Have you ever the phrase, “take 2 weeks off and then quit”?
I’m not sure who said it first, but I had a client come in and said “I finally went and took a lesson” I said, “oh yeah, what did they tell you?”
He said, they told me “take 2 weeks off and then quit” Haha! I’m pretty sure it wasn't a true story, but have you ever felt that way about your golf game?
If you’re fortunate enough to live in a climate where you can play golf all year round, good for you, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
You, your body, and your mental state could always use some time away from the game.
I you live where it’s freezing cold and that white stuff is on the ground, then you’re pretty much forced to take a break. Trust me, you’re better off in the long run.
Below are my top 3 things you can do this time of year to improve your game without playing, unless you want to look like this guy.
#1 Evaluate Your Game
Take a good look at where your game is right now and set some realistic goals to be a better player by the end of 2019.
If you’ve always been a 20 handicap then don’t say, “I want to be a scratch golfer by August”. That’s just setting yourself up for failure. Try and get to single digits.
It’s a lot easier to go from a 20 to a 10 then it is go from a 6 to scratch.
If you keep stats and notice you don’t drive it very far, but have a good short game, then try and improve your distance.
If you struggle hitting greens, it may be because you are hitting hybrids into greens instead of irons, that’s a distance thing. If your distance is good it may because of your ball striking.
Maybe you need to get a small putting green in your basement or garage, if you have more 3 putts than 2 putts.
So, take a good look at your game and make the necessary changes you need.
#2 Evaluate Your Body
This is my big one! Not just because it’s what I do, but because I’ve seen it make SO MANY positive changes in my clients.
In my 20 year career I’ve conducted over 40,000 1-on-1 and group sessions, so I’d like to think I’ve seen it all. From the 80 year old man that just wants to play as long as he can, to the 5 year old whose parents thought he was the next Tiger Woods, and everything in between.
I’ve had clients take a month off to focus on their body and come back hitting the ball better than they ever have.
It doesn’t matter if you have the best equipment money can buy, if you can’t make a good consistent swing, your scores are going to suffer.
My advice this off-season is to take a good look at your body and figure out what you need to change and get to work. It could be you need to get stronger in the core, or more flexible in your hips.
If you have a nasty fault you’ve been fighting all year, it is probably something physical that is causing it.
You can take yourself through our at home assessment process, or locate a TPI professional in your area, or if you’re in Southern California you can schedule an assessment with us
Some exciting news that we have is something we’ve never done before.
I am launching our very own online off-season program on January 7th!
That’s right, I am taking my 20 years of experience and creating a 12 week program you can access on your phone or computer with video explanation of exercises that WILL change your game!
Early bird sign-ups are now available
If this is something you’re interested in, send us an email to earlybird@hf4golf.com with your name to be added to our early bird list and receive 50% off the regular price of $147. You will also get a starter program to do before the launch date.
#3 Evaluate Your Equipment
Club Manufactures are releasing new drivers at an alarming rate. This is because of 2 things, they want you to buy more clubs, but also technology is always changing and getting better.
If you still have a Taylormade R5, chances are you only play once or twice a year or you don’t like change. I suggest finding a local golf retailer and just trying out the new stuff, you’ll be amazed.
It may be that you just need new grips or the grooves are worn out on your wedges. Take a good look at your clubs this winter and see if you need to make any changes.