00:00Welcome to this Golf Monthly video in association with Ping.
00:04I've come down to Peterborough Milton Golf Club and today I'm going to be sharing with you 10 awesome winter
00:10golf hacks.
00:11You can use these to keep playing through the winter, keep enjoying your golf and maybe even shoot a few
00:17good scores as well.
00:31Balls, of course, a vital bit of equipment. We've all got our favourites that we like to play with throughout
00:37the summer, but it's worth re-examining that in the winter.
00:41Something a little bit harder can really help you. It might fly a little bit further and when it is
00:45softer, you don't need quite so much finesse and spin around the greens.
00:49The colour as well, another important thing. Yellow balls or other brightly coloured balls as well can be really, really
00:56helpful if you're playing a little bit of frost or generally have trouble seeing the balls, especially as the leaves
01:01start coming down.
01:02Get something a little bit differently coloured, something a little bit firmer and getting the right ball for winter could
01:07really help your scores.
01:10When it comes to putting, it's vital that you change your perception of putts in the winter.
01:16Now, there's going to be more grass on the green and more moisture as well.
01:20So what that means is there's more friction. So putts run slower and they break less.
01:26If you're used to playing on really quick greens through the summer, you have to get used to the fact
01:31that they're going to be a lot slower and they're going to break less.
01:34So take time to calibrate yourself to winter greens.
01:38Go and spend some time on the practice putting green.
01:40And when you're out on the course, if you do like to visualise an aim point or a false hole
01:45that you're aiming for, make sure you adjust that appropriately.
01:49Play for slower speeds and less break.
01:51My next tip concerns the one item of clothing that I will never go onto a golf course without wearing
01:58the moment it gets below about 10 degrees centigrade.
02:01And that's one of these things here, a base layer.
02:03They're absolutely brilliant. Stick it on underneath whatever you're wearing.
02:07It's skin tight, super comfortable, and it's amazing how much of a difference just that one relatively thin layer makes
02:15to your temperature throughout a round.
02:17So the moment those temperatures start to plummet, get yourself a base layer.
02:21If you're able to, it's a really good idea to carry your clubs in winter.
02:26Even if you like to use a buggy or a trolley the rest of the year, we know that can
02:30really churn up courses as they get wetter and softer underfoot.
02:35So get yourself a small little bag, maybe even play with a half set and a pencil bag.
02:39But it avoids having to go around all the little signpost areas, churning up the course with a trolley or
02:44a buggy.
02:45Get the clubs on your back and go out for a nice winter stroll.
02:50There's nothing worse than playing golf with cold hands.
02:54Once the freeze sets in, there's no going back.
02:57So it's absolutely vital that you keep them warm and toasty throughout the round.
03:01Traditional way of doing that, a nice big old pair of mitts that you can chuck on over the top
03:06of everything else.
03:08Alternatively, you can get yourself one of these, a little wearable hand warmer.
03:12Now I am fully channeling my inner Tom Brady here.
03:16Look like an NFL quarterback, but actually they're really, really handy as well.
03:21With mitts, you've got to find somewhere to store them.
03:23With a wearable hand warmer like this, you just wear it the whole time.
03:27As you're walking down the fairways in between shots, out in front, keeping your hands nice and toasty.
03:32The moment it's time to play, just whip it round the back.
03:35It's totally out of the way and you can play your golf shot without messing about.
03:40As golfers, we all suffer from a little bit of ego.
03:43So this next bit of advice, well, it works all year round, but especially in winter.
03:47And that's take one more club.
03:50You'd be amazed how much winter conditions can knock off your carry yardages into greens.
03:56Whether that's simply just the colder temperatures, going into a stiff breeze, or even rain knocking your ball out of
04:03the air.
04:03So when you're working out your yardages and what club you're going to hit, remember, it's not going to carry
04:09as far and it's not going to release as far when it lands as well.
04:12In winter, most of your approach shots are all carry.
04:16So club up at least one and in some conditions, maybe even two or three clubs.
04:21Make sure you get your approaches back to the hole.
04:24It's brilliant having adjustable clubs and coming into winter is the perfect time to take advantage of that.
04:31Right now, the courses, they're softer.
04:33You want as much carry as possible.
04:36So you can crank up the loft on your driver, even move the weight back a little bit as well.
04:41That will help higher launch and a little bit more backspin, which will keep the ball in the air for
04:47a touch longer.
04:47Don't go too far.
04:49You don't want to be ballooning it.
04:50But if you just make a few little tweaks to give you a few extra yards of carry off the
04:55tee, that'll really help you drive the ball further in winter.
04:58It's really important to make sure that the soles of your shoes are clean and clear of debris before you
05:04play any shots.
05:05If they're not, and in winter, it's easy to get grass and mud, leaves.
05:10And if you're playing in really cold conditions, the ice can get compacted under there pretty quickly as well.
05:15The last thing you want is to lose your grip in your feet when you're hitting a golf shot.
05:21So make sure before every shot, you check the soles, clean out your cleats.
05:24You can use a tee or a pitchfork, but also don't do it on the green or near the apron
05:30or on a tee.
05:31Go to a quiet area of the course, somewhere where balls are less likely to find and you're not likely
05:35to cause too many issues by leaving a little patch of mud.
05:39So just get your tee out and give them a quick clean before you hit.
05:43It's well worth investing in some really high quality outerwear.
05:49It's not like it used to be these days.
05:50The technology involved is absolutely fantastic.
05:54It's all breathable, windproof, waterproof, stretches in all the right areas so you can swing as well.
06:00I've already got my waterproof trousers on, as you can see, reasonably slim fitting.
06:05Nothing too baggy like you used to get.
06:07Also a top like this that really stops the wind.
06:10Absolutely vital.
06:11And of course, everyone needs a waterproof.
06:15As much as we'd like to play in sun all day long, all around the year, we know that doesn't
06:19happen, especially if you're playing in the UK.
06:22So get yourself a really good set of waterproofs as well.
06:25Yes, they can be expensive, but believe me, if you do play golf year round, good outer layers will more
06:32than pay back your outlay on them.
06:34The short game.
06:35It's an area that we all know we need to practice and just because it's winter, you don't need to
06:41neglect it either.
06:42And the reasons for that are twofold.
06:44Firstly, winter golf, often more difficult.
06:47So you might find yourself needing to recover more often.
06:51And secondly, well, the type of shots you're going to play around the greens could be totally different in winter
06:56as opposed to in the summer.
06:58You can get some very different lies, perhaps your ball even lying on mud.
07:02Softer greens enable you to play with a little bit less loft or do even different things.
07:07So make sure you get down to the practice area, the short game area, and see what you can and
07:12can't do in winter.
07:13And if there are shots you're not quite confident on, perhaps playing off of a more bare lie.
07:18Give yourself a bit of confidence by practicing them.
07:20If you've got to raise a sharp short game through the winter as well, it'll keep you scoring well.
07:25And actually, it'll feel a lot easier when the summer comes around off of slightly better turf.
07:31There we go.
07:32That is your 10 winter golf hacks in association with Ping.
07:37I hope you're going to find those helpful.
07:39If you've got any yourselves, add them into the comments below as well.
07:43Please remember, like and share this video because we have got loads more great content coming your way from the
07:49Golf Monthly YouTube channel.
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