You’ve put in a lot of hard work on your golf game all season long—hours of practice on the range, countless rounds on the course, and not to mention the dent in your wallet striving for your best game. Hopefully, it’s all been worth it. So why let it go to waste and start over in the spring? Just the thought is exhausting!
What many newer golfers don’t realize is that it’s “Go Time”! This is the time of year to work the hardest. It’s not just diehards who practice all winter long; anyone who wants to improve, stay in the game, and prevent injury should do so.
A PGA Tour Player’s Top Winter Golf Tip
My good friend and fellow instructor from Chicago, Roy Biancalana, shared his top winter golf tip: “Work on swing changes in the off-season and take your lessons now.” Roy understands this better than most—he’s a former PGA Tour player who competed in six major championships and is a four-time Illinois PGA Player of the Year. Rather than just offering a swing tip, Roy encourages golfers to work on their game and make changes when they aren’t playing as much.
“When not seeing or worrying about results we become more in tune with what our body is doing and improve much more quickly.”
When I first started giving lessons indoors during the winter, I quickly realized students who practiced indoors during the off-season tended to forget about the immediate results. We were hitting into a net back then, without launch monitors or screens. They improved faster than my summer students who could watch their ball flight. It proved to me that most of us are inherently too results-driven and focused on outcomes instead of being open to change, learning, and staying in the process.
When we’re not fixated on results, we become more in tune with our bodies, leading to quicker improvement. That’s exactly what the driving range is for. It’s not just about hitting a perfect bucket at your target; it’s about making changes and locking them in so they become automatic. Forget about being perfect—nobody is. As you’ve heard before, golf is a game of misses. Brooks Koepka said he misses his target on every shot. Ben Hogan, the greatest swinger of the club of all time, said that in an 18-hole round, he only hits his target four times. The key is to improve your misses, as consistency is elusive. Change your mindset, set realistic goals, and stop putting too much pressure on yourself—you’ll be surprised how much more you enjoy the game.
“Brooks Koepka said he misses his target on every shot. The key is to improve your misses.”
Indoor practice can go a long way toward achieving this. I like to tell my students that the ball is not part of their swing. Ninety-five percent of the things we work on in our golf game can be changed without the ball. You can learn new motor patterns at home on those bitter cold days. Ideally, practice at home every day, even just ten minutes, and then sneak out three times a week to hit a bucket with our covered, heated tees. At some point, you do need to swing at full speed and feel your ground contact; however, those don’t change your movements. Focus on your body and your senses first—the results will follow. Good mechanics and rhythm will always bring improvement.
Best Way to Trim 3-5 Shots off Your Golf Game By Spring
Another friend and LPGA Hall of Fame member, Cindy Miller, is well-versed in playing and instructing in the cold, being based in Buffalo, NY. Cindy is a former LPGA Tour player and the 2010 National LPGA Teacher of the Year. When I reached out to her for a tip for this article, she said, “Don’t forget about putting. Most people could shave three to five shots a round if they just improved their putting, and this can easily be done indoors.” That will be my next article and set of tips for you, so please stay tuned.
In the meantime, know that the number of drills you can work on indoors is almost endless. Check out the video to start working on a better swing plane and increase both your accuracy and distance.
Commit to daily practice at home and come out to see us at Tower Tee Golf & Recreation this winter and improve your game with covered tees, heated bays, lessons, clinics, and technology to help you achieve your goals for spring.
Practice With A Purpose
Maria Palozola is a highly acclaimed golf instructor with over 30 years of experience and accolades giving over 75,000 lessons to players of all ages. She has been recognized by Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, the GRAA, and US Kids Golf as one of the top instructors in the State, along with being awarded as a Top 50 LPGA Teacher since 2008 and a 6-time LPGA Midwest Section Teacher of the Year. Maria has appeared on the Golf Channel’s “Golf Fix” and “School of Golf.”
