With today’s technology, everyday players have more access than ever to the most advanced facilities. However, many players still don’t know how to get the most out of their indoor practice sessions. Sure, swinging a club once in a while can keep the offseason “rust” at bay, but with a focused approach, you won’t just preserve your game this winter—you’ll come out of the offseason better than before.
To identify the fundamentals that really move the needle for amateur players, I spoke with Joke Plecker, a GOLF Top 100 Teachers. According to him, there are four keys you can focus on this offseason to take your game to the next level.
1. Increase your lift
It may not be the most exciting thing to work on, but setup is the foundation for the golf swing. To develop a consistent swing, you must start from the same setup position every time.
“I always say, before the Grand Prix, somebody should check the tire pressure,” says Plecker, “And (for golfers) it’s like checking your grip, your ball position, your stance.”
It’s a principle that even the best players live by. Brooks Koepkafor example, revealed in an episode of HEAT that most of his range sessions focus on the “PGA”: stance, grip and lay.
It’s a simple aspect of your game that’s easy to perfect. All you need is some stretch bars or even some string to whip into your setup.
2. Focus on face and road
When practicing indoors, there are many data points you can track, but two are critical to developing a consistent swing: face angle and club path.
“Whenever you can hit and get feedback on the face and path that’s going to do wonders for your game,” he says, “That’s actually one of the first checkpoints we go through (in lessons) is just to make sure you have a true path and good face alignment with the club.”
Face angle is the horizontal direction your clubface points at impact. Your face will be either square, open or closed. If your face is square it will read as 0-degree. If it is open, your number will be a positive number (for a right-handed golfer). And if your face is closed, it will be a negative number.
Club path is the direction in which you swing the club. If the number is positive, you are driving on a road that is inside-out (for a right). If the number is negative, you are moving out. In general, if your club’s street number is positive, you will make a draw, and if it is negative, you will produce a fade.
These basics help create a reference point so you can diagnose what’s going on in your swing – for example: where the face is hit, the orientation of the clubface at impact, and even how the ball reacts to changes in the lie.
3. Experiment with your game
The off-season is the perfect time to try new things without worrying about ruining a round. Indoors, you can explore both big concepts – such as ground force output — and smaller adjustments like ball position, spine tilt, or equipment adjustments.
“In a controlled environment like a simulator, you can change things and see how they affect your ball flight,” says Plecker.
When making small changes to your setup and stance, Plecker says to remember the Goldilocks rule: find what’s “just right” for your game. Experiment with your driver by moving it slightly forward in your stance, then slightly back and observe how these changes affect the launch angle, spin and flight of the ball. This type of deliberate experimentation builds your understanding of how configuration variables affect your results.
Beyond your shot count, this process teaches you how to control your ball flight. Using a simulator, you can practice the low, penetrating stroke for windy conditions or learn how to adjust your setup to shape the ball on command.
4. Don’t neglect your placement
“Almost nobody takes the offseason to work on their pitching,” notes Plecker.
It’s easy to see why: most standard indoor simulators don’t include placement. But the winter months provide a prime opportunity to focus on the fundamentals of your shot.
According to Plecker, three key elements drive a consistent and repeatable stroke: starting line, alignment, and body position. The starting line governs the initial direction of the ball and is arguably the most important factor in controlling shots. The alignment and body position guide the face and body to the target line, creating a stable structure that promotes center-to-face contact and a true spin.
You don’t need expensive equipment to practice these basics indoors. A flat surface and a simple alignment aid – twine or rod – allow you to control eye position, shoulder alignment and tire face orientation. For more advanced feedback, a mirror or putting mat can help improve the path of the shot and the rotation of the face through the shot.
The off-season should not be a maintenance period. It can be a time to improve the basics, explore fixes, and build a solid game. Now when spring rolls around, you won’t just be ready—you’ll be a better and more confident golfer than you were last season.
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