Golf practice in winter, is that even possible?

It sure is - with a few simple tips and tricks you can make your winter training quite effective. If you practice smart in winter, you'll be all set once the season kicks off. Imagine the confidence you’ll bring to the tee for the first tournament of the year… Alright, let’s do this!

WARM UP – SOUNDS BORING BUT IT'S ESSENTIAL

Warming up the body before training is even more important at this time of year than it is in summer. To fire up the body temperature and get those muscles working, you can use a theraband, for example. The resistance of the band is great for activating the muscles. Alternatively, do a few squats, some jumping jacks or whatever gets the blood pumping. 

HELP, HAVE I LOST DISTANCE?

Don’t stress, you probably haven’t. When it’s cold the ball doesn't fly as far as it would in summer. That’s why...

FOCUS ON SWING STRUCTURE

Winter is a great time to put the focus of your training on the technical aspects of your swing and learn new movement patterns. Ideally, they will feel natural by the start of the season. Which means that you can focus on playing rather than worrying about your technique once spring comes round.

EXAGGERATE

If you’ve ever worked on your swing, you know how awkward even the slightest changes can feel. Now is the time to exaggerate those new movement patterns. Doing an extreme version of that move can help you make it feel (more) natural over time.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

There's no point in mindlessly hitting hundreds of balls. Effective (winter) training happens when you are present and mindful of what you are doing. Remember those exaggerated moves? Great! Every couple of shots, do a dry repetition (without hitting the ball) of that move. Then hit another 2 or 3 shots. Back to dry repetitions, and so on.

LAYERS

Layers are your friend. Should they be warm? Yes. Should they be thick? No. If your layers are too thick, you won’t be able to swing. For me personally, using a couple of thinner layers works best. In case I get warm, I can easily take something off. 

MY FAVORITES

Top tip: the Wave Hoodie and the Flow Hoodie are great for layering. Use them as first layer, mid-layer or on top*.

Find a spot in the sun - *duh*, I know. Sounds simple, but standing in the sun makes it feels so much warmer when temperatures are freezing. If possible, plan your practice session based on when the sun hits the range. Bonus: your body can fill up the vitamin D tank while you’re there.
And most importantly – enjoy yourself!

Alena xx

*alternatively, you can simply put on two hoodies on top of each other - works too!