Keep Swinging!

By P. David Baucom, PGA

Members ask me every day what they can do to help their golf game during the winter and I say: Keep Swinging! If you do the following drill you will play better in the spring than you did in the fall when you were playing your best.

The key to great spring golf is to swing all winter, every day you must faithfully practice your golf swing. You can be anywhere, your office, your living room or at the gym. If you have some space in which you can swing a club or a ski pole then do it there, but you can also just swing using your thumb. The key to this is to do it everyday.

Start with 10 reps of swings, you don't want to get overly tired, just start swinging without stopping for the set of 10. After a break of two hours begin the next set of 10 swings once again without stopping. The next set of 10 bringing the total of 30 swings for the first day this will get you started in on your way to your best spring golf.

Day two: before you start swinging take a good address position paying attention to your posture. To find the best golf posture place your feet together and jump into the air landing with your feet spread apart. You will land in a flexed athletic balanced position. Time to start swinging. Increase the number of swings you perform to 15 per session. These 15 swings must be taken without stopping. During the 15 swings work on maintaining perfect balance, fight for it. This will work on your core and improve your missed golf shots. Do not forget the player who misses it the best always wins golf tournaments and yes all champion golfers miss golf shots. Your swing plane will naturally fall into the correct position due to the stress your arms will feel during the swings. Don’t worry about the position of the golf club, simply swing back and through with great balance. Make a good full shoulder turn going back and a good full finish going through.  Now that your first set of 15 is done. You only have two more sets of 15 to go for the day.

Each day add one swing each working up to 25 reps of swings, three times a day. A tour player would typically do 50 swings per session 3 times a day with a heavy golf club or piece of steel. (Extra weight is good) As you progress though through the winter 25 swings using your sand wedge (heavy) should be appropriate. If you really feel strong and you have the space, you can swing two golf clubs (heavy) during your workout.

This is your daily homework for the winner I mean winter, but yes this will make you a winner. If you put your mind to it, you can do it and even if you only do one set of 15 per day. I guarantee when you get to spring golf you will be better than you ever have been: stronger, more balanced, with longer ball flight and the ultimate reward will be better misses.