We’ve made it through the long tough winter, especially for all the golfers on the East Coast of Australia. And while there are still some less than favourable conditions on golf courses on the Eastern Seaboard, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Seeing as though the warmer months are nearly upon us, what do we need to do to get our golf in the best shape possible this summer?
1. Get a series of in-person golf lessons from a PGA Professional
Now, this seems like an obvious statement, but if you want to improve your game and get it in the best shape of your life, getting help from a PGA Professional is almost a requirement. They can run you through your goals into the new year and start on the path to improving your technique, on course strategy, practice methods and even tough on sports psychology.
Here at Perth Golf Centre we currently have 6 qualified PGA Professionals that are available to help you on the path to understanding your swing and improving your game. We offer a wide variety of one-off lessons plus numerous package options to suit everyone’s goals and budgets.
2. Take a series of Online Golf Lessons from a PGA Professional
If these past few years have shown us anything, it’s how much we can achieve from our own home in all aspects of our life. Golf lessons included! You can now have a PGA Professional analyse your golf swing from anywhere in the world and send you through a list of drills and exercises to help improve your swing faults. It’s a cost and time effective way to get your game in the best shape it’s ever been, and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home or local driving range.
At Perth Golf Centre we offer one-off online coaching lessons starting at $39.00, plus yearly unlimited coaching packages for the golfers wanting to dig deep into every area of their game. We utilise both Skillest and Coach Now platforms to conduct these lessons for both Android and iPhone.
3. Practice smarter, not harder.
We’ve all seen those golfers on the driving range every day practicing and practicing but not improving to the level based upon the time and effort given. There have been numerous studies showing that practicing smarter not harder in golf is a much better way to get results that endlessly beating balls out into the open expanse of a driving range.
How is this possible?
- Practice with purpose. Set a goal of how many balls you would like to hit and in what time frame. Then break it down into 50% technique, 25% target practice and 25% having fun will ball flight, shaping etc. When you practice technique, don’t drag a golf ball in and hit. Take your time, go through the movement pattern change, have a practice swing then execute your shot. It takes longer but provides a much better and faster way to reprogram your movement patterns for the better.
- Use technology. At Perth Golf Centre, we have two indoor bays with Trackman 4 technology and an indoor putting studio with Quintic Ball Roll Technology. Both pieces of tech are available to the public and are great ways to start understanding your golf swing and ball flight tendencies. Practicing with data gives you feedback. This is extremely important as you may be feeling like you’re doing the correct adjustments when out on the range, but without having the numbers and data in front of you, it would be hard to tell. Having the numbers and video in the studio, you can correct the pattern and ensure you’re not ingraining bad habits. We also have three cameras positioned in each bay recording different angles of your swing. These videos can be played back in real time or slow motion for you to analyse.
4. Take it to the course (by yourself)
Understandably, time is difficult for everyone and getting on the course can be tough. If, however, you do have the ability to head down for a few holes (even 3 or 4) it can be a great way to practice different drills to simulate on course pressure which will improve your game.
What drills can I do on course?
- 2 Ball worst ball. Hit two balls for every shot. Whatever the worst shot is grab the other ball and hit 2 from that spot. Repeat this process until you sink two putts in a row. Difficult we know!
- Shot shaping. Hit 2 balls off the tee, one draw and one fade. From there, play both golf balls all the way to holing out with either the draw shape or fade shape. See which one is better from a scoring perspective! If you can’t hit either, don’t stress, just give it a go. This is about experimenting and having fun.
Did you know that at Perth Golf Centre our indoor Trackman bays allow for virtual golf and on course practice? With the accuracy of our technology, this is a great way for you to practice in a great environment, all the while not worrying about weather or time of day!
5. Get a club fitting or club check
People still ask us daily, “is it worth getting a club fitting”. The answer is always yes. Having equipment that is correctly fitting to your swing type, body type and ball flight tendencies is important as it provides you with the best possible chance to strike the ball more consistently and achieve your desired ball flight and distance.
Does it cure swing faults? No definitely not, but it’s an important aspect in your journey as a golfer to ensure you have golf clubs that are custom designed for you and you only.
So, what goes into a club fitting session? Below is a list of the journey you would take through a club fitting process at Perth Golf Centre.
- Introduction and conversation about your goals for the session.
- Warm up and analysis with your current clubs (depending on what type of fitting i.e Iron/driver/wedge etc).
- Discussion on the results of your current clubs with Trackman or Quintic Ball Roll Data.
- Utilisation of technology such as Mizuno PFS to analysis data points such as Tempo and flex points in the shaft.
- The PGA Professional then puts together a variety of clubs with a head and shaft combination they feel is best suited.
- We analyse the data and make adjustments to the head design, lofts and/or shafts.
- Once settled upon head and shaft, we look through length, lie angle and grip size/design.
- Set makeup is a final aspect. Ensuring you have efficient gapping in your clubs is important (more for iron, wedge and wood fittings).
As you can see, a lot goes into a fitting at Perth Golf Centre. If you want a custom-built set of clubs to your specifications, get in touch and we will have you booked in with one of our PGA Professional in no time.
We hope you’ve been able to take some information from our “Get Summer Golf Ready” blog and add it into your plan for this coming summer. Enjoy your golf and any questions regarding golf lessons, club fittings, putter fitting, practice sessions or virtual golf please don’t hesitate to reach out!