Recently, Frank LaRosa host of the Golf to Go podcast interviewed Tom Morton about Improving Your Winter Golf Game. They discussed the importance of understanding the four seasons as they apply to golf. By doing so golfers can enjoy the end season more and focus on the golf course. Below are a few highlights from Tom’s portion of the interview.
You can listen to the full interview below. Golf To Go with Frank LaRosa, 12-9-22.
Tom: There are four seasons in the golf calendar:
- Pre-Season – starts at the beginning of the year. Coordinate with your golf coach to plan what you want to do with your golf game for the year.
- In Season- Typically begins in Spring. Work on playing the game and incorporating your plan.
- End Of Season – Occurs Mid to Late Fall. Evaluate what happened during the playing season with your coach
- Off Season– Late fall to the beginning of the year. Use the evaluation to change technique and improve what’s necessary. Work on your game (indoors if needed). until Pre-Season.
“You can focus on things you need to work on by categorizing your golf game into seasons. It helps you enjoy the end season more, and you can focus on the golf course. If you have to focus on technique during the end of the season, then it can impact your scoring.
For the next couple of months, look at what happened during the season. Hopefully, as a golfer, you took notes on what works and needs improvement. Review the notes and make a plan based on them.
This can be done a couple of days a week. There are drills that the golfer can do at home to keep their skills up.”
Frank: Please give the audience a few tips they can use in the pre-season.
Tom: Take a 1,2, or 3 iron, cut it in half, and put a grip on it. Make a tiny club. Now that the club is closer to your hand, you can better analyze your grip. You are inside, so you can swing it without the risk of breaking something. It will help you better understand the crucial relationship between the swing, grip, and face. You can work on tempo and balance. You can use special mats to learn how to land the ball in a specific spot.
How you spend your time matters, and quality over quantity is the most important thing. For instance, if you spend 15 minutes on the mat really evaluating each swing, where it lands, and the direction of the divots that is productive. Learning to self-correct is essential, so it’s really the quality time that is important.
Frank: How can golfers be prepared to play in the rain?
Tom: Putting a net in the garage can help you improve your swing. Check your equipment, and make sure you are keeping your stuff dry. Make sure your grips are in order. The mentality is important, and if you acknowledge that the weather is rainy, you can plan to attack it. Learn to land the club properly on the ball versus behind. If you do not learn this you will have a harder time hitting the ball solidly in the winter than in the summer.
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