Everyone right now is getting antsy to get out of the brutally cold winter months and get to the warmer, greener spring months. With the spring months, comes hope and anticipation of a new golf season at Red Tail Golf Club. To make sure that you have the best chance at winning your weekly game or even setting a personal best score, it is important to get off on the right foot at the beginning of the season. It is tough to do in New England because most of us are not able to practice during the winter. This is why I am giving you a head start to get on the right track more quickly than you would have in previous years. Here are a couple of tips that I like to do in the house, the office (or in my case the dorm room), when it is too cold outside to hit any golf balls.

Stretching. There is more pressure every year to hit the golf ball farther than the previous year. New golf balls and golf clubs come out every year that claims you can gain distance just by changing equipment. Do not believe all that you hear. You can only gain distance through creating more clubhead speed during the swing. One way to gain distance is to stretch your muscles regularly. The more flexible you are the better chance you have at hitting the ball farther. The areas I like to work on are my legs so I have a sturdy base during the swing, my core so that I can support my upper body during the swing, my back and shoulders so I can turn my shoulders as much as possible during the back swing.

It is a proven fact that the more resistance ( between your upper body and lower body) you can create during the backswing the faster your body is able to unwind and create more clubhead speed, thus hitting the golf ball farther. It is important to realize your body’s limitations. If you find that when you are stretching you are in extreme discomfort, tone it down a little. Your body will get more flexible over time; it does not happen over night.          

Alignment. After a long lay off from golfing, I always have trouble with my alignment when getting back into the swing of things. It is tough for me to see where I am aligned because I have lost the “feel” of what my alignment looks like when I am set-up to the golf ball. In order to get my alignment in proper order, I like to use my mirrors to my advantage. I stand with the mirror to my left just like I am going to hit a golf ball right through it. I take my stance and check to make sure that my feet, hips, and shoulders are all aligned with each other. It is a good thing when you are not able to see your back foot, hip, and shoulder because this means that they are all aligned with their front counter parts. You can even go as far as to stand as if you are hitting away from the mirror and check your alignment from behind. If you are able to work on your alignment for just ten minutes a day until the day you tee off at Red Tail, you will have a definite advantage over your playing partners.  

I am looking forward to seeing every one and great golf season in 2008. It is a thrill to be back at Red Tail.