The off season

[Shooter McPowick]

Its the time of year where I golf less and less and always start day dreaming ahead to spring.

Im a bit torn, my fitness levels are non existent (used to do triathlon) and I know this is something I could improve on over the winter, it would also give me something to focus on. However, and here's the thing..... this last year while being my least fittest I've had my best golfing season ever??

Ill try get down the range when the weather permits but knowing it will be off mats isnt encouraging... and its yet to get properly cold. Is practice off mats is better than no practice?

Whats peoples thoughts on this? If nothing else, getting a run in once a week has many other health benefits...

 

[Grant85]

Its the time of year where I golf less and less and always start day dreaming ahead to spring.

Im a bit torn, my fitness levels are non existent (used to do triathlon) and I know this is something I could improve on over the winter, it would also give me something to focus on. However, and here's the thing..... this last year while being my least fittest I've had my best golfing season ever??

Ill try get down the range when the weather permits but knowing it will be off mats isnt encouraging... and its yet to get properly cold. Is practice off mats is better than no practice?

Whats peoples thoughts on this? If nothing else, getting a run in once a week has many other health benefits...

I think for longer clubs, practice off mats is ok. But I find it really difficult to practice without having any real golf coming up, especially costing you £7 or £8 for 100 balls.

Best thing for a range is if you are going to make swing changes, this is place to do it. Certainly an hour or two of lessons won't hurt to give you a bit of focus and a few things to work on, assuming you aren't going to do a big rebuild - which will take time and commitment.

I joined our teaching pro at a local range on a 6 week course with 5 other golfers. It was £99 for the 6 weeks with unlimited practice balls for best part of an hour and 15 minutes (officially 1 hour). So you pretty much get 10 minutes of contact time. It is frustrating to only get a few minutes with the pro, but actually pretty pleased with what we have gotten through and the dedicated practice time has made a big difference as I would not have even ventured to the golf range on some of these evenings of freezing wind and rain.

There is also a group playing lesson on the course at some point (Pro plays with your 3 ball for 9 holes) - but not sure if the weather is going to delay that until next year.

 

[patricks148]

TBH this time of year i prefer to play and have a laugh with the boys. If something where to be wrong i may practice and hit some balls, but i find this this time of year, with the cold weather and conditions its helpful esp if you are wearing lots of extra layers. if i were to get a prolonged break for bad weather i might be tempted to go to the range before playing again.

 

[Papas1982]

I’ll be getting a range card over winter. Canterbury do £75 for £50 which will get me just over 1200 balls. It’s a covered range unlike at my course, so will go there once a week I’d imagine. Will using putting matt at home.

Still get out once a week too if the weather isn’t biblical!

 

[Orikoru]

I never really think of golf in 'seasons' we just try and play all year round. December is still mild enough to play most weekends. Late January and February is when it's really cold, and if it's frozen or snowing we might only get to play once every other week. I'll try and get down the driving range on the off weeks.

You speak as if you'll either go for a run or practise golf but not both. Why not jog down to the driving range with a couple of clubs??

 

[chrisd]

which will get me just over 1200 balls.

Should last most of an afternoon 😁

 

[Papas1982]

I never really think of golf in 'seasons' we just try and play all year round. December is still mild enough to play most weekends. Late January and February is when it's really cold, and if it's frozen or snowing we might only get to play once every other week. I'll try and get down the driving range on the off weeks.

You speak as if you'll either go for a run or practise golf but not both. Why not jog down to the driving range with a couple of clubs??

The time of year certainly affects me. I literally have trousers a size bigger than shorts......

4/5 rounds a week in summer, once a week hopefully in winter. But eat the same all year round. I always intend on going to the gym.

 

[IanM]

Fittness/weight is a funny thing! I work away and I missed the usual Wednesday night team beers and curry .... I am 2 pounds lighter than I was this time last week... I may have to hide in my room more often on a Wednesday!

We play on as usual ... but last week we had a sunny Friday and monsoon over night into Saturday which washed out the weekends golf!

Sunny all day today, I wonder if we'll get out tomorrow..... I think I need to move somewhere warmer and links! (Cornwall please!!)

 

[Shooter McPowick]

I never really think of golf in 'seasons' we just try and play all year round. December is still mild enough to play most weekends. Late January and February is when it's really cold, and if it's frozen or snowing we might only get to play once every other week. I'll try and get down the driving range on the off weeks.

You speak as if you'll either go for a run or practise golf but not both. Why not jog down to the driving range with a couple of clubs??

Haha, yeah I can see those clubs feeling as heavy as bricks after a couple of kilometres 🤣

I meant having a run or even maybe some weights when I can’t get to the range due to weather.

 

[Yant]

I usually try to continue to play through the winter (my course plays just as well in the winter as it does any other time of year) but i'm going to consciously play a lot less this winter and spend more time with the family. I didn't enter the winter league this year.

Also, I hate using the driving range.

 

[Redskins21]

Maybe try allocating some of what would be your normal in season golf time to gym/running? Easier said than done but it's good to get into a routine.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Its the time of year where I golf less and less and always start day dreaming ahead to spring.

Im a bit torn, my fitness levels are non existent (used to do triathlon) and I know this is something I could improve on over the winter, it would also give me something to focus on. However, and here's the thing..... this last year while being my least fittest I've had my best golfing season ever??

Ill try get down the range when the weather permits but knowing it will be off mats isnt encouraging... and its yet to get properly cold. Is practice off mats is better than no practice?

Whats peoples thoughts on this? If nothing else, getting a run in once a week has many other health benefits...

I might be wrong here, but I believe this is a case where you really have to look at the difference between correlation and causation. Your fitness level, or lack of it, I'd guess, was not the reason for you playing the best golf of your life.

Here's a funny take on correlation, and as you may see, they have absolutely nothing what so ever to do with each other.

http://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

 

[Orikoru]

I might be wrong here, but I believe this is a case where you really have to look at the difference between correlation and causation. Your fitness level, or lack of it, I'd guess, was not the reason for you playing the best golf of your life.

Here's a funny take on correlation, and as you may see, they have absolutely nothing what so ever to do with each other.

http://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

I thought maybe he was suggesting less time training/running/gymming meant more golf practise time.

 

[duncan mackie]

At £5 for 80 balls, a cappachino and a large bacon bap - the range is a welcome addition to the weekly golf.

No issue with mats; you just have to be honest about your quality of strike. Mat and ball together, especially a damp mat, may seem to deliver a good strike but will quickly get found out on the course.

If it's not raining I will be on the course, but accept that having most days to pick from I have a huge advantage at this time of year (as I do with the above midweek deal at the range!).

As to fitness aspects; core strength and flexibility are the kings for most people.

 

[jim8flog]

I still play nearly as much in winter but do not score as well do to the 4 extra layers of clothing.

With there being temporary greens on quite a few occasions I just see it a day out with the lads/lasses and a bit more banter than usual as some of the shots are worth a good laugh.

 

[Wolf]

For me fitness is a big key especially when coming to the hot summer months. Considering I run a gym you'd think I'd be super fit but with everything gone on this year I've barely worked out in the last 5 months.. But things now settled, focus is going to be 4 gym sessions a week, a range session either before or after work once maybe twice (shifts permitting) if possible and a try to play once a week. Gym isnt necessarily to help golf, but golf will hopefully benefit from it.

 

[Hobbit]

I might dig out a gilet, or even a pair of chinos. Oh, and I've taken the suncream out of the bag... although it was 29* yesterday.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I do hit the range in the winter. I find it necessity to keep my swing and especially the tempo side of things ticking over. I tend to focus solely on strike/dispersion and not worry too much about distance (cold/range balls etc). What I do also like to do though is drop a weekend game, or if conditions dictate and we're on temp greens anyway and work really hard on my short game. I found last winter if I could get my pitching on point off wet, muddy lies, it carried forward so much better into the dry summer and even off the baked fairways I had a better strike. I also use the opportunity to do some chipping (same improved strike reason) and work on my putting from 3-7 feet. Not AS fussed about how many I hole (always go for 10/10 from every station) but as long as the stroke is good I'm happy

 

[pendodave]

This winter I've started a bit of light jogging and intermittent participation in our local park run - in the summer I play enough golf to keep the blood moving, but started to really feel the lack of activity once the clocks changed. It's not as bad as I thought I would be, but I'm not sure I'll score any better as a consequence...

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Lessons and range for me this winter. Not been to the course for a month and considering not going back until March