Here’s why a launch monitor can be your best friend this winter.
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It’s a tough pill to swallow, but judging by gray, rainy day Looking out my window, I can’t deny it anymore: We’re in full winter mode in most parts of the country.
While that means layering up and looking forward to the holidays, it doesn’t have to mean your golf clubs are bound to gather dust until spring.
Many of you have probably made big profits over the past 12 months as a golfer, improving your ball-striking and scoring while enjoying the game more than ever before. But we all still have more goals we want to achieve — and we won’t get there by taking months off from training.
How this Tiger Woods-endorsed launch monitor has improved my ball-striking
Nick Dimengo
While most of us won’t be braving the elements and exercising or playing outdoor golf until the weather gets nicer again, there are plenty of ways to stay sharp. WITHIN. Whether that’s joining an indoor golf league or buying a striking net for your garage, you can adjust your swing all year round.
But you need to make sure you have a structure and a guide to help you improve, which is why a release monitor can come in handy.
Not familiar with how a release monitor works, or how it can help your game this offseason? GOLF Top 100 Teachers Sarah Stone shows how players of all abilities can use one this winter and highlights three important ways to do so. Check out her tips below.
How a release monitor will help you improve your skills this winter
More and more facilities have launch simulators and monitors that you can use, so now is the time to take advantage of the technology – especially since most people around the country won’t be able to practice outside.
Here are three ways to use a release monitor to stay sharp this winter and lower your scores.
1. Measure the carry distances for each of your clubs
I would say 80 percent of golfers confuse drive distance with total distance. Quick clarification: carry distance is when the ball first hits the ground, and total distance is when it comes to rest.
John Dunigan, Top 100 Teachers
Knowing these numbers is essential when it comes to scoring, and using a launch monitor this winter will help you identify which clubs go which distances.
While many golfers think that the longest club in their bag goes the furthest, that’s not always the case—especially when the club’s ball speed starts to drop below 70 miles per hour with a 7-iron.
For example, I had a student who discovered that he had three sticks that he carried 180 feet in the air. This information helped me make decisions about what to take out of his bag and what to add to his bag. So we replaced his 4-iron with a 5-hybrid, and then removed his 5-wood to add a 7-wood. He then had two more keep/leave options in his bag, which is an easy way to identify gaps in the yard.
