The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Is your game ready for the season?
PUBLISHED: May 22, 2008
With the Masters Tournament in our rear-view mirrors, it's time for those of us in Michigan to begin to think about the golf season. I'm sure some of you have already played a round or two, but I know some of you still have the golf clubs down in the basement or sitting in the corner of the garage. As spring tries to assert itself with warmer days and budding leaves, let's see what we can do to get ready to tee it up again.
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Fine-tune your instruments
First, get your clubs re-gripped.
This is the easiest way to feel like you're starting the year out with a brand new set of clubs. There's nothing quite like tackiness of a new set of grips to help make your clubs feel good. I would estimate that half of my students come into lessons with slick, worn grips that do nothing but make them grip the club tighter, which is a sure fire way to make poor swings.
Clean your clubs
Yes, clean them! Take an old toothbrush and some warm water and get all of the dirt, grass, and junk out of the grooves. Students often want to learn to spin the golf ball like the pros. You can't suck it back on the greens if your grooves are dirty! If your grips are in decent shape and don't need to be replaced, take a towel and some warm water and wipe them down. You'll be amazed at how dirty they are and you'll also feel some of the new grip tackiness return to the clubs.
Get clubs in your bag that maximize fun
Hitting good shots is fun. So take the 2, 3, and even 4 irons out of your bag and pick up a hybrid club or two. Hybrids are, as the name might suggest, a cross between an iron and a wood. Ever wonder why it's so hard to hit that 3-iron? Well, it's because its combination of length and loft make it a challenge to hit consistently even for the best players. Hybrids are easy to hit high and long, and you can hit them out of the rough too. Pick one up and see if makes an immediate difference in your game. I promise it will!
Get your game ready
Hit some putts at home on the carpet.
I know it's fun to hit full shots. There's nothing like piping a drive down the middle of the fairway. But when it's time to add up the score, nothing helps you more than good putting. So as the weather tries to make up its mind, try hitting 20 or 30 putts in the living room at night. Aim at a table leg, or put a soup can on the carpet, and stroke some putts. Try to vary the distance of your target each night. If you can manage to stroke a few putts at home two or three nights a week, you'll start out the year with a better sense of feel and touch on the greens.
Pitch some wiffle balls
Take some golf wiffle balls out into the yard and hit some 10 to 20 yard pitch shots with your sand wedge or pitching wedge. This will help your short game out and make for shorter putts once on the green. I find that most students find their full swings much faster in the spring and take longer to find their touch with the short game. Be the exception and come out with a sharp short game, and you'll beat your golfing buddies early in the year.
Make swings in the yard
Grab your seven-iron, go out into the yard, and just make some swings. Maybe 10 to 20 swings an evening two or three times a week. Some may find that going to the driving range more appealing, but simply taking some swings without a ball can get your game primed and ready to go. At the early stages of the season, keep your swings simple. Focus on balance, rhythm, and low effort. This will prevent you from feeling totally lost with your swing during the first session on the range or the first round at the course.
So there you have it, some easy to do tasks and drills that will ease you into the golf season. Give some or all a try and see what happens. I'm betting that you'll get off to a nice start as you venture to the range and eventually the course. In future articles, I'll talk more about skills and technique. That'll get you hitting it straighter, further, more solidly and playing better golf. Until then, have fun and enjoy the spring!
Questions or comments? Tom Tontapanish is a senior teaching professional with Kendall Academy of Golf. He can be reached at (734) 973-9004 or pttontapanish@yahoo.com.
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