News Taffy

SPRING IS HERE!!!  OK … not officially, but it’s sure feeling more and more like spring anyway. Depending on the weather, you may have started already. For those of you who have yet to start your golf season, here are a few things you can do to make sure you’re ready – before you head out for that first drive of the year.

Inspect Your Equipment

Inspect your equipment and be sure it’s in good shape or you could find yourself wondering why you’re not scoring like you should. 

Spikes – You should change your spikes regularly - maybe a few times per season. Doing this helps you keep your footing on wet or steep ground. Worn spikes can affect the quality of your footing and thus the quality of your shots.

Grips – It’s a good idea to change your grips every year, especially if you play and practice a lot. If you are one of those people who never changes grips, you don’t know what you’re missing! New grips can save you strokes by providing extra control and confidence. They also make you feel like you’re swinging a new set of clubs!

Grooves – You should inspect the grooves on all your irons. Grooves help to provide spin, and thus stopping power, on your approach shots. Worn grooves can drastically reduce your spin. So … remember, worn grooves = more strokes.

Stock Up on the Essentials

Face it, if you’re a golfer, you’re going to be spending money on balls, tees, gloves, etc., throughout the year. Spring is a good time to stock up on these essentials. Try buying your golf balls in bulk. Check with your pro-shop or golf specialty store to see if they might cut you a deal for buying balls in bulk quantities. You may also find good deals online. Then, pick up one of those BIG bags of tees. This should last you most, if not all, of the season. Beats the heck out of having to search the tee boxes for someone else’s discarded tees! Buy a bunch of ball markers (or put a handful of coins in your bag) and you’re ready!

Make a Plan

Is this the year you break 90, 80, 70? If your goal is to take your game to a new level, you’re going to have to prepare and work. Make your plan for the year now … have something to strive for or just simply relax and laugh it up with your foursome. If you’re fine just knocking it around and enjoying your time with your buddies, then go have a blast!

Define Goals

Be specific. Just saying “I want to play better” won’t do. What do you want to improve? Putting, approach shots, driving, accuracy, chipping? Now that you know what you want to accomplish with your golf game, you have to create a plan of attack. The best first step is to schedule some regular lessons for the year. Without a doubt, this is the single best thing you can do to improve your game. Tell your pro what your goals are and get help!

Practice, Practice, Practice

The next step is to try and work in some regular practice time. Set aside some time each week for practice. Use the time to work on the things your pro has identified for you, or if you’re going it alone, work on the things you identified in your goals.

Get Out There!

You’ve got your equipment taken care of, you’ve stocked up on essentials, you’ve got your plan, you’ve practiced til your hands bled … now it’s time to get out there and put it all together! Good Luck!

Comments or suggestions?  E-mail them to me at info@jonesboro.com.

Rodney Poff