The season is starting to wind down for many people in the northern hemisphere. In many places it’s starting to cool down and October is really the last month of solid golf weather. After this month, the days are short, the temperatures start to get cold, and snow becomes an issue in more and more places.

That doesn’t mean that your golf game has to go dormant. Sure, getting to play or hit balls at the range might not be possible, but there are many things you can do to keep your game in shape and emerge from your cocoon in spring with a running start.

Here are seven things you can do to improve yourself over the winter:

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. Check out my blogroll and links section for some great golf fitness resources to help you with ideas for off season workouts.

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.

By the way, I’m guilty.

Resolve to start eating better and that coupled with increased workouts will melt the pounds.

Mike Pedersen did a post covering weight loss tips for golfers recently.

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

Obviously, you’ll be here, reading Life in the Rough many, many times each day. Well, I will, anyway. Refer to my blogroll for some other good online golf resources.

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.

Have a look at my book reviews category for some ideas.

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.

There are some articles over at About.com to help you learn proper grip technique.

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

Another thing about the grip that I’d suggest working on: at the top of the backswing, sometimes there is a tendency for the hands to not stay together and work as a single unit. If you have trouble in this area, take some time to get into your backswing position and work on that issue.

And, because I like you guys so much, here’s a bonus tip. That’s right! Eight tips for the price of seven!

Go on a Golf Getaway

If you can manage it, get out of the cold and take a golf vacation. For people in the United States, there are a ton of places you can go and play golf in the winter, and probably for less money than you think.

There’s no better way to combat off season rust than by escaping the off season!

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Further Reading:

Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible (Life in the Rough)
Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible (Life in the Rough)
Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book (Life in the Rough)
Golf is Not a Game of Perfect (Life in the Rough)
Articles on Proper Grip Technique (About.com)
Pure in Line Square (pils) Putting Stroke (Life in the Rough)
Weight Loss Tips for Golfers (Mike Pedersen Golf)

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