Let the Season Begin! Almost.

For me, I have been able to enjoy some time off to spend with the family the past couple months. March 1st indicated my first day back to work. I am excited to be getting back to work, but at the same time we still have almost a foot of snow on the ground. I have not seen the grass in my back yard in 2014. This puts a hamper on practicing my short game! I am hopeful with all the snow we have seen that just never wants to melt, that it will lead to a bigger surge of cabin fever when it does go away. If so, this could bode well for golf courses in our area as I am sure many guys are ready to get out and play. My Masters countdown is at 39 days and after watching a Rory meltdown and drama filled finish at the Honda Classic today, it has me itching even more to get my sticks out and use them. However, when I get to work and look out the pro shop windows to see the course submerged in a white glistening powder, my heart sinks. I know that I still have a while until the course will be ready for me to get my sticks out. For the time being, beating balls into a net will suffice.

To continue on the topic of hitting balls into a net. What do you do during the off season to keep your game and swing fresh? If you do nothing, you can expect quite a few rounds to get the rust out of your swing. I mentioned in an earlier post about hitting into simulators and practicing when their is snow on the ground. Have you thought about getting lessons? Many professionals offer some type of indoor lessons during the off season even if you don't think there is a place for it.

What do we do? We convert a corner of our pro shop into an indoor hitting station. We have a mat and net set up and video equipment set up to record everything we need.Our facility has done this for a number of years, but it still surprises some members. We had a member in on our first day open Saturday and he asked about the net. We mentioned we use it for off season lessons using video equipment and even though it was in multiple e-mails, he had no idea we offered lessons during the winter months.

Just because you can't watch the ball fly doesn't mean that a Pro can't give a lesson. Thanks to video equipment and apps for your tablet and smartphone, it is very easy and very informative to get a video lesson. We are able to put your swing, side-by-side with a number of tour professionals to compare or even of an older swing of yourself to see how you have improved. We are also able to put the video in slow motion to point something out or draw on the video to help show a point we are trying to make. It really is amazing how much technology has expanded the horizons of golf instruction.

Call your local Pro, just because their is snow on the ground doesn't have to mean the clubs need to be in storage. Take some lessons in the off season to keep your swing fresh or to improve it!

Too Much Snow to Think Golf? Think Again.

Much of the northern half of the U.S. has already seen some good measurable snowfall amounts, while some areas are getting snowed into their homes. All to often when this time of year hits, golfers have their clubs in hiding and the game becomes an after thought until the thaws of Spring and the smell of Augusta's azaleas. However, this does not have to be the case. Put in a little work and practice through the snow season and you will notice you will have an advantage on your buddies when the golf season starts.

Now, you could be a die-hard to work on your game through the snow, but I doubt many of you fall into that category.

In this day and age, there are plenty of opportunities to practice your game. Many driving ranges have heated stalls that can make it bearable to just wear a light jacket when practicing. Many golf facilities that offer academies or schools may have a teaching building that can be used for practice or lessons during the off season and many times these hitting areas are also heated. Another option would be an establishment that has simulators set up. Some golf courses have these to use during the off season along with driving range facilities and there are also stand alone businesses that may also have this as an option. Today's simulators are much more realistic and provide a lot more swing feedback then some of the older simulators from 10 years ago. All of these options can be narrowed down and found in your area by doing a simple Google search.

If you really want to take your game to the next level by Spring, you should also search and contact PGA professionals in your area. PGA.com offers an area on their website where you can search for PGA instructors, it is simple and easy to find one in your area. The facility I work for in northern Indiana turns our Pro Shop into a teaching studio through the winter months. We offer swing instruction using video analysis to work on your swing. We will soon be offering the technology provided by Flightscope to be able to get even more detailed information about your swing. Along with that, I will be offering introductory golf classes at our local YMCA through the winter. There are many opportunities that allow you to work on your game during the off season and taking a little time to do a couple quick searches, can make it easy to win over some of your buddies' money those first few weeks in the spring.