It is time to start thinking about how you will be improving you golf game during the cold winter months.

Here are some ideas that I borrowed from another site.

Start working out more
Time is no excuse. If you’re not playing golf, then fill the time void with some workout sessions. Concentrate on cardiovascular endurance and strength training.

Start a golf-specific stretching program
This goes along with general workouts, but doing several stretching sessions per week at the gym, at home, or at your desk at work will help to defeat the off-season rust that keeps you off your game in early spring. Focus on your back, hips, legs, and shoulders.

Increasing your flexibility and range of motion will improve your game any time, but for those of us with desk jobs, the fall and winter are particularly bad because we’re not doing the activities like golf that help keep us somewhat flexible. When we don’t tend to it for a while, we lose it.

Drop those extra pounds
Gaining weight in the winter is often blamed on the various holidays. But if you think about it, a few “naughty” days in the fall/winter aren’t going to put 20 pounds on you.

What happens in many cases is, throughout the summer you’re essentially bailing water out of a sinking boat. You’re not eating right, but you play enough golf and go other activities that keep you from slipping behind. Then, cold weather hits, and you start losing ground because the activity stops.


Bring Your Putter into the House
Get your putter out of your trunk, garage, or closet and spend ten minutes per day working on grooving your stroke. If you have a floor that’s suitable for putting balls, then go for it. If not, work without a ball.

Try working on your pure in line square (pils) technique. Set up right in front of a wall and use it to ensure that you take the putter back and through with a square face. Remember that your hands should be directly underneath your shoulders (or technically under the midpoint between them).

Make Use of That Mirror
If you have a full length mirror, it’s an invaluable tool. Use it to check your posture, alignment, stance, etc. Make a backswing and inspect your technique. See if you’re getting to a proper position. Practice chipping and pitching strokes in front of it.

Using a mirror really helps to tell the difference between feel and real.

Catch Up On Some Reading
Sometimes, nothing fills the void like a paper book. Use some winter down time to learn more about how to play better golf. Anything that says “Pelz” and “Bible” on the cover will help your game, but there are tons of great golf books out there.

A few suggestions for winter reading:

Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible
Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible
Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book
Golf is Not a Game of Perfect

Work On Your Grip
Are you planning on sitting on the couch watching football all weekend? Have a club sitting there and work on your grip every once in a while.

Once you learn the proper fundamentals, you can work on them all winter long. While watching television!


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