How To Get Better at Golf This Winter (7 Suggestions)

Written by Todd in Uncategorized

Tired of having high hopes for the upcoming golf season only to have reality quickly strike during those first several rounds?

We have all been there! 

We hope that we can play better golf each year, but reality hits hard and often early.  We lose hope quickly.

I am here to tell you that not all hope is lost.  I believe if you follow these 7 tips, you can start to shoot better scores each year.  

Below we will take you through what the three fundamentals are and give you 7 tips to get better at these fundamentals.

The ultimate measurement in golf is the score! Find a way to get better this winter!

How To Get Better at Golf This Winter?

Follow these 7 suggestions to play better golf this next season:

  1. Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses
  2. Take A Lesson
  3. Train for Speed
  4. Play More Golf This Winter
  5. Practice Your Short Game
  6. Learn More About the Golf Swing
  7. Work Out/Yoga

Before we dive into the 7 suggestions listed above. Let’s first talk about the three fundamentals of the golf swing. 

The fundamentals are three ways you can measure and consider how each activity you are doing this winter can help you get better at one of these three fundamentals.  

The Stack and Tilt Instructors said it best when they described what they believed were the fundamentals of golf.  They explained it somewhat similar to this:

  • Fundamental #1: The golfer’s ability to control the bottom of the golf swing.  The best golfers will hit the ground in the intended spot, close to 100% of the time.
  • Fundamental #2: The golfer’s ability to control the curve of the golf ball. The best golfers are able to start the ball to the right or left of the target line and have the ball curve towards the target without the ball over curving past the target.
  • Fundamental #3: The golfer’s ability to have enough power to play the golf course.  This means they are able to hit the ball far enough to play the course in regulation.

I use this as my assessment to see where I need to practice to get better.  Was my struggles due to contact, control of the ball, lack of power or something connected with my short game. 

I believe that the short game is the ultimate equalizer if you are weak in one of the three areas, which is why you see one of our suggestions based on the short game work at home.

The fundamentals of the golf swing are not your grip, stance or alignment.  In fact, great golfers of every era have played with strong and weak grips, while some aimed way right, way left or straight on.  

The point being is that you can play high level golf with all of these variables, but your focus should be on ball contract, controlling the curve and having enough power to play the course. 

And then of course, the true measurement and the best way to improve quickly can be closely connected to your short game abilities.

Suggestion 1: Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Give yourself a true assessment of the three fundamentals and then also be honest with your short game review.  Rank each fundamental on a scale of 1 to 5 and then also include your short game.  

If you have some of your rounds recorded look at items like fairways hit, greens in regulation, par saves, number of putts per green and many of the key stats.

This will help you determine and reflect back on what you were good at and what you struggled with.  Being honest with yourself about your game will the key. 

Did you seem to struggle on long par 4’s?  Maybe distance was an issue?

Did you struggle on short par 3’s?  Maybe your start lines are off on your golf swing?

Did you struggle to get up and down for par?  The goal should be to do this close to 50% of the time successfully?

Once you have gone through your mind of some past rounds and full considered your strengths and weaknesses go ahead and right down 3 goals for this upcoming season.

I will share my goals for this upcoming season as examples:
  • Gain more speed in my swing speed.
  • Make more birdies on par 5s.
  • Play better during high pressure situations.

I know that my first goal can be connected to fundamental #3,  My second goal is connected to controlling my start line with fundamental #2 and my third goal has to do more with ensuring I get good enough with fundamental #1 that my ball striking is always consistent and solid.

Suggestion 2: Take A Lesson

Find an instructor in your area or someone you can learn with online and look for someone that can help you with your 3 goals.  The key is to find the person that matches up with your swing and your communication style.  

One of the great things about being a golfer in this century is our access to the world’s best instructors via social media.  Did you know that many of the online instructors will do online lessons or swing analysis?  

There are so many great teachers out there and maybe there is someone local to you, but you also have additional options in today’s environment.

Make sure you share your goals with your instructor and have a game plan for improvement.  Many will start with an assessment and talk you through what your goals are with the game of golf. 

All good learning starts with clear targets, excellent feedback, and then the student works hard at the drills or techniques provided to the student by the instructor. 

Then hit repeat and stay with it until you accomplish your short term and long term goals.

If you have struggled to get better, maybe it is time for a lesson? 

Here are our top 6 instructors that are worth checking out from an online perspective:

Check out our many reviews below:

Suggestion 3: Train for Speed

My thoughts on training for speed is that everyone can benefit from additional speed in their swing.  Or at a minimum make sure you don’t lose speed over the winter. 

The key here is finding a system that allows to you train, but does not beat up your body at the same time.

Our number one recommendation that has helped me gain speed in the 4-6 miles per hour range is the SuperSpeed Golf Training System. 

This overspeed training protocols using swing sticks of three different lengths with prescribed protocols that are easy to follow and only take 10-15 minutes every other day.

The returns are excellent and the golfer can see an increase of 5-8% as early as the first session.  With sustained training this increase can become permanent and the golfer can expect to see continued increases as they follow the protocols.

We have a $10 discount for you if you use discount code Golfjourney365 and utilize the link below:

SuperSpeed Golf System

I know that it has made a major difference in my game and I look to train hard this offseason.

Stop losing distance and start to gain distance.  Make sure you check out SuperSpeed Golf and everything they can offer. 

Below is my full review and experience with SuperSpeed Golf:

SuperSpeed Golf Review – My Results and Experience

SuperSpeed System consists of 3 swing sticks!

Suggestion 4: Play More Golf This Winter

I know what you are thinking.  How can I play more golf when there is two feet of snow where I live all winter long. 

Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a private jet to fly to the warmest parts of the world to play winter golf?

I have the second best option behind having access to a private jet.  That option is a Golf Simulator for your home!  Yes, I know your next thought…that has to be really expensive! 

Back in the day it might have cost 30 to 40 thousand dollars, now you can get a pretty sweet setup for 5-7 thousand dollars and have access to Augusta, Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits, Bethpage Black and many of the other top 100 courses in the world.

Stop letting the rain, snow, cold or time of day stop you from enjoying the game you love and getting better this winter!  

I jumped in and made the investment several years ago and have now played over 700 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak Simulator setup.  

So did my golf game get better?  I used to shoot in the upper 70’s consistently and now shoot in the lower 70’s much more often. 

My ball striking (fundamental 1), ball control (fundamental 2) have both improved as a result of my golf simulator.

There is nothing better than teeing up on a January day in parts of the world where snow is thick and the weather is cold.

I can stand on the 17th tee at TPC Sawgrass and hit shot after shot into that island green.  Or I can stand on the 18th at Pebble and hit that awesome tee shot. 

Not only is there tons of fun involved, but game improvement is almost guaranteed.

We would highly recommend checking out the packages at Rain or Shine Golf.  

They also have financing for those that need it.  Awesome customer service as well!

Here are three posts I have written on Golf Simulators.  Check out the full list at the bottom of this post.

The fun and game improvement is endless with your very own golf simulator setup!

Suggestion 5: Practice Your Short Game

We all know the importance of the short game, but it is easier to stand at the range and pound the driver all day long.  We must take the time to practice the short game. 

Winter provides an awesome opportunity.  Yes, you may not be able to get on an actual green, but we have two recommendations below.

  • Chip ping pong balls around the house.  You can buy a pretty big pack of ping pong balls and work with the 60 degree wedge and get comfortable with all sorts of shots.  This comfortable approach with the 60 degree wedge will become vital to reaching the goal of getting up and down 50% of the time for par.  Check out: How to hit a 60 degree wedge.
  • Putting: We will know how important the 4-10 footers are.  These are easy to practice somewhere on smooth carpet or even consider investing in one of those simple green putting systems.  Hit at least 100 putts in that 4-10 foot range each day and you will see results come springtime!

The short game is vital to reducing your scores.  You must practice to get better.  They great thing is that you don’t need a ton or speed or power to be a good short game player! 

Simple technique with lots of practice will produce results!

Suggestion 6: Learn More About the Golf Swing

Another key to improvement is improving your knowledge of the golf swing. Record your swing often and become a student of the game.  Check out the different approaches to the golf game and learn as much as you can.  

Try to study game management approaches as well as the psychology of the game.  One area I believe is fully under studied is the vision part of the game. 

Find a way to learn more and improve your game management, swing technique, or the vision part of the game!

Are you familiar with the ball flight laws?

Why? If you understand the ball flight laws you can start to become your own swing instructor and make corrections on the range or the course by reading the flight of your golf ball. 

Too often golfers turn to the video of their swing when everything you need to know can be read off of your ball flight. 

Did you know that your ball flight can tell you the following:
  • Where your club face was at impact.
  • If your swing path was left or right of the club face.

Once you know these two items you can make the corrections by checking out our 2nd Tip on understanding what swing thoughts can help you get the proper matchups.

So let’s dive into the ball flight laws:
  • Generally speaking, the golf ball will start where the club face is aiming.
  • The golf ball will then curve away from the swing path.

There are two different lines that we must understand.  The target line and the start line.  The best golfers start the ball left or right of the target line and then curve the ball back towards the target.

Let’s go over some examples to help you better understand the ball flight laws.

Example A: 

Let’s say that the club face is 3 degrees right of the target line and the swing path is 5 degrees right of the target line.  What will the ball do?

Answer:

The ball will start right of the target line and draw back towards the target.  This is known as a push draw.

Example B:

Let’s say the club face is 3 degrees right of the target line, same as in example A, but the swing path is only 1 degree right of the target line.  What will the ball do?

Answer:

The ball will start to the right of the target line and will fade to the right.  Keep in mind that the ball will curve away from the swing path.  In this example, both the club face and the swing path are to the right and the ball will curve away from the path.

Example C:

Let’s say the club face is 3 degrees to the left of the target line and the swing path is 5 degrees left of the target line.  What will the ball do?

Answer:

The ball will start to the left and curve to the right.  This would be a pull fade or pull slice.  Keep in mind that even though the face is closed to the target line, it is open to the swing path and the ball will curve away from the swing path.

Example D:

Let’s say the club face is 3 degrees to the left and the swing path is only 1 degree to the left.  What will the ball do?

Answer:

The ball will start left and curve left.  This shot would look like a pull draw. 

Hopefully, these examples help you understand the club face and swing path correlation and how they match up.  Once you understand these ball flight laws, it will help you read your own shots and possibly make in round adjustments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7JlGMBUZlk&t=2s

Suggestion 7: Work Out/Yoga

I am not saying you to be the next Bryson DeChambeau, but keeping yourself in shape through cardio, light workouts or even yoga can go a long way to help you produce the swing you are trying to make, while staying healthy.

Be honest with yourself once again and try to stay active throughout the winer.  There are many quality options out there, do something often and stay active! 

You will be thankful you did during those first couple rounds of the spring!

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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