We’re still at the beginning of 2017 and with most people still enduring cold weather your golf game may not be on your radar just yet. But if you happen to be passionate about the game, you should always be looking for ways to improve. Here are a few tips for how to do just that over the course of the next year.
Watch The Professionals
Year in and year out, one of the best ways to improve your golf game is to keep an eye on the pros. They’re the best in the world at what they do, so you’d do well to check out the PGA Tour to monitor the tournament schedule and tune in whenever you’re able. Ideally, you’ll find a player who reminds you somewhat of your own game through things like his swing and what his strengths are. This is the sort of player you should watch closely so you can notice some of the subtleties in his movements. You may be surprised how much you can pick up if you watch with an intention to learn, rather than just enjoy what you’re seeing.
Find An Instructor
Practice makes perfect and the more you’re able to get out and play the more you’ll be able to advance your own game. However, you can make your progress a lot faster and more complete you can occasionally play with a professional instructor. Finding a good instructor is much easier this days and can be tailored to your needs by using Play Your Course to search using own location, course preferences, and how advanced you feel you are as a player. That makes it easier to find a coach you really trust and feel you can work with. If you’re really interested in upping your game, make this the year you get serious enough to seek out some instruction.
Study The Game
A lot of golfers have a tendency to want to do things by feel. They know their courses, they know what they have to work on with their own swings, and they go from there. It also pays to occasionally study various aspects of the game. For instance, a list of tips from pros at Men’s Fitness included a blurb from Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik, who noted that wedges are used from about 120 yards in around the green. This number and others like it are worth knowing, not as absolute rules but as guidelines to keep in mind while you play.
Play Some Mini Golf
Finally, do yourself a favor and have a little fun with mini golf. Sure, it can be ridiculous, but if you consider some of the mini golfing tips from Medium it’s easy to see how they’d translate to your ordinary short game. Ideally, you’ll want to bring your real putter along to a mini golf course so that you’re practicing with the proper club. Beyond that, you can loosen up and enjoy the game. You’ll run into gimmicks here and there, but you should also become a more consistent and effective putter.