Spring Training Tips For Golfers

Spring is finally here and pretty soon it’s going to be time to hit the links (assuming of course – you haven’t already). As with anything in life, success is often a product of preparation and making sure you’re ready to get out on the course is going to help put you in the best possible position to enjoy a successful season.

This week, we’ve got five tips that can help you get a jump on preparations and get you out and on the course in no time!

Your equipment
It’s crucial that you inspect all of your equipment and make sure it’s in good shape before you hit the links. Here are a few specifics to consider:

• Soft Spikes – Rule of thumb here is simple: If you play a lot, you should change your soft spikes a lot. They’ll help you keep your footing on wet and steep surfaces. Worn soft spikes hurt the quality of your footing and can play a significant role in the overall quality of your shots.
• Grips – Serious golfers usually change their grips every year. Less serious golfers don’t and they don’t really know what they’re missing. New grips can literally save you stroke after stroke when you’re out on the course. With the extra control over the club, you’ll enjoy greater accuracy and with greater accuracy comes more confidence.
• Grooves – Always check the grooves on your club heads – especially on your wedges. Groves provide spin and stopping power after you hit the ball. When grooves are worn or dirty you can lose almost half your spin. And when you’re losing spin? You’re losing strokes! Think about replacing any irons or wedges that have worn grooves before you get out onto the course. If they’re dirty or have buildup on the club face – make sure you get them cleaned!

Commit to fitness

• If you’re even half serious about improving your game this year than you need to make a commitment to your fitness. Stretch more; hit the gym and work on your cardio. This allows you to increase your stamina and – as a result – allows you to play less fatigued. The better shape your in, the better you’ll be able to lengthen your peak performance on the course.

Maintain Flexibility

• Maintaining your flexibility is one of the most important things you can do as a golfer. It helps prevent injury and plays a big role in improving your performance. Golf swings require that you use a variety of muscles and staying flexible ensures that those same muscles and joints move without affecting your swing. To get the best results, it’s recommended that you stretch at least 4 times a week for 10 to 15 minutes.

Define your goals

• It’s not enough to just want to ‘play better,’ because the reality is – we all do! What you need is an actionable goal. Something specific. Do you want to be a better putter? Get better at finessing wedges? Driving? Hitting more fairways? Decide which parts of your game need to be improved and then devise a plan as to how you’re going to do it.