3 simple precautions that can keep your game sharp this offseason

It’s a tough pill to swallow, but when I look out the gray, rainy day out my window, there’s no denying it: We’re in full-on winter in much of the country.

While that means putting it down and looking forward to the holidays, it doesn’t have to mean your golf clubs will be gathering dust until spring.

Most of you have probably made huge gains over the past 12 months as a golfer, improving your swing and scoring while enjoying the game more than ever. But we all still have other goals we want to achieve – and we won’t achieve them by taking months off from exercise.

While most of us won’t be brave enough to practice or play golf outside until the weather warms up again, there are many ways to stay sharp. inside. Whether that’s joining an indoor golf league or buying a swing net for your garage, you can fine-tune your swing year-round.

But you need to make sure you have some structure and guidance to help you progress, which is why a startup tracker can be helpful.

Not sure how a launch monitor works, or how it can help your game this offseason? Top 100 Golf Instructor Sarah Stone shares how golfers of all abilities can use one this winter, and highlights three key ways to do so. Check out his tips below.

How a startup monitor will help you hone your skills this winter

Many facilities have simulators and monitors that you can use, so now is the time to use the technology – especially since many people across the country will not be able to exercise outside.

Here are three ways to use a trigger monitor to stay sharp this winter and reduce your results.

1. Measure the administrative distances of each of your clubs

I would say 80 percent of golfers confuse carry distance with total distance. A quick clarification: carry distance is when the ball first lands on the ground, and total distance is when it will come to rest.

Knowing these numbers is important when it comes to scoring, and using a monitor this winter will help you see which clubs are going which distances.

While many golfers think the longest club in their bag goes the farthest, that’s not always the case – especially if your clubhead speed starts to drop below 70 miles per hour with a 7 iron.

For example, I had a student who had three clubs that he carried 180 yards in the air. This information helped me make decisions about what to take out of her bag and what to put in her bag. So we replaced his 4-iron with a 5-hybrid, then removed his 5-wood to add a 7-wood. He then had two additional carry/range options in his bag, which is an easy way to spot yardage gaps.