The Morgan Golf Academy

I never knew titanium rusted as fast as it does during the winter!

What am I talking about? Northern golfers usually have a long period of time during the winter when golf is not possible. Even in warmer climates there will be rounds of bad weather that result in less time to play the game we love. Early in the year is a poor time to have an injury but it is also the time at which most injuries occur. A winter off and you go to the first tee and swing away! What happens without preparing adequately prior to that first tee shot can be devastating.

Are there things one can do to knock off the rust from cold or bad weather? Of course there are and here we have a few:

Stretching is the first step. A golfer should stretch during the time away from golf every day. Very few people do it but it can be a very easy addition to your normal routine. After a shower while drying using a step to stretch the legs one at a time will help with the long muscles in the legs. As we all know legs are a staple for a solid foundation in the golf swing.

Next, to stretch the calf muscles and tendons try to touch the floor with both hands. It will be hard at first, but this stretch will give flexibility that will add yards after a winter of repeated use. Just stretch until there is a slight tension and try to keep from overdoing it. Remember you have all winter.

Another good stretch I recommend to my students is to work on the shoulder turn. Stand up with your back to a wall and stand about a foot from the wall. Take your back swing standing completely upright. You want to stretch until you reach your limit is tension or you can put both hands flat on the wall. Then turn slowly through your swing to your follow through. Continue turning until you feel tension or until you can again put your hands on the wall. Now you have both stretched and worked on your shoulder turn at the same time. You have also kept your spine angle throughout as well as loosened the hips.

Any other stretching will also be beneficial. Remember to take it easy and that a little bit of progress each day is far better than an injury. Repeated stretching will minimize the risk of injury over time.

Ok stretching time is over. Do you have enough room to putt a few balls each day? Most people do and this is an excellent way to both keep your stroke and keep the dust off the putter during the winter. A good idea for the winter is to work on improving your putting stroke and the putting routine. What fun it is to putt well with snow flying outside the window! Putting to a wall is an excellent way to work on stroke without worrying about making the putt.

Try these few tips and you will enjoy spring golf!