Golf is an amazing sport that can be played for a lifetime and for some all year long. For most golfers, as the temperature changes, so does their score. I often hear the average golfer complaining about their scores rising when the temperature lowers. Here are two cold weather golf tips that will help you avoid the dreaded snowman and drop some strokes along with the temperature.
Cold Weather Golf Tip #1: When we are playing in conditions where the temperature has dropped we need to club up one or two clubs and focus on making controlled swings (i.e. three-quarter swings). Stay engaged with the ground while keeping our tempo smooth. The reason for this is that our cardiovascular system pumps less blood to our extremities. This means that our fingers and toes become particularly cold causing us to lose our speed and dexterity. Now add in the fact that golf balls are not as resilient and the air is denser compared to warmer temperatures. All these factors result in limited body movement and loss of distance.
Cold Weather Golf Tip #2: The Short game makes up for about 60% of our round. When cold weather is a factor the first thing that goes is our feel, and with the ball not reacting the same as in normal conditions it makes scoring, particularly getting up and down, difficult. So what do we do? Well for starters we have to know the L.A.W. (Lie, Area, Wind). Second we need to get the ball rolling as soon as possible (i.e. using a pitching wedge, 9 or 8 to chip or pitch with). This puts us in a far better position to one or two putt. When we have a better understanding of why, we make better choices which, in turn, leads to our confidence meter going up and scores coming down.
Bonus Tip: Remember to take extra time to warm up, keep your golf balls indoors the night before, and layer up!