As winter approaches and golfers in the colder climates go into hibernation here are some tips for those of you who go through “golf withdrawals”:

1. Stretching exercises. Of all workouts, Yoga is by far and away the best form of work-out for golf muscles. Hitting the ball further (which everyone wants to do) is much more about flexibility rather than brute strength. We have a golf specific set of stretches on our website that you can incorporate into your fitness routine; please click here https://www.birdgolf.com/about-us/yoga/  .
2. Replace your grips. Grips are perhaps the most ignored pieces of equipment in golf, but are some of the most important. If your grip is too worn or slick (comes from hand oil) it will cause you to hold onto the club too tightly (a bad thing) or worse may move around in your hand when you are swinging   If you play more than 50 rounds of golf each year, you should replace your grips, every year. If you play between 10-50 rounds each year, you should replace your grips every other year.
3. For the more avid player, have your loft and lie checked each year. Essentially the loft and lie of a golf club is the way that it is designed to rest on the ground proportionate to each person’s body type. The loft and lie can change as much as 3o’s (especially if you are playing a lot on hard surfaces or using mats on a driving range) thereby turning a seven iron into almost a 6 iron (if the lie has changed to less degrees of loft) or an 8 iron (if the lie has changed to more degrees of loft).
4. Practice in front of a full length mirror. This is especially effective when you are working on a “new move” with your swing. The visual reinforcement that you receive when seeing the correct position that you are trying to achieve is vital in learning to trust it. Kind of like loading a jpeg file into your computer (brain).
5. Work on your short game. If you have a smooth carpet, practice you’re putting. If you have a more textured carpet (and with the permission of your spouse/parents!) work on your chipping.