As the golf season starts to fade from Michigan, teaching pros offer useful advice on how to keep your game on par, and not get out of shape once the season is over.
GA pros at Carl’s Golfland in Plymouth – Brian Liberati and John Hyde – offer several ideas ranging from yoga workouts to reviewing the rules of golf:
• Get with a trainer and have them show you golf-specific exercises that can be used all year. There are muscles that are not used in everyday life that players use when swinging a golf club. Also, Yoga is great for golfers, men and women.
• Find a driving range that is open year-round and take swings at least twice a month. The winter time is the best for working on swing changes, not during the season when golfers worry about scoring. “Most people do not touch a club for months, which is why when they pick a club up in the spring it does not feel comfortable to them,” Liberati said.
• Have your equipment evaluated. Check grips, shafts and club heads to make sure all is in working order. Many golf shops offer grip specials during the winter, when all you pay for is the grip; there is no labor charge.
• Going to a facility that has golf simulators is a good way to keep swinging in the off-season. There are places that offer golf leagues, which is a fun way to pass the time through the winter and be with friends and family.
• Learning the basic rules of golf is helpful also. Many golfers are afraid of the rules. But knowing some of them will only lower scores, not add strokes to your score. And carry a rule book in your golf bag, especially if you play in a league or in tournaments.
Dave Kendall was named Teacher of the Year by Michigan PGA in 2000 and 2004, and his academy has many additional strong teaching pros.
“Fall and winter are ideal times to be more aggressive in instruction,” Kendall said. “Teachers and students can work on areas of improvement and do more homework. And it’s not just hitting balls at a heated range or dome. For example, I urge some of my students to do mirror work over the winter. I want them to stand in front of a mirror and take a proper stance and posture as if they’re hitting a ball. Basically, it comes down to tilting the spine at address and maintaining that posture through the shot. Mirror work and simulation drills help to train the body before spring when shots matter again.”
(via Detroit Free Press)
