Golfing – in -Times OF CORONA VIRUS

STAY AT HOME – STAY SAFE

1.        Hello my beloved golfers,your emotional turmoil is very much understandable, especially when you are not allowed to go out and play golf. Believe me, I am too undergoing my share of mood swings in these testing time which can be occasionally frustrating to the regular golfers. During my casual conversations with golfers after the nation –wide restrictions, I have found that most of them have sounded as if couple of bottle of pure blood has been taken out of their body, leaving them lazy in their mind and body. Some of us must have broken few items in the house while practising in lawns or putting indoor leaving our another-half’s wondering as to what has happened to these creatures ? Have they gone crazy.? Have they lost their rational self .? Will they ever get normal again ?….Haaaa Haaa Haaa Haa….Haaaaaaaaaa.. You must be wondering why I am laughing?.  I would like to inform all those beautiful ladies out there who have found a golfer in their husband that please do not get worried. It’s absolutely normal to have such occasional bouts/fits to your golfer husband in the times of restrictions whether it’s imposed by you or by the Political Heads. Folks you may show this blog to them for their comfort. This is the precise reason, I have thought of writing this blog. 

2.        Although the restrictions on outdoor movements is called upon to arrest this deadly pandemic and is an opportunity for us to show our National Social Responsibility. Guys , rest assure, I am not going to talk about Corona preventions, rather I am going to tell all the golfers as to how you can hone your golfing skills while staying at home and that to without causing any damage to your home/property.

3.        In Golf, the basic fundamentals are of utmost importance. It is these fundamentals on which entire foundation of our golf swing is based for a desirable outcome. The some of these basics are Grip, Grip Pressure, Ball position, Initial Takeaway, Transition, Swing Plane and Putting stroke. All these basics can be worked at home during these social distancing times. I can assure you that you will find a sea change in your game whenever you will step out on the course. So let’s start and learn as to how we can accomplish this at our homes and keep that golfer inside us alive and kicking.

4.        We are aware that Golf Swing is an inclined circular path on which the club head is expected to travel for more consistency and power. This is how we can practice some of these fundamental things at home :-

(i)        GRIP – Its the most fundamental aspect of the game and is the only connection with the golf club. If you are looking to change your grip than at your home take the new grip as per your preference and make a baby swing in a slow motion up to the knee height. Do this at least 30 min a day and you will see a smooth transition into your new grip.

(ii)       GRIP PRESSURE – Most of us grip the club very tightly and kill the speed of  the club head resulting into all kind of weak shots. Now what you can do is take a grip on the club (preferably PW) and hold the club by stretching your hands in front of your chest and keep it on a 45 Deg angle to the floor. The drill is that you have to hold it with just enough pressure which prevents it from becoming perpendicular or getting Horizontal to the floor. If the club get perpendicular than it’s too tightly griped and if it gets Horizontal to the floor than it is too lightly griped. Practice this to generate hand memory for the optimum grip pressure. You can practice this while sitting in your living room or on the easy chair in the balcony. If you are able to do it for 30 min a day, you are destined to increase your club head speed at least by 10 miles per hour.

(iii)      BALL POSITION – On the golf course, we rarely spend time to work on our ball position. At home what I want you to do is to mark a line on the floor and thereafter take a stance and address the golf ball with your golf clubs. Now, what I want you to take a note of the visual reference of the ball position and club head in relation to the tiles/ marking made on floor. This activity will build a very strong visual reference for you which will be immensely helpful on the golf course.     

(iv)      INITIAL TAKEAWAY, TRANSITION & CORRECT SWING PLANE– Take a club (preferably a SW) and stand close to a wall in your house in  an address position. Thereafter carefully and slowly initiate the take away by keeping the club head close to the floor as long as possible and then lift it in a very slow motion using your bigger muscle ( chest & Shoulders) all the way to the top. Thereafter, take a deliberate and momentary pause on top of the swing and then start your down swing with an equally slow motion by transferring your weight and keeping your head steady at the ball. Finish your swing as if you are going to do the handshake with your target. This move will greatly enhance the awareness of position of club head in your golf swing and will also promote a fine sense of weight transfer and hip rotation . Do this at least 30 min a day and you are going to rock in your 4 ball.  If you are touching the wall with your golf club it will essentially means that you are not keeping the club on the desired plane.  

(v)       PUTTING STROKE – Take two hard bound books or card box or a shoe box or anything similar and make a channel which should be as wide as the width of your putter head by putting them perpendicular to the floor. Now your aim is to make a 20 putting stroke through this channel keeping the putter head as low as possible to the floor without dropping the books or card box or touching the channel on either side. Remember there is no golf ball here. This activity will refine your putter path through the golf ball and promote more square impact in real time. With this drill you are certainly going to knock all those nerve racking 5 footer in the centre of the Cup.  

5.        Dear Golfers, consider this time of social distancing as a meaningful time taken out for practicing/rehearsing your basics and enriching your foundation for playing a better golf. Take good care of yourself, stay safe and observe all advisory of corona for longevity.

6.        Do subscribe the instructional blog by leaving your mail in the bottom section of the blog and click the subscribe button for continuous updates. You will receive the instant notification as and when I will post the new instructional blog on www.simplylearngolf.com.

Also you can follow the ‘JOE’s Life Skills Lab‘ and get yourself enrolled in my E – Mail Newsletter “SUNDAY RETAZOS” sent exclusively to my subscribers with weekly updates on Mindful Productivity, life lessons and interesting articles I discover during the Week. I AM SURE YOU DO NOT LIKE TO MISS OUT ON THIS .

Joe