March is here and the day we can return to the golf course gets ever closer. Unlike last summer when we could all swing a club or two outside in the warm weather, this lockdown hasn’t promoted keeping up with practice.
The course at The Belfry Hotel and Golf Resort in Sutton Coldfield, England.
If the most you have done is a few putts on the carpet and watched your heroes on TV, our resident Pro, Nigel Burch has some hints to bring some feel back into your game.
Driving – don’t speed it up!
Yes, we know it’s exciting to be back on the tee but don’t try too hard. Nigel says: “Try to build up a rhythm without trying to hit the cover off the ball. Imagine the fairway as a picture and you are trying to keep within the frame. Ease your way into it without breaking any long-distance records!
Preparing for the re-Open!
Chipping – start without a club
As we all know this is the key to a great score. Nigel says: “A good drill is to throw the ball underhand with your strong arm to get that distance feeling. It’s not as easy as you think, but you will get the feeling of your arm staying straight as you throw, as you would with a pitch or chip shot. Then start your practice with short ten yard shots and gradually build it up to 40-5o yard shots. Then work in reverse coming back down to 10-yard shots. This will give you your ‘feel’ back as well as confidence.
Putting – roll with it.
How will the greens be after this lengthy rest? Nigel says: “The key here is to get the ball rolling, so using a similar drill with chipping , try to ‘feel’ the distance with your putter by hitting one-handed putts to different distances. This will keep your wrist from breaking down. You will notice the ball having a better ‘roll’ and getting the feel back into your stroke.
Getting your Golf brain in gear
One area we have been able to help with is your golf mental strength, for those difficult moments when the drive or the putting just begins to elude you. Check out the blogs with Steve Woods our resident self hypnotist and he is available for a free consultation on +44 800 059 9727 or steve.woods@executivehypnotist.com
Self-hypnosis to prepare for those difficult drives & putts.
Looking the part
We hate to say it but it might be worth trying your golf outfits on before March 29. Just in case lockdown has taken its toll on your waistline…
