Golf tips, instruction, and commentary for any golfer looking to improve.

Tag: putting mats

How to Practice: During the Winter

It’s awful, isn’t it? You practiced throughout the spring, perfected your golf game in the summer, and really found a groove in the fall only to lose all of that hard work once the snow starts to fly. It happens every year and somehow we never really figure out a way to fight back.

I know that no golfer likes to admit it, but we all get rusty during the winter. We don’t get a chance to play golf while there’s snow on the ground, and the 20-degree weather doesn’t exactly make you jump off your couch to go practice either. So how can we try to keep some of the improvements that we made during the summer months for next year without hating every moment of putting on a small synthetic green in the basement? Join us today as we share some of our favorite ways to get your golf fix during the winter months.

Chip, Putt, and Swing at Home

Image result for golf putting matsEven though the weather outside might not be great, that’s no excuse to not work on the parts of your game that don’t require as much room to practice. One of the best things you can do for your game during the winter is just maintaining the feel of your short game by hitting a couple putts either on a putting mat or just at a water bottle. It might seem boring, but it’s a great way to keep a smooth stroke during the winter and pass the time during all those long hockey match commercial breaks.

Along with that, putting, chipping and swinging a club are also great ways to practice at home. While it might not have the same feel as chipping off grass, chipping some whiffle balls into a cup or bucket is a great way to simulate contact with a ball and it’s still one of the ways I like to practice with my dad during the winter months.

Similarly, if you have the space to do so, simply swinging a club without having to hit a shot is a great way to engrain a swing fix that you implemented during the last season. It’s also a great way to get in the 100 swings a day that Hank Haney recommends to help put a swing into memory.

Now, while these may not be the most glamorous ways to practice during the off-season, every little bit helps, and taking 15-20 minutes a few times a week is almost guaranteed to help you shake off the rust quicker once the weather warms up.

Golf Ranges and Indoor Simulators

 

Image result for indoor driving range

Low roofs and short distances to walls are problems that plague indoor driving ranges.

Another great (and much more exciting) way to work on your game during the winter is to practice at an indoor driving range. Although they may not be that common, if you live near a metropolitan area there’s likely at least one within driving distance. Indoor ranges are great not only because you get to actually hit a physical ball, but also because you get to feel the full swing of the club and contact with the ball which more closely simulates a real golf shot.

 

Driving ranges do have their limitations, however. While it is nice to be able to hit a real ball and take a full swing, the shots you’re hitting at the range are not incredibly comparable to an actual course.

For starters, you can’t take a divot at an indoor driving range which can really mess with your irons if you’re used to taking a sizable chunk of grass out with each swing. Along with this, driving ranges almost never have obstacles to hit around or wind and other elements, which means the experience is not incredibly similar to playing a round of golf on a course.

One great way to combat this, however, is to play a round of golf on a simulator. While you might not get to track the ball flight of your shot the same way you would at a driving range, using a golfing simulator is a fun way to get your golf fix in during the winter. Simulators are constantly improving and many now have wind, rain, different lies and ways to track the spin you put on your shot with pinpoint accuracy in order to provide you with a reasonably authentic experience.

These simulators can be fun and entertaining but they are also expensive to rent out or buy and that makes them less of a practical option for consistent practice during the winter.

Go South or Play Real Golf

Our final way to practice during the winter is one of the most obvious and also one of the best options golfers have to keep their game together during the winter. You must simply find a way to play.

Easier said than done!

Although it maybe tough to play during the winter, it’s not impossible, and one great way to get some golf in during the offseason is to a take a trip to a more hospitable golfing climate. Whether this means leaving your state or leaving your country, taking a golf trip can be a great way to enjoy a weekend with friends and keep your golf game in check while you wait to the weather to warm up back home.

There are dozens of golf trip planning websites and many golf courses offer special “stay and play” rates for hotel rooms and golf rounds for those of us looking to take a small vacation. While this option might take a little more planning than the others, it’s almost always a great experience to go golfing somewhere warm during the winter months.

Finally, your last option is to just head out and play golf back home. While this doesn’t necessarily have to be on a course, Golf Digest has determined that a golfer can play a perfectly enjoyable round as long as temperatures are above 35°F. Though this might be a little farfetched at this time of the year, in a couple months spring will be on its way and we may very well get some weather that’s nice enough to squeeze in an early round as we prepare for the 2018 season.

So there you have it, a couple easy ways to keep your game going during some of our colder months. Personally, I love going to indoor driving ranges but I’m sure some of you might have different preferences. What is your favorite way to practice during the winter? And how guilty are you of slacking on your golf game once the weather goes south? Let me know down below and wish me the best of luck staying warm here in chilly Wisconsin.

Nine Best Golf Gifts: What To Buy For the Golfer in Your Life

Great golf gifts are hard to find. There seems to be an endless list of products and equipment to choose from when it comes to shopping for gifts this holiday season. So how can you cut through the clutter to find the right gift for the golfer in your life?

Well, you could scour department stores and Amazon.com until your eyes turn red, or, you could check out the nine best gifts we’ve come across in stores and the web this holiday season. So stop searching and take a quick look at what we think are the nine best golf gifts for this holiday season.

  1.  Putt-A-Bout 3 Hole Putting Mat

The first item on our list is a classic putting mat for indoor practice during the winter. Putt-A-Bout takes the classic panel putting mat one step above its predecessors with this 9ft-3ft artificial green. This design features a kidney-shaped design with three different holes to aim at along with two “sand traps” behind the holes to keep any long putts from rolling under chairs or couches.

While I haven’t personally used this putting mat, the design looks very sleek, it boasts a 4.5-star rating on Amazon, and for a little less than $40, I think it is more than worth the investment if it means you’ll have a little less trouble shaking the rust off your short game in the spring.

2. Tiger Woods – How I Play Golf
The next item on our holiday list is a personal favorite of mine. Tiger Woods – How I Play Golf is a great all-around book on golf instruction for those looking to learn more about the game and improve over the winter months, told through the eyes of one of golf’s greatest athletes.

This book was actually the first golf gift I ever received and even though some of the pages are torn and coffee-stained now, I still reread Tiger’s chapter on mental toughness before each season. The book comes in a variety of different formats, however, the $15 hardcover option does make a great coffee table addition…

3. College Football Set of Three Headcovers and NFL 3 Pack of Contour Head Covers

Our next set of gifts bring together two great sports, football and golf. As both a student and a football fan a set of three headcovers is a great way to represent my school’s athletic program as well as keep my clubs safe during transportation.

While Team Effort by no means covers every college team, there are a wide array of collegiate schools, NFL teams, Hockey teams, and more available for the reasonable price of around $30 Amazon.com. A great choice for the football fan in your life!

5. TecTecTec VPRO500 Golf Rangefinder

Moving on we have a gift for a slightly more serious golfer. In this day and age, having a rangefinder on the course with you is a near necessity for any golfer looking to seriously improve or play at a competitive level. I will admit that for most of my golfing career I relied on a trained eye or course markings to determine my distance and during that time nothing was more frustrating than watching a great shot sail over the green because you used more club than you needed.

Now, at almost $150 this is no fleeting investment, after researching a variety of different rangefinders, I am very comfortable recommending the VPRO500 as one of the more well made, reasonably priced rangefinders on the market (and I think the 2000 positive reviews on Amazon would agree). So, while it might not be right for every golfer, this quality rangefinder is certainly something you should look into if you want to dial in your game next spring.

6. adidas Men’s Pure Trx Golf Shoe

Moving into some golfing apparel now, I would like to quickly highlight a particular piece of golf apparel that I can personally recommend. While there are countless types of shoes, pants, and shirts out on the market, the Adidas Men’s Pure Trx shoe has served me very well for the past two summers. Even though I might not make it out onto the course every day, this shoe has maintained its support and kept my feet dry through countless rounds thanks to the water-resistant material around the bottom of the shoe.

Now, while it might be possible to find a cheaper golf shoe out on the market, at around $70 I think the Pure Trx is a great combination of quality and affordability for the common golfer. Besides the great price, the black variation of the shoe is great at hiding dirt and grass stains which has kept my pair looking (somewhat) sleek and clean even after hundreds of rounds out on the links.

7. 6 In 1 Golf Multi-Function All In One Golfers Tool

Our next gift holiday gift is the 6 in 1 Golf Multi-Tool from Perfect Life Ideas. Included in the tool are a divot repair tool, ball marker, groove cleaner, scrubbing brush, spike wrench, and a knife which should be more than enough to help you accomplish any golf-related problem you might encounter out on the course.

Now, while this gift might not have the same flair that a new set of clubs or a fancy range-finder might have, I have personally used this tool almost every round of the year. After hooking the multi-tool onto my bag I never found myself rummaging through my bag looking for ball markers or a divot repair tool. This allows me to spend less time looking for equipment and more time focusing on my game. All of these great tools are packaged up for you at a price of around $12, which makes this is a great gift for golfers of all ages and skill levels.

8. Practice Golf Putting Green Flag With Cup

Our next gift idea is one very close to my heart, in fact, this might be my favorite golf-related gift of all time. This great gift idea is a flag and cup combination for your backyard. During my childhood, I would go out daily to different spots around my backyard and chip and putt at a similar flag/cup combination and the makeshift green that we created along with it.

While you could certainly use a different type of cup instead of buying this gift,  it was great to go out to practice and have something “official” to shoot at. Not to mention this set also helps make your practice area look a little nicer when you’re not using it as well too. This flag and cup set might not be the fanciest gift or the easiest to set up (you’ll have to dig a small hole to put the cup in the ground which can be messy during the spring), but if you’ve ever thought of setting up a small practice area of your own, for under $20, I think this would be a great place to start.

9. Amen Corner Golf Canvas

To round out our list of the nine best golf gifts I want to switch gears just a little. Our last gift for today is a beautiful golf canvas featuring Amen’s Corner from Augusta National.

Now, I can’t promise that this beautiful 17″ x 15″ canvas will help you become a scratch golfer, but it certainly is a unique gift that would help any golf deprived family member make it through a long, cold winter. Plus, due to its size, it also makes a great addition to an office or desk space and, for $25, it’s an affordable way to start a small golf art collection of your very own.

The Wrap-Up

So, that’s it. All of our research into the best golf gifts of 2017 has led us to these nine great ideas. And while we’re very confident you would love any of these gifts we also want to hear what you think. What are you getting for that special golfer in your life? Let us know down below in the comments, and above all else, have a happy and safe holiday season this year, from all of us at The Golf Academy.

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