Here are some winter golf drills from PGA Coach Samantha Head to help you keep your game on track.
It’s that time of year when the focus on the golf course is to keep warm and NOT think about your swing, so ensure you maintain your game by doing some winter drills
Mirror mirror on the wall, I want to see the best swing of all!
Indoor or range drills can keep your game ticking away as well as improving it. You’ve heard the saying ‘practice makes perfect’? I prefer the saying ‘practice makes permanent’ as winter drills are key to permanent changes.
These days most ranges are equipped with mirrors behind the bays and a mirror is a very really useful tool for checking your posture. Ask a PGA pro to help you achieve a good position at address, take a photo and keep this picture with you, or keep it in your mind.
Every time you pass a mirror or practise, take your set-up, and you will be well on your way to establishing consistent shots as posture is a key fundamental of the golf swing.
If you feel as though you have too much movement in your swing, stand against a mirror or wall and make a swing. This drill will let you know if you are moving away (standing up) on your backswing, rather than maintaining your posture.
A common fault is swaying, so by practising with your head kept steady against a mirror or wall while you make a backswing can help you maintain posture.
Have a plan for improvement
When going to the range in the winter and if you’re serious about improving, have a block of lessons, and take one club. A mid-iron is great to really focus on what you are working on and engraining a solid swing.
On your next visit, mix it up and take your whole bag and play a course you know by visualising the holes and choosing different targets and clubs. Use another club to assist your alignment. Just because it’s too dark to play on the course, this can be done on the range in a very different way, but as effective.
Putting practice
Greens can be bad in the winter, but this doesn’t stop you practising those all-important short putts. Like the block practice on the range (using one club), measure out a straight three-foot putt and see how many you can hole in a row. Set yourself a goal and attempt to beat it each time.
Nine-ball putting challenge - three sets of putts with three balls from three different short distances. This is a great drill to maintain a competitive attitude. Start from three-foot, five-foot and seven-foot. Hole three balls from each and move back each time you do this. If you miss, start again and so on. Once you’ve finished move on to the next drill. You always want to end on a good putt.
Important: You must warm up
Before playing golf you should always warm up, especially during cold winter months, to avoid injury and help to get your blood flowing. Stretches, which might seem pointless, can be of huge benefit.
To find out more about PGA Coach and six-time tour winner Samantha Head please visit her website here or follow on social media on Instagram @samanthaheadgolf or Twitter @natural_golfer.
The above Instruction article was taken from the Jan/Feb 2019 issue of Women & Golf magazine.
Improve your swing with these exercises and home - find out more here.