What are you up to in the off season?

[Loop]

Since some of us Canucks have winter with snow and cold hanging around for 4 months time, what are you guys/ladies doing on the off season?

Here's my plan:
1. Workout my body. Muscle stretching, endurance. Especially in the morning: a series of push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, shoulders and hips rotation muscling. Even planing on doing that for my whole lifetime, I'm too lazy nowadays.
2. Playing badminton
3. Working the backswing so it is the same everytime.
4. Chipping and pitching. I just need to find the carpet or the floor will have holes.
5. Putting. Getting a set-up to be the same each and everytime I stand in front of the ball.
6. I'd love to practice the pitching... But I'd have to do it in the interior driving range. It's actually a dome and they charge something like 20 bucks/hour, but you can hit the balls all you want. The only problem is that it's only 100 yards long before you hit the net.

 

[jc@bg]

We have a local goat pasture that allows you to slip $5 under the door and play all day in the winter. Putting is pretty much ridiculous, as they won't have mowed since the end of October, but I've played in every month of the year--in northern Ohio.

I *need* to practice putting more, but I've never been satisfied by the indoor putting setups I've bought or constructed. Maybe this is the year that the wife lets me put a putting "green" into one of the rooms of our house. I could sell the furniture in that room first, to offset the cost of the putting surface. Sweet!

 

[Rockford35]

+12 here today.

But over the winter, it's all about hockey. Mostly to keep in shape. I'm not overly competitive anymore.

Other than that, watch golf on TV and cry.

Anyone else?

R35

 

[DaveE]

Rock, when you say +12 you do mean +12C right? Brrrrrr either way.

Even though we don't really have an off season, we still play less because of the time change and the occasional cold spell. I do plan to get in better shape this winter but I also plan to play at least once a week.

Between now and the end of the year I will try to establish new goals for next year. They will obviously involve some level of improvement but I'm just not sure if I'm going to set general or specific goals. This years goal of developing a consistent and repeatable swing was pretty broad so I'm thinking of setting some very specific goals regarding h/c, girs, putts per round etc. Do any of you do this and if so do you think it helps or hurts?

For now, it's business as usual. It's suppose to be in the mid 80s today and we're teeing off around 3pm.

Rock, I know you haven't seen anything green in a while so I attached a picture of #six at our neighborhood course.

 

[Loop]

DaveE,

About a month ago, I started making some stats with Fairway Hits, GIR and putts. The GIR was too difficult to input, so I've made Number of strokes to reach the green (SG). I also counted all the putts including those made from the fringes and the fairway. Finally, I'll be doing a chart which includes Fairway Hits, SG, chipping close to the flag (inside 10 feet), bunker saves, and putts... And probably also driving distance. And also Pitching from 40 to 100 yards.
It really is a good thing to keep track of those stats because it gives you objectives on what to work next time you get on the range.

@Rock
You watch golf and cry? Like sob because you can't play ? So.... who's buying that golf island again?

 

[Rockford35]

Dave, you bastard. It's +12 C here, but heavy fog. Brutal. That pic of #6 made me put my hands together in interlock. Jerk-store!

If I was out west Loop, i'd still be playing. They get the Pacific air out there, you can play basically all year round.

This was fundamental in my choice to buy the island. Just a few bucks short....

Did anyone see that Island that Langer built a course on in the new Golf Magazine? That magazine sucks for the most part, but that pic sure looked sweet. Only accessable by boat.....now that's the ticket.

Think you could scuba-dive with clubs? :yellow:

R35

 

[DaveE]

Loop, thanks for the ideas. I'll keep those in mind as the year winds down. I'm leaning towards keeping the stats to see if it helps me stay more focused.

Rock, sorry about the pic but as I mentioned in a previous post this is the time of year we get kinda snobbery about our weather.

I'm finally going to get to play with the Blues today. No golf last weekend due to rain, home improvement projects and babysitting of grandson. I'll report back tommorow. Go hit the indoor range, you'll feel better.

 

[Rockford35]

Go hit the indoor range, you'll feel better.

They're building a state-of-the-art indoor facility here for use starting in January. That'll be (as the kids say) "dope".

R35

 

[DaveE]

They're building a state-of-the-art indoor facility here for use starting in January. That'll be (as the kids say) "dope".

R35

Sounds pretty cool but I'm glad we don't need it here.

Finally got a round in with the Blues and I agree with you about them. I didn't notice a difference in distance, (compared to ProV1 or HX Tour) but love the feel coming off the club head. Very soft & I like them around the green too. Maybe they will help me get through the slump I've been in the last month.

 

[Rockford35]

They will. I feel so confident hitting that golf ball, it's scary. I just know it's not going to let me down.

(Just watch, they'll pull them now that I said that!! )

R35

 

[bdcrowe]

They will. I feel so confident hitting that golf ball, it's scary. I just know it's not going to let me down.

(Just watch, they'll pull them now that I said that!! )

R35

I've got a guy here locally that will give you all the Blues, Tours, Reds you want for $5 a dozen, in great shape. That's where I get them when I play them. Also UTri Tours when he has them.

 

[Rockford35]

I've got a guy here locally that will give you all the Blues, Tours, Reds you want for $5 a dozen, in great shape. That's where I get them when I play them. Also UTri Tours when he has them.

I'd take 4 dozen HX Blues in good shape. Callaways are notorious for having thin covers, but they only really cut up bad when you hit it on the cart path (never done that....ya right) or hit one pretty thin. But other than that, they seem to hold up well.

Let me know what he has in stock Crowe. Maybe we can work something out.

Cheers,

R35

 

[bdcrowe]

Will do, hombre.

 

[jc@bg]

Rock,

Funny, I tried the HX Red and didn't like it (much). And my major beef was that it didn't go anywhere. Of course, I wasn't hitting the ball especially well at that time, and it was during an especially cold, windy spell of spring weather. Would you say that the blue has been good to you in all kinds of weather? (Probably a dumb question, since you're so sold on them.)

They will. I feel so confident hitting that golf ball, it's scary. I just know it's not going to let me down.

(Just watch, they'll pull them now that I said that!! )

R35

 

[Rockford35]

Rock,

Funny, I tried the HX Red and didn't like it (much). And my major beef was that it didn't go anywhere. Of course, I wasn't hitting the ball especially well at that time, and it was during an especially cold, windy spell of spring weather. Would you say that the blue has been good to you in all kinds of weather? (Probably a dumb question, since you're so sold on them.)

Of the cold weather that i've been in, i've seen no ill effects on the Blue. Biased of course, but i'm gonna give you the skinny, straight up. I'm not making money off Callaway, so I could care less what you play!

The Blue's are a great all around ball, and for the price compared to the Tours, it's a definite thumbs up. The HX Red is a great ball when you want to pound it out there. It really is long off the tee. But for anything else, it's a notch down from both the Tour and the Blue.

I used Red for almost all of last season, save some "try-out" rounds with some other brands, most of which just didn't cut it.

When it comes to wind and cold, i'm an expert. It's already snowed here about 5 times, melted, snowed again. And a calm day around here is like winning the lottery. It's funny how when it's calm my game suffers because i'm not sure how to attack things.... :xxrotflma

My advice would be to try the Blues. You really can't lose. I was averaging nearly 285 off the tee with them, with plenty of bigger bombs in the mix. But the bread and butter comes from 125 in. They have great feel off wedges and on the green. It matches well with my White Hot putter as well, so that may be a bit misleading, something you'll have to find out on your own.

If i was giving a recommend, i'd say switch from the Red to the Blue and give'r a go. I'd be suprised if you weren't converted.

R35