Spring Golf

As the warm the weather makes the move into spring golf weather. I thought it would be a great time to give a couple tips on how to get ready and the edge on your golfing buddies.

The Question:


 Is it possible to get better at golf without playing on grass???? I would say without a doubt, yes!


Lets take a look at a great example of this, Mark Wilson. He has had great starts to his PGA Tour seasons for the last 2 years, so what has he been doing? Well, he is on tour, so like many of the players, you would guess he lives in a warm climate, like Florida, Arizona or California. That would have been my guess too. He actually spends his winter months living at his home outside of Chicago. In 2011, he came out of the gates hot winning two of the first three events, and to prove that it wasn't a fluke, he had another great start this year. Winning one of his first three events, and he also finished 3rd at the WGC Matchplay Championship.

http://www.pgatour.com/golfers/021878/mark-wilson/career/#uber

Here is a great look at Mark Wilson over the winter and him getting ready for his first event of the year on 'Inside the PGA Tour.'

Lets get into some practical ways to set yourself up for the best summer of golf you have ever had.

If you don't have a indoor golf area like Mark Wilson or cannot come see me at The Athlete Institute, here are some drills/exercises you can do at home to get you ready to beat your buddies this summer.

Lets start with putting, since we hit more shots in a round with our putter then with any other club. We should practice the most with it to drop shots!

This drill will help you improve your stroke and is easily done inside your home.

Supplies: your putter, 5 golf tees, and 5 to 10 feet of carpet.

With this drill, it is important to space the first two tees just outside your putter head to ensure the contact is in the centre of the putter. The next two tees should be placed an even distance in front and behind the ball. Start with 8 inches back and 8 inches through, and see how far that putt rolls. Everyone is different, and putting is 90% feel, so play around to see how far you hit the putt.

Notice below how the face of the putter head gets all the way to the back tee and stops at the forward tee. This is a key step.

Like in every shot in golf, your rhythm is key. I say your rhythm because whether fast or slow, make sure is it the same speed back and through. Below are two stroke videos that are very different, but both very effective. The first is from Stricker and the second is  from Snedeker.

Pay attention to Brandt's quick but even back and through stroke. Now lets picture their swings; Stricker is slow and smooth, and Snedeker's  is quick and snappy. Very similar look to their putting strokes. Keep that in mind to help you find your putting rhythm. Once you get comfortable with the drill, see how many times you can hit this putt without knocking down the tees that are on the heel and the toe of the putter. The last challenge is to continue to do the same thing, but now look only at the target and not the ball. This will be strange at the start, but will eventually become easy.

Quick review.

Step 1

- Even back and through (longer putt = longer stroke).

Step 2

- Consistent rhythm (match it to your swing).

Step 3

- Change the focus to the target. If you can putt it where you look, and look at the hole, you'll make a lot of putts! Tiger describes it as "putting to the picture" which is another great analogy. 

The next 'Spring Golf' tip to follow.