How to make progress this winter

AS winter sets in, temperatures drop, the trees are bare and most courses across the UK have soggy, bumpy greens, playing golf is often an uninviting prospect. But rather than sink into a depression, I prefer to think of the British winter as an opportunity to learn from the past season and prepare for the year ahead.

So now you’ve got over the Christmas and New Year celebrations, why not try some or all of the following to get your game in shape to kick off the 2008 golfing season. First of all, sit back and take an objective look at your game. Everyone wants to play better golf, but what is stopping you from reaching your potential?

Fitness
Do you find yourself tiring on the back nine and losing concentration as a result? No-one knows you better than yourself. What type of exercise suits you? Are you a sociable person who enjoys exercising in the company of others? If so, join an exercise class with a friend and commit to a couple of sessions a week or join a gym together.

If you like fresh air, taking a brisk walk for half an hour a day is a great way to burn calories and keep fit. Plan the exercise to suit your lifestyle and personality.

Golfing mentality
The longer I play golf, the more I believe that a person’s attitude and thinking are the key to them not only playing good golf, but – more importantly – enjoying their golf. I hate to play with golfers who give a running commentary on their play, make excuses for their poor shots or tut and moan their way round a golf course. I often see adult golfers with little golfing experience ‘freezing’ over their shots.

They are literally standing over the ball thinking about their technique as they are about to play their shot rather than thinking about their target. If you recognise that, your thinking and on-course or shot preparation could be better.

Try reading ‘Every Shot Must Have a Purpose’ by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott, which is one of the best books that I’ve ever read about the mental side of the game. You might prefer some hands-on instruction, in which case find a sports psychologist local to you. Gail Smirthwaite's monthly series here in Lady Golfer last year was also excellent.

Technique
Do you consistently struggle with certain areas of your game? Are you accurate off the tee? Do your woods off the fairway let you down, or is your short game terrible? If you have areas of weakness, now is the time to work on it. Book a series of lessons with your pro, or someone that you have empathy with and confidence in.

Lots of professionals offer special rates if you commit to a certain number of lessons and pay in advance. Why not ask your husband or friends to buy you a lesson for Christmas? It certainly beats being given something that you don’t want!

Practising
A lot of golfers hate visiting driving ranges. I think that when the ground is soggy and a cold north-easterly wind is whipping across your practice area, it is much more preferable to visit a range. They are generally more sheltered, have other facilities on hand to enjoy such as a cup of coffee, and you don’t have to collect and clean the balls!

Make sure that you practise properly, though, giving each shot your full attention and varying your targets and clubs.

Short game
Once we’ve got to the stage where we can hit the ball and have enough knowledge of the game to go out onto the course and play, the quickest way to reduce our scores is to develop a fantastic short game. The good news is that we can practise this in a small area, and in the case of putting, we can work on it indoors, so there really isn’t any excuse not to work on this area of your game.

Try other courses
Many courses offer winter specials whereby for a fraction of their normal green fee you cannot only play their course, but enjoy breakfast and lunch as well. Check out which courses in your area tend to be good winter courses and organise a day out. As long as you’re prepared for poor weather, it won’t matter if it’s cold or wet.

Take a winter break
With so much competition these days, lots of golfing destinations offer winter breaks at bargain prices. Check out the adverts in Lady Golfer. Lots of destinations are so keen for business that they’re offering some incredible bargains. You might not be guaranteed high temperatures, but places such as Spain and Portugal will definitely be warmer than at home, and more importantly their golf courses will be in better condition than the vast majority in the UK.

I hope that the above has given you food for thought and might inspire you to take steps to be ready to go when the 2008 golfing season kicks off!