Winter Tips: Stay Sane in the Rain
At Cascade Golfer, we like to think we know our readers … that’s because you’re just like us. And we know that you’re not going to let a little spring rain keep you off the course this season. So rather than throw in the towel until summer, we called around to some of our favorite local experts to find what little tips and tricks they use to keep their game, and their equipment, in tip-top shape during the drip-drop season.
STICK A TEE IN IT
Pushing a tee into the hole at the top of your club grips (you can go look now, yes, they all have them) will keep the club from resting on the bottom of your bag, where collected water can make your grips wet and slick.
LAYER, LAYER, LAYER
Clubs and shoes are important, but your main piece of equipment is … you. Nothing, therefore, is as important as keeping your muscles warm and dry. Your outside “shell” should be GORE-TEX … both above and below the waist. Cotton gets too wet, while windbreakers won’t help keep your muscles warm, and a cold muscle is both useless and prone to injury. Under the GORE-TEX, consider a high turtleneck and rain hood (not a baseball hat or visor) to keep heat from escaping out the top.
CONSIDER TWO GLOVES
Certainly, there are those out there who will say this idea is nuts. But why? Because it might look funny? Heck, if it saved us strokes, we’d wear beanies (we checked, it doesn’t). A second glove can improve your grip on a slick club, which can only help. It’s a $10 tip that could easily save you 3-5 shots in wet weather.
KEEP ‘EM CLEAN
Most golfers clean their spikes at the end of every round – if you don’t, you should. During the winter months, though, check them while waiting on each tee, and pick out the excess grass and mud with a tee if necessary. It will only take 30 seconds, but can significantly increase the grip and stability of your spikes. A muddy spike can be as slick as a tennis shoe.
HANG LOOSE
More than at any other time of year, stretching is key. A cold, stiff muscle won’t flex like you need it to, and may strain when you force it. Take just five minutes a day (every day, not just on the first tee) to stretch your shoulders, thighs and hips. After all, there’s no sense in hurting yourself in the wet weather and missing out on the sun.
DON’T STOP PRACTICING
Too many golfers let their games go in the offseason, and then spend the first part of spring and summer trying to get back to where they were the previous August. Even if you don’t make it out to the course, make time to work on your swing in the garage, or hit a few balls on the range or at an indoor practice center.
