When you have snow and ice like we have had for the past month here in Indiana, my mind begins to crave the sun and green grass of summer. I begin to wonder if there is a way to beat the snow and icy weather. Is there a way improve a golf game when you are really stuck inside? Fortunately, there is. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Curl up with a blanket and watch the pros play golf on TV, and get used to the look of a great swing.
In the book, The Game Before the Game, world-renown golf coaches Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson suggest things we can do away from the course to help our games. They say:
Watching good players imprints on the brain the image of the proper pass at the golf ball, and when you swing, the brain tries to replicate that action…. Visualization is extremely useful…thinking about the swing and how you want to swing and play will make you better.
Close your eyes and play a great round of golf in your mind.
In the chapter, “Rainy Day Practice,” Marriott and Nilsson help us escape to warm and sunny weather:
Sit in a chair or lie down and play golf perfectly in your mind and heart. Play one hole or play eighteen holes. Play any course. Be detailed about getting prepared to play, who you play with, the weather, what you are wearing, what you are feeling, your routines, your presence in the play box, your internal or external talk, the feel of impact, the flight of the ball. Play brilliantly. After the great shots, allow yourself to feel wonderful.
These sound like easy, no equipment mental exercises anyone can do anywhere in any kind of weather. So what do you think of these exercises? What do you do when you can’t get outside to stay sharp?