Featured Tip: 3 Great Drills To Prevent Winter Rust
For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.
Here are my top 3 drills for preventing winter rust in your swing and for actually improving your game at the same time. The time investment will be minimal for the return on investment that these drills will yield.
Drill 1 – Swing Something A Little Heavier Than A Golf Club Around Your Body Three Times Per Week, 20 repetitions per session. (Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 5 minutes)
It could be a baseball bat, two irons held as one, or even a broom for that matter. With a full turn, swing all the way back and all the way through around your body with good tempo, and finish with your weight on your forward leg.
Swing about a foot above the ground.
This will keep your swing mobility intact. My daughter, who is a physical therapy assistant, always tells me that “motion is lotion”, and that applies especially well to the golf swing.
Swinging an object that’s heavier than a golf club is not done for speed, it’s done for mobility and range of motion. If you want to work on swing speed too, on Wednesday add swings with a shaft with no head attached for 10 to 20 repetitions (build up to 20 gradually). Swing as fast as you can without sacrificing your balance. This will increase your swing speed GUARANTEED!
Drill 2 – Practice The Impact Position with short swings three times per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 15 minutes)
Hang a blanket or a tarp in your basement, get a piece of indoor outdoor carpeting – or a hitting mat, and get two dozen AlmostGolf Balls. Practice very short swings with a pitching wedge, hitting the AlmostGolf balls into the blanket with your weight entirely on your forward leg side for 48 reps three times per week.
Here’s how to execute these very short swings. Set up in the impact fix position like the image below. Weight forward, hands forward (forward shaft lean), ball centered in your stance.
With your weight planted on your left (forward) side and keeping your left arm straight, rotate your torso as you lower your front (left) shoulder to take the club back about three feet with no wrist hinge. Initiate your forward swing with a very slight lateral weight shift of the hips, then rotate your torso and strike the ball firmly with a flat left wrist. Your follow through should be no longer than your takeaway. It’s like a short punch shot.
The ball should feel like it’s exploding off the clubface when you strike it correctly, even with these short swings.
Drill 3 – Get An Inexpensive Putting Ramp and stroke 100 putts, 2 times per week (Tuesday and Thursday – 20 minutes)
Amazon.com sells the SKLZ Accelerator Pro – Indoor Putting Green With Ball Return (9 feet x 16.25 Inches) for around $30, and it will get the job done just fine.
If you make the time and develop the discipline to do all of three of these drills, you game will be better than ever in the spring.
Try it, you’ll like it!
Comments: ttucker@rochester.rr.com
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,
Tom
Tom Tucker’s Bio
I conduct lessons at The Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility
there’s a link for Plum Creek info here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/
Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact
me – Tom Tucker – at (716) 474 3005 or email me at ttucker@rochester.rr.com
for more information.
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates:
http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html
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