As much of the U.S. is getting a blast of frigid air this week, many golfers are putting their clubs away for the season.
However, this does not mean you can’t make significant improvements to your game. There is plenty you can do to improve your golf swing and your short game so that when you are ready to tee it up again, you’ll be better than ever.
Your Golf Fitness
The bottom line is that, for those of us age 40 and over, we lose muscle mass if we don’t train. As a result, we start to lose distance.
It doesn’t have to be that way. More and more, professional golfers are training like other athletes. Tiger Woods certainly has been at the forefront of that revolution, and golfers like Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and even Phil Mickelson have followed suit.
With that in mind, if you are not doing any strength training, then you should get to it.
Golfers like Bernhard Langer are demonstrating that you can play at a high level for a LONG time if you are fit and strong.
One key point here… there is a small industry out there focused on “golf fitness.” While I do believe there are some really good golf specific exercises to help you with your golf swing, I also believe that strength training just like any other athlete is most beneficial.
The fact of the matter is that the golf swing engages all of the key muscle groups, so work to improve your strength in all of them… legs, back, shoulders, chest, arms.
If you do embark on a strength training program, don’t forget to include flexibility training. It is easy to tighten up, and end up with a more restricted golf swing if you don’t work on your flexibility. You can check out my complete stretching program here.
My favorite overall fitness program continues to be P90X. It covers all the bases, from strength training, to improved cardio fitness to increased flexibility and improved athleticism. Get it here… P90X DVD Workout – Base Kit
Putting
Most golfers suck at putting, and there is really no excuse for it. Putting is the easiest part of the game that you can improve, and improved putting is the quickest way to lower your scores.
Best of all, you can work on your putting year round since you don’t need high ceilings for a full golf swing.
I discuss a couple great putting aids and drills for improving your putting here… groove your putting stroke.
Full Swing Training
While it’s could outside, if you’ve got a space in your house or garage that will allow you to make full swings, you can get to work on improving your full swing this winter.
There are many tools available now for you to work on your golf swing indoors.
Many PGA Tour pros now have indoor golf simulators, and probably own the top of the line products such as Full Swing Golf. These products will cost you upwards of $50,000, but you really don’t need to break the bank.
You can get set up at home with a golf simulator for under $2,000, including the simulator, net, stance mat and TV screen. You can literally get started with one of these gadgets in minutes.
I cover a variety of golf simulators for every budget here… is it time to consider a golf simulator?
Along with your golf simulator, you should consider purchasing a high speed camera so you can do your own video analysis. I recommend the Canon PowerShot SX530 HS Digital Camera
You also no longer need to spend a fortune on the golf swing analysis software like the teaching pros do. Zepp offers 3D golf swing analysis software on the cheap for under $150. Get it here… Zepp Golf 2 3D Swing Analyzer
If you don’t know how to analyze your swing, check out the article I wrote a while back… how to analyze your golf swing.
Final Thoughts
If you are an avid golfer and want to improve your game, even though winter has effectively arrived, you have no excuses. You can spend as little as 15 minutes each day doing SOMETHING to improve your game.
Don’t just put your clubs away for the winter and sit in front of the TV watching football.
Get to work on improving your body, your swing and your putting stroke!
