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 (ILLUSTRATION: John Cheresh) My self-imposed winter sabbatical is not without its own set of problems. I hate letting my game get rusty. The subsequent misery that comes with trying to navigate a course with a neglected golf game is unbearable. I’d rather shove golf tees under my fingernails than chop my way around a golf course. Taking a cue from my friends in the Midwest who spend months out of the year staring out the window at the frost-bitten landscape, I sought out a plan for managing my off-season game. Those poor people actually get in their cars, drive along snow-plowed roads to hit, chip and putt in heated domes. That’s a level of dedication I’m just not familiar with, but there is a logic to it. Why else would you brave sub-zero temperatures for the chance to hit a few dimpleless range balls into a net and putt on a synthetic putting green? The bottom line is you can’t get too rusty if you maintain your feel. There are a handful of things that make me uncomfortable on the golf course. I don’t like when my body feels tight. I get frustrated when my swing feels out of rhythm, and I absolutely hate when I have no touch around the greens. I found that all of these things are manageable without setting foot on a golf course. Flexibility is vital to the game. As you age, your muscles get shorter and your body becomes less flexible. You lose distance, and nobody wants to be categorized as short. Find a stretching routine and some very basic exercises that will help your rotation and strengthen your core and do them 10-15 minutes a day, four to five days a week. It’s a Google search away. Think of every great round you have ever played. How was your rhythm? I bought a dozen whiffle balls and keep them in the backyard with an old sand wedge. A couple of times a week, I walk outside and make 15-20 swings focusing only on my posture and swing tempo. Do you think my rhythm would be better than if I just sat on the sofa for weeks on end? Finally, there’s the dreaded short game. Even under perfect conditions, my short game deserts me. I mix in a few real balls with my backyard whiffle ball practice and chip to precise landing areas to keep my feel. I also purchased an 8-foot-long home putting green to keep my stroke off life support. Whether we are hitting it good or bad, we all could stand to be a little more confident standing over an 8-footer. Greg Flores has been a sports and entertainment publicist for 20 years and has written for Southland Golf since 1995. |
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