If you live in the North or have put your clubs away for the winter, it may be time to start thinking about the golf season. In this short video, I recommend focusing on your grip and posture and practicing half-swings with your pitching wedge to get your new golf season off to a great start and prevent bad swing habits from forming.

1. Your Grip

There are two major components to focus on with your grip: placement and pressure.

Placement refers to how your hands look when they are on the club. It matters how much they are turned from left to right and whether both hands match or face each other.

Here are three key checks for you to make sure you have a proper grip to start the season (for right-handed golfers):

• The line between your thumb and index finger of your left hand is pointed toward your right shoulder.
• You can see two knuckles on the back of your left hand at address.
• The line between your thumb and index finger is parallel with the same line of the left hand.

Pressure: Most golfers in general squeeze the club too hard. Golf is different from other sports like tennis in that we hold the club in the fingers. It is much easier to squeeze the club too hard when the club is in your palm. Hold it in your fingers and lighten your grip pressure.

2. Your Posture

Winter inactivity leads to a poor golf posture. Follow these steps to get back in form:

Bow: Keep your back straight and tilt from your hips as if you are bowing.

Balls of feet: Make sure your center of gravity is on the balls of your feet. Not your heels where you can tap your toes.

3. Practice Pitching Wedge Swings

Grab your wedge and take some small swings to get loosened up and your rhythm going. Think half and hold.

Half of a swing: Swing until your arms are parallel to the ground on your backswing and parallel to the ground on the follow through.

Hold: Hold your finish. This a great habit to start but also important for you to find and keep your balance.

By working on a few key parts of your set-up and swing, you wil increase your chances of starting the season with good fundamentals and prevent bad habits from forming.

You can do this!

Kathy