As an avid golfer, Duane Thorne of Smithville is always looking at ways to improve his golf game. One of the few downsides of being a golf lover is that living in a town like Smithville means that there will be an offseason each year. Certain months just don’t lend themselves to playing 18 like a beautiful day in May. Fortunately, Duane Thorne of Smithville has discovered a few different ways to work on his game even when he can’t attend his favorite golf course.
The first way to improve as a golfer during the offseason is to take a break. Duane Thorne of Smithville believes golf is as much a mental game as it is a physical game. When an avid golfer has a chance to rest and recuperate, it can do wonders to help their golf game. The mental break can especially help when a player is in a slump with their putting, short game, or iron shots. Allowing the frustration to subside can be a great benefit. In addition to not playing golf for a few weeks, Duane Thorne recommends limiting the amount of time watching golf advice videos on YouTube and other outlets. There’s a ton of information out there that can grow overwhelming in a hurry. Most golf improvements can only happen after hours of practice, so overloading on info can end up doing more harm than good.
The next thing a golfer should focus on during the offseason is their physical health. Duane Thorne of Smithville loves that golf is a game that people can play nearly all their lives. How well they can play often comes down to their health. Those who find themselves sore after each round or struggling to get through 18 holes without a cart should use the offseason as a time to get physically stronger. Golfers benefit most from exercises that strengthen their legs and their core muscles. People with strong legs and a strong core can swing with less effort and can typically achieve more distance on their drives.
Duane Thorne once read that the swing coach of Tiger Woods had him take 100 swings a day. What’s great about this tip is that his swing coach did not care whether Tiger had a club in his hand or not. The suggestion was more about keeping the body in game mode and allowing the mind to think about each part of the swing motion and the likely results. Swing should be taken at about half speed and can be spread out throughout the day.
One of the best things any golfer can do during the offseason is to assess the state of their game. Writing down everything from the biggest strengths and weaknesses to typical scores and average putts per round can provide a clear path to improvement. Duane Thorne will often spend most of his time analyzing holes that most commonly provide a crooked score and look at what could be done to lessen the damage. Sometimes, the easiest way to improve a golf score is to ensure mistakes aren’t compounded by taking unnecessary risks.
Duane Thorne spends time through the winter months swinging a club, often in my basement or garage on a piece of carpet. No ball, just the carpet, which can show the travel of your club through impact. Duane Thorne says this to keep limber and to visualize the swing mentally.
Duane Thorne also suggests taking a video of your swing from different vantage points can help immensely. Seeing yourself allows you a different perspective and often shows your errors in the swing says, Duane.
Finally, once a self-assessment is complete, Duane Thorne recommends focusing on a single aspect of a golf game to improve each offseason. Once a weak point is selected, a golfer can seek out the proper guidance and read up on different ways to improve their putt speed, swing speed, or whatever other issue it happens to be. Most growth is stunted when a golfer tries to spread out their focus. Homing in on a single topic can pay big dividends by the time spring comes back around.
