You can practice putting nearly anywhere. That tiled floor in the kitchen will give you an idea of what the players face at Augusta every April.

If you find a real range, a bucket of balls should cost you less than 10 dollars. That's nothing compared to the cost of a round of golf, and you will hit just as many, if not more shots.

Most outdoor dedicated ranges have lighting, allowing you to get in that practice after dinner if you prefer.

If you own a video camera, bring it with you. Set it up on a tripod and tape your swing. If you don't have a tripod, use your bag, a bench or even a friend or spouse. Take note of how you strike each shot and its flight path. When you get home, watch the tape and take notes on which swings you hit the ball thin, fat or what seemed like perfect. You'll be quite surprised how many faults or tendencies you spot. You can pick up on a pattern and learn what move it is that causes you to hit the ball right of your target most of the time. As you improve, you'll begin to see a better swing on the tapes. Just keep in mind that no two swings are alike and try not to compare your swing with that of the pros on Tour. Our Tour heroes hit hundreds of balls every day and have a coach there with them to fix any fault or problem. Your goal should be to hit the ball more and more often at your target, not just making good contact.

While at the range, if you have the time, you actually can play a round of golf, sans the putting. Grab an old scorecard out of your bag and play that course. After warming up, hit your drive from your imaginary first tee. You can estimate by the flags or signs how far you hit your drive. Subtract that from the yardage on the scorecard and select a club for your next shot. You'll know from experience on the course whether you hit your approach shot well enough to be on the green.

After you've played all of your full swings on the range, go over to the chipping green and play a few chips and bunker shots. From there, try out the putting green and hit your putts. Sure, it's lacking from the real thing, but at least you keep your mind going and don't hit the same club 20 straight times.

If money is a problem, there is no cost to use a putting green at just about any club. In addition, practicing your putting is the fastest way to improve your scores on the course. If you take two putts per green, that's 36 shots on the greens alone. If you can gain some confidence with your putter and sink a few more of those five-footers and avoid three-putting, imagine how quickly your scores will drop.

The same goes for chipping. Most amateurs miss three out of every four greens during a round. Keeping sharp the feel and touch that you develop around the green is key to scoring well. How often have you spent the entire winter without picking up a club, only to find that the deft scoring touch is absent from your game for about the first 10 rounds of the new season?

If money is not a big problem, but time is, consider getting lessons. There is a multitude of teaching professionals. Some teach one-on-one, which can be quite expensive, while others teach in the less expensive group setting. You and your friends could approach a professional about a group lesson and save a few dollars. Getting lessons in this way relieves you of the worry of embarrassing yourself in front of strangers and your entire foursome stands to gain a little improvement.

If you decide to play, don't become frustrated if your round seems to drag. Use the extra time between shots to concentrate on your course management. You could also use the extra time to enjoy the company of your friends, the fresh air and sunshine.

Whatever your plan to cope with the winter, remember that golf is a game. Enjoy it and with enough winter practice, you could shock your couch-bound partners once your season begins.

FACTOID OF THE WEEK: In 1888 John Reid brought the game of golf to the United States by converting a cow pasture in Yonkers, New York, into the nation’s first course.

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Editor's note: James Stammer is a freelance writer living in Florida. He has played golf for better than a quarter-century. To reach James, e-mail him at jstammer@yahoo.com.

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