Getting Ready For Spring Golf

There is still time to get ready for spring golf or the early season if you haven’t been training your golf over the off-season to keep sharp.

As the golf season begins to heat up, here are some springtime golfing ideas to help you gain a leg up on the competition so that you can have your finest year ever.

Know The New Rules & Regulations

This is a wonderful time to brush up on the newest regulations and any modifications made by the USGA before the start of the new golf season.

Among other things, in 2019, the United States Golf Association (USGA) allowed golfers to leave the flagstick in the hole when putting it. 

In addition to other rule modifications, they altered the requirement that golf balls be dropped from knee height rather than shoulder height.

Start with a New Set of Golf Clubs

It’s a great time to get a new set of golf clubs if you’ve been considering it. Instead of switching in the middle of the season, you may get a head start on breaking them in and getting acquainted with the new clubs.

Buying a new driver, woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, and putter, or just the driver you’ve had your eye on, is an option depending on your budget.

Get the Clubs Fitted

The next step after purchasing new golf clubs is getting them fitted. Having a set of clubs or a driver that complements your golf game will help you improve your shots during the season.

There are swing monitors and simulators available at local club stores that can assist you in understanding what lofts, shaft flex, shaft length, and offsets you need to tweak for your golf swing characteristics.

Re-Grip Your Golf Clubs

The more golf you play, the more likely it is that your grips may become worn out and slippery. In the off-season or early season, switching them out is a good idea once a year.

When it comes to the grips on your golf clubs, many golfers are guilty of not paying enough attention. Just adding any grip is the preferred option once we’ve found the right combination of head and shaft.

Gripping the club is the only way to get a feel for it. As a result, it is imperative that you utilize a grip that is both comfortable and tailored to your own particular preferences. You may check out our articles on Best Golf Grip: Buyer’s Guide and The Top 5 Golf Grips You Should Consider.

Set Goals For Your Upcoming Golf Season

Do you have a specific goal for this year’s golf season? Are you aiming for new lows in this game? Do you want to hit the ball further from the tee? Do you want to improve your golf swing and become the best player you’ve ever been?

Make a list of all of your season-long goals, as well as specific dates for completing each one.

Identify the milestones you wish to achieve in the game of golf throughout the course of the summer months.

Plan Your Practice Sessions, Study Golf Tips And Drills

Since you’ve come to this golf tip to learn more about the game, you’ve already completed this step. GolfingGPS is a great source of golf tip information for golfers.

Basic Golf Swing Drills To Help You Improve This Golf Spring Season

You should focus on four things above all else when learning the fundamentals of the golf swing: your grip, your posture, your stance, and your impact position. Before you begin playing a lot of golf, at the beginning of the spring season, it’s a good idea to check all of these items.

The Grip

Golfers should start with a neutral grip as a healthy foundation for their swings, even if there are many other types of grips available. For this technique to work, you need to stand with your feet together, your back straight, and your arm swinging loosely at your side. Your left hand should be free, and you should keep the club in front of you with your right hand placed on the handle. The club should not be held in the palm, but rather in the fingers.

The Posture

Inexperienced golfers tend to overlook the importance of good posture. It is recommended that you maintain an erect posture while holding a club over your hip bones just below your waistline to prevent poor posture. It’s important to bend from the hips rather than the back in order to get into golf posture. Maintaining a straight spine and tilting your upper body forward while driving the club back into your hips can help.

The Stance

Holding the golf club in front of you with your left foot staggered in front of your right, you may now set the proper stance for the shot. Take a step forward with your left foot, making sure it’s aligned perfectly with your right foot, before putting the club face behind the ball. It is recommended to take a little stride to the right with your right foot to complete your stance.

The Impact

Now, let’s focus on your impact position, which is the most critical component of your golf swing after your setup is solid. You can do this by taking your new setup posture and abbreviating your backswing such that your left arm is parallel to the ground and the club shaft creates a 90-degree angle with your arm. Once you’re in that posture, swing through and stop immediately after impact. It is advised that at this moment, your arms should be aimed directly at the target, and your club shaft should be parallel to the ground at this point.

For your convenience, here is an article on simple golf swing exercises you can do at home. 

The Importance of Golf Fitness Training

A golf exercise plan can help you become the best player that you can possibly be. It will give you the energy and balance to complete nine or eighteen holes without getting tired, sore, or stiff.

Golf exercise training is essential for anyone who wants to get the most out of his or her game.

It will enhance your physical fitness as well as your emotional and mental health, which will allow you to succeed on the course and enjoy yourself thoroughly.

Physical Fitness Requirements For Golf

Golf Strength

Strength is one of the most important aspects of good golf performance, especially when it comes to your swing.

You should begin to develop your strength well before you begin any formal golf training program. Strength training will help you develop the muscle power needed for an effective full swing. It will also help prevent injury and soreness after a long day on the course.

The most important muscles to work on are the large muscles of the lower body. These include your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and tibialis anterior muscles (front of the lower leg).

To strengthen these muscles, perform squats and leg presses regularly while also performing lunges and step-ups throughout your day.

The next area that requires strength is your core musculature, which includes your upper back, abdominal region, and lower back. You can work on this area by doing crunches, sit-ups, and back extensions.

Golf Strength Training

Strength training is important to your golf game because it will help you create the necessary muscle power to hit long drives, as well as improve your ability to control the club.

General strength training will help develop overall muscle power in all of your major muscle groups. It will also increase your flexibility, which will allow you to take a full swing without getting injured.

Golf Strength Exercises

The muscles that you should work on most are those of your lower body because they are integral to quality golf performance. You can strengthen these muscles through two exercises: squats and leg presses.

Leg Press

The first exercise is the leg press. The leg press is a good strength training option for golf because it strengthens the large muscles of the lower body, which are key to effective golf play. It will also help you improve your overall stability and balance.

Grasp a barbell with both hands, and hold it in front of you at shoulder level, with your legs hip-width apart and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your torso up off of the bench while holding onto the bar firmly.

Slowly lower the weight until it comes to rest on top of your thighs, keeping your upper back straight and looking straight ahead throughout this movement.

Inhale, and then use your hips to lift the bar by extending your legs. Stop once the weight is about 12 inches away from your chest and hold this position for a brief moment.

Slowly lower it back down to your thighs and repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Squats

The second exercise is squats. Squats are an extremely important exercise for golfers because they strengthen the large muscles of the lower body, which are integral to effective golf play.

They will also help improve your overall stability and balance. To perform a squat properly, you must follow these steps:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with toes pointed forward. Use slow, deep breaths while you use your abdominal muscles to exhale and slowly lower yourself down.

Once you are at the bottom position, hold briefly and then push back up to your original position. Check out our golf training plans, which provide you with more practice routines and exercises 

Practice Your Putting Stroke

Aim to practice your putting stroke for 10 minutes every day without using a ball. To practice, all you need is a putter and a place to swing it back and forth in the action of a putting stroke.

To keep the putter on a straight path, add a few alignment sticks or books. Practicing straight putts and keeping the face square at impact will help you improve your game.

Practice Your Chipping Stroke

You should practice chipping at a towel 5 feet away to get your short game back on track following the off-season. To improve your chipping technique, aim to land the ball on the towel as many times as possible.

Distant control is improved when ball-striking is practiced, as the chip shot must be square to strike the towel target straight on line.

Whenever you pushed or pulled the chip shot, you’ll be able to tell since you didn’t keep it straight.

1. Examine & Analyze Your Lie

To hit a solid chip shot, you must first analyze your lie. As a result of this, you can choose the type of chip shot you’ll take to the hole.

Using a 60-degree lofted wedge like this one can help you get the ball out of the rough with a lot of backspin so that it can stop on the green.

What kind of shot should be used depends on your lay, and that’s where you’ll also need to look at the green.

2. Examine & Analyze The Green

The next stage in improving your chipping is to spend some time looking at the green.

What questions should you ask yourself?

• Where is the flag?
• How much green space do you have between you and the flag?
• Is there a bunker or any other danger if the ball travels too far?
• Do you have to chip over any bunkers or hazards to get to the green?

You should practice a low trajectory running chip shot if there is no hazard around and plenty of green between your ball and the hole.

Higher lofted flop shots are a good option when there is a lot of distance to cover or not much green to work with.

Overall, take a look at the green and your lie, and choose the best chip shot to assist you to save par.

3. Pick Where You Want to Putt From Before Chipping

In spite of being off the green, you should still treat your chip shot as the first of a two-putt par. You want to leave yourself a short and simple putt as you chip the ball onto the green.

The optimum place to putt is around the perimeter of the hole. How do I know where the green is the most leveled? Is there an uphill or downhill incline in this area? Are there any breaks on either side?

Also, consider your own personal assets. Right to left break or left to right break is best for you?

A chip shot that gets the ball as near to the hole as feasible should be your goal after figuring out where to putt from.

If the putt goes a few feet past the hole, you’ll know that the break is coming back to allow you to make the putt.

Amateur golfers frequently miss short chip shots (5 feet to 15 feet) and struggle on the scorecard as a result of a large number of short-range two putts that might have been one putt.

4. In The Set Up, Shift Your Weight Forward

In a typical golf swing, your weight shifts back on the backswing before shifting forward when your hips are fired to help propel your swing forward.

In many cases, a shank or hook/slice is the result of the golfer getting their weight locked behind the shot.

You don’t need a lot of power to chip, and it’s all generated by swinging the club in your arms. In order to avoid mishits, you can begin by putting your weight forward.

5. Use Your Hands To Lead

You want your hands to lead the club face during a chipping stroke. The only way to achieve this is to lean the shaft forward such that the grip is placed in front of the heel of the club (club face).

Casting occurs when the club is released prematurely, and chunks are formed on the golf ball as a result of a forward shaft tilt.

You’ll notice that your chip shot ball striking is considerably more consistent and easy to control.

The forward shaft lean can also be encouraged by setting the ball back in your stance. However, you should experiment with various ball positions until you find one that works best for you.

While most chips are centered in the stance or just behind center on flop shots, we prefer to play the ball forward near our lead foot.

Find out what works best for you and stick with it.

6. Bend Your Wrists

When hitting a chip shot, creating a wrist hinge is critical because it allows the club to rise above the grass on which the ball is resting.

It will be difficult to control the club from the grass pulling back with force if the club does not have a hinge in place.

The wrist hinge helps your club make precise contact with the golf ball and avoid as much grass as possible on the way down by coming into the golf ball at a lowering angle during the down swing.

When chipping, the wrist of a right-handed golfer’s backhand (the right hand) will be the pivot point. The backswing is a pivotal moment for left-handed golfers.

7. Do Practice Strokes

When preparing for a chip shot, take a few practice strokes close to your ball to get familiar with the technique.

For example, you can practice hitting from rough and making precise contact if your ball lands on some dirt with this technique.

Your practice chipping strokes will help you fine-tune your technique when you’re ready for the real thing.

8. One Wedge Is All You Need to Make a Difference

A single wedge should be the only focus of every golfer’s practice session, especially those who have difficulty chipping. Become an expert at it!

Wedge sole grinds allow you to flatten your wedge for high lofted shots, thanks to the way they’re designed these days.

Consequently, I prefer to practice with a 52, 54, or 56-degree wedge rather than a 60 or 64-degree wedge.

Adjusting the face during set up allows you to practice low runner chip shots as well as higher lofted shots.

9. Get On the Green First аnd Fоrеmоѕt

After analyzing your lie and the green in our first set of chipping suggestions, we asked you to think about your next move. This is fantastic, but life isn’t always like that.

It’s possible that you’ve told a terrible lie or that you’ve run into something unexpected like a skull, blade, chunk, etc. Things do happen.

As a result, prepare ahead of time by focusing on the first rule of chipping: only attempt one landing on the green.

Amateurs and newcomers to the sport of golf are far too likely to take many attempts before getting their ball on the green. This is a waste of time!

To at least give yourself an opportunity to save a stroke, you should take the first chip shot on the green.

As a result, prior to taking your chip shot, consider the level of danger involved. Is the ball still on the green if something goes wrong?

Consider an alternate chip shot to ensure your golf ball arrives on the green in one attempt if the answer is no.

10. Clean Your Grooves

Need a lot of spin to check up on the ball and control it? Ensure that your grooves are free of dirt and debris before chipping.

A damp towel connected to your bag is a great way to get the club grooves wet if the dirt has dried or solidified between the grooves of your wedges during your round.

A brush tool is also available for cleaning the grooves on the wedge and iron club faces.

11. Repetition Is The Key To Success In Chipping

Up to 18 times per round, depending on how many approach shots you make into the fairway, you’ll be chipping.

There will be a wide range of lengths, lies, trajectories, and spin rates required for each of your chips to correctly position the ball for your putt.

You’ll need to put in a lot of practice time outside of class to be ready for the round with such a small supply of chips.

Practicing chipping will help you rack up a large number of repetitions from a variety of distances, angles, and lays to the flag.

12. Choose The Right Golf Ball

Your golf ball is another ignored component that has an impact on your short game.

A lot of golfers focus on distance off the tee but forget about the short game component and picking a golf ball with exceptional control for around the greens.

You’ll get a backspin from the ball’s cover, which catches the grooves in your wedge. Learn about the sort of cover the ball has and how it affects spin rates, short game, putting, and chipping before making a purchase.

Here in GolfingGPS, we have a various list of golf ball articles depending on your level: 

• Your Complete Guide To Golf Balls for Average Golfer & Mid Handicapper
• A Complete Guide To Golf Ball Guide For Beginner Golfers & High Handicappers
• Choosing the Perfect Golf Ball for Your Game

13. Take a Deep Breath and Make a Stunning Chip Shot

Take a deep breath, and that’s it for today’s chipping advice. Be at ease. Get your thoughts in order. Chipping and the short game as a whole take a lot of mental work!

If you’re interested, we wrote an entire book about golf’s mental game, which you are welcome to peruse.

Before you start chipping, clear your mind of any negative ideas. Put yourself in the position you want to be in before you begin your chipping stroke to give your subconscious mind a sense of direction.

Imagining where the ball will fall on the green will help you feel the distance you’re flying the ball.

Afterward, take a chip shot. You’ve got this.

Practice Your Golf Swing

The 100-swings-a-day guideline is Hank Haney’s most renowned golf drill. A golf club and you are all that is needed.

Take advantage of any available open space in your home or yard/garage to warm up and loosen up your back and torso muscles after a long winter hiatus with some simple 50 percent swings.

The next step is to go to 75% swings, and finally, complete swings. To re-establish your strength and flexibility, aim to swing the club at least 100 times a day.

No need for a golf ball. Simply work on your swings.

Do Some Golf Flexibility & Stretching

If you haven’t already done so during the winter off-season, this is a good time to get back into the gym. Instead of lifting weights, begin by practicing golf-specific stretching exercises to improve your flexibility.

Working the muscles that you’ll need to power your golf swing starts with stretching for 10-15 minutes, then progresses to small weights and resistance training.

The following are some relevant articles for your consideration: 

• The Best Golf Exercises & Stretches

Make a Seasonal Plan

How many times a week would you like to play golf if you have a membership to a golf course? Do you like to play golf on certain days of the week, or do you prefer to practice on other days of the week?

Do you plan to play any additional courses this year? When was the last time you went to a new golf course outside of your town or state?

Check out our list of the best golf courses in the US!

The TOP 10 BEST Public Golf Courses In The US

Put Your Swing To Work At These Beginner-Friendly Golf Courses

The Top 10 Best Golf Courses In The US

Stock Up On Healthy Golf Snacks 

A wholesale store membership can be useful. Make sure you have plenty of water and sports drinks for your round of golf. Shop for nutritious golf snacks.

Cashews, Granola Bars, Trail Mix Fruits, and Beef Jerky

Get Some New Golf Apparel 

The pre-season is a perfect opportunity to stock up on some new golf shoes, shirts, shorts, and pants.

For wet days on the golf course, you can shop for “sun-proof” golf shirts with SPF protection, as well as waterproof jackets and slacks for the course.

In addition to golf clubs, golf shoes should be replaced on a regular basis because of the wear and tear they endure from frequent use.

If you’re in the market for new golf shoes, check out this guide for tips and our picks.

• How to Choose The Perfect Golf Shoes
• The Importance of Golf Shoes – What Type of Golf Shoe Is The Best?

Practice Green Reading

As a golfer, how frequently do you go out to practice your green reading skills on the course?

If you replied “not much” to this question, now is the time to hone your green reading skills. You’ll be astonished at how much it improves your putting this season.

Squat down and read the green before each putt and go through a usual pre-shot procedure to mimic what you’d do on the golf course.

Practice Your Swing At The Driving Range

Until far, most of our golf advice has focused on things you can do to improve your game off the course. To get you off to a good start in the early season of golf here’s a simple but important pointer.

To get rid of the winter rust in your golf swing, aim for 50-60 range balls every session and three sessions per week. During your practice session on the driving range, make sure you add extra 30-40 practice swings without a golf ball.

Follow these driving range drills instead of just hammering away at the range.

What to Know About Driving Ranges

Grass Driving Ranges

Grass provides conditions equal to those seen on a golf course, therefore hitting behind the ball will result in a penalty.

Artificial Grass Driving Ranges

Because the club bounces off the turf when hit far behind the ball on artificial turf, even terrible shots might appear good.

A grass range is always preferred. You can see exactly how your shots turned out. You can hit the ground before the ball and yet achieve a good performance at an artificial grass range. If that’s a worry, start out on the artificial turf range and work your way up to the grass range once you’ve mastered the skill of getting the ball in the air regularly.

How Driving Ranges Work

There is no dress code, so you can wear whatever you like.

Buy a bucket of golf balls at either a cashier or vending machine. Take the bucket to a hitting bay and use your clubs to hit the balls into the driving range. Simple.

Driving Range Dos and Don’ts

It is always the primary priority to ensure the safety of everyone else involved. In spite of what some people say, consider what it’s like to be a golf ball picker at a driving range. Don’t shoot at the person who is scooping up balls when you see him doing so. Choosing a club that is too far from them is a bad idea. The best thing to do if you’re afraid of hitting him is to wait.

If you’re a right-handed golfer, choose a stall towards the far right end of the driving range so you won’t be watched. As a result, even if you make some insane shots as a beginner, no one will be hurt.

Do	Don’t
Don’t rush. Take your time	On the range, hit balls at people.
Make a plan before you head to the range.	Rushing through your bucket
At grass ranges, take one long divot	Pick up the golf balls on the range
To build up your confidence, practice putting first	Take range balls
Pick a bay near the end of the range	Freestyle hitting with others around you

Spend Time Practicing on Up & Downs

Additionally, you should practice on the course a few times a week in addition to warming up at home.

Work on your ups and downs to improve your short game after you’ve worked on your driving range routine. Back-to-back chips and putts are known as “up and down.”

Like shooting 10 chips or 10 putts consecutively, this form of practice is not the same as hitting 10 consecutive shots at the same time.

If your approach shot misses, you must chip the ball to within a few feet of where you want it to land and then attempt a putt to save par.

Initially, aim for a total of 50 ups and downs per practice session. Keep track of how many holes you’ve completed in which you merely needed to chip and putt your way into the hole. Calculate the success rate (35/50 = 70 percent).

Improve Your Pre-shot Mental Game

The final piece of golf advice we have for you today is to work on your mental game. During your pre-shot ritual, focus on the appropriate swing ideas and positivism to help you improve your mental game.

Before you take a swing at the golf ball, break old habits of negative self-talk. Focus on the shot you’re about to take and calm your mind. Also, make sure you are always honing your pre-shot ritual and set-up until they are automatic.

Final Thoughts

If today’s golf recommendations for the early season were helpful, I hope you’ll put them into practice and make this year your best yet.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How do you get ready for the upcoming golfing year?

1. Keep it short. Begin by honing your short-game skills.
2. Take a grip. How long has it been since the last time you used your clubs? 
3. Get fit. Flexibility is a critical component of golf success. 
4. Go for a walk or a run.
5. Have fun.
6. Consider some retail therapy. 

What can I do to get my body ready to play golf?

The golf season is just around the corner, therefore it’s imperative that you get your body ready for action. This doesn’t mean that you need to engage in grueling workouts, but rather a few simple moves to prepare your body!

Here are some simple workouts and stretches you can do at home to get your body ready for the new season and get back into the groove!

Handwalks – Golfers’ elbow and other shoulder ailments can be avoided with this wonderful stretch. 

To accomplish this, get down on your hands and knees, bending forward at the waist. Begin a pushup by carefully walking your hands out to the sides. Toes to hands, keeping your knees straight, once you’re in this posture. Repeat as necessary until you feel a stretch in your hands. Repeat this procedure a total of ten times.

Seated Rotations – Rotational mobility is an essential part of your golf swing. A fantastic way to work on that is with this activity right here. 

It’s critical to retrain your muscles after a long winter, and this is an excellent approach to do so. To begin, find a bench or towel to fit between your knees and sit cross-legged. Hold a golf club in the crook of your elbows behind your back. 

Make sure your palms are laying flat on the ground. Keeping your hips fixed and your spine straight, slowly begin rotating your torso to the right while maintaining this position. Take a step to the left, then return to your starting point. About 10 times switch sides.

Glute Bridge – The muscles you’ve been sitting on all winter can finally be worked with this exercise. Before the season and even before each round, this is a terrific workout to perform. With your knees bent 90 degrees and feet flat on the ground, wedge a rolled-up towel between them. 

As a final step, engage your glutes and lift your hips and heels off the ground, allowing only your shoulders and heels to remain on the floor. Repeat 10 repetitions with your hips lowered to the ground.

Medicine Ball Exercise – Balance, core strength, and coordination can all be improved with this workout. 

This is a wonderful drill to do before and during the season since it targets all of the key components of your golf swing. 

Begin by bending one knee and placing the other leg’s foot in line with the knee of the first. With one hand on the kneeling leg’s hip, place a medicine ball in your chest and raise it over the opposite shoulder. Afterward, switch leg positions and do 10 reps on the other side.

Preparing for the next golf season by doing these at-home workouts and stretches is essential for both your game and your health. Even going for a stroll is a terrific method to get your body ready for a workout.

To prepare for a round of golf, what do I need to do? 

Have you ever wondered why you show up on the first tee with a hangover and only a few seconds to spare, only to play poorly?  

As the saying goes, if you don’t plan ahead, you’re planning to fail. You may, however, improve your chances of a good round of golf by following these tips. 

From warming up your body’s most critical muscles to perfecting your technique, this video teaches you all you need to know.