After months of cold weather and limited play, is your golf swing feeling a little rusty? You’re not alone. Many golfers step back onto the course in spring only to find that their timing is off, their flexibility has diminished, and their consistency isn’t quite where it used to be. Winter’s lack of regular play can lead to stiffness, poor swing habits, and even a loss of confidence over the ball.

That’s why spring is the perfect time to refresh your fundamentals before peak golf season kicks in. Instead of diving straight into full-speed swings and risking bad habits—or even injury—smart golfers take the time to rebuild their mechanics, retrain their muscles, and dial in their feel. A few focused drills can help restore your rhythm, power, and accuracy, setting you up for a strong start to the season.

The Grip & Posture Reset

After a long winter away from the course, it's common for golfers to develop bad grip habits and poor posture without even realizing it. A weak or overly strong grip can lead to inconsistent ball striking, while poor posture can throw off balance, rotation, and swing mechanics. Before you start hitting balls, resetting these two fundamentals will set the stage for a more consistent and controlled swing.

The Drill

1. Grip Check:
   
   • Stand in front of a mirror or use your phone camera to check your grip.
   • Grip and regrip the club 10 times, ensuring proper hand placement and grip pressure each time.
   • Your “V’s” (formed by your thumbs and index fingers) should point toward your trailing shoulder.
2. Posture Check:
   
   • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the club resting on your thighs.
   • Slightly flex your knees and tilt forward from your hips while keeping a straight, athletic spine.
   • Your arms should hang naturally under your shoulders, and your weight should feel balanced between your feet.
3. Hold and Reset:
   
   • Once in proper posture, hold the position for 30 seconds to engage the right muscles.
   • Repeat 5 times to reinforce muscle memory.

Pro Tip:

Use a mirror or video recording to check your posture from different angles. If you see rounded shoulders or a hunched back, focus on keeping a neutral spine for better swing mechanics.

The Slow-Motion Swing Check

After time away from the course, many golfers struggle with rushing their swing, losing balance, or throwing off their sequencing. The key to regaining consistency is tempo—a smooth, controlled motion that allows for proper weight shift and club path. Swinging in super slow motion helps you rebuild the muscle memory needed for a fluid and repeatable swing.

The Drill

1. Start Without a Ball:
   
   • Take your normal setup and begin a slow-motion backswing, focusing on a smooth takeaway and proper shoulder turn.
   • Pause at the top for a brief moment, ensuring proper balance.
   • Transition into a controlled downswing, feeling your weight shift naturally from your trail side to your lead side.
   • Complete the follow-through with full rotation toward the target.
2. Repeat 10 Times:
   
   • Perform 10 slow-motion swings, exaggerating proper form and sequencing.
   • Then, gradually increase speed while maintaining the same rhythm.
3. Transition to Full-Speed Swings:
   
   • After slow-motion reps, hit 5-10 balls at 50% speed, focusing on tempo and balance before working up to full speed.

Pro Tip:

Use a metronome app (set around 65-75 beats per minute) to develop a consistent, rhythmic tempo. This prevents rushing the transition and ensures a balanced, controlled swing.

The Towel Lag Drill

Many golfers struggle with early release (commonly known as "casting"), which robs them of power, accuracy, and consistent ball striking. Developing lag—the angle between your lead arm and the club during the downswing—creates a more efficient, powerful strike. This drill encourages proper wrist hinge, connection between the arms and body, and a delayed release, leading to crisper, more compressed shots.

The Drill

1. Set Up with a Towel:
   
   • Place a small towel under your trail arm (right arm for right-handed golfers, left for lefties).
   • Grip the club normally and take your regular stance.
2. Make Controlled Swings:
   
   • Perform half swings, focusing on keeping the towel in place as you move to the top of the backswing.
   • On the downswing, maintain the wrist hinge and allow the lower body to initiate the movement.
   • The towel should stay tucked until after impact, preventing early release and encouraging proper arm-body connection.
3. Repeat & Progress:
   
   • Start with slow-motion swings before moving to full-speed swings while maintaining lag.
   • Work up to hitting balls, keeping the same sensation of delayed release and controlled lag.

Pro Tip:

Instead of forcing the club down with your hands, focus on leading with your lower body—letting your hips rotate before your hands release the club. This will create a natural lag and improve ball compression, leading to better distance and control.

The Impact Board Drill

One of the biggest issues golfers face—especially after time off—is inconsistent ball striking. If you find yourself hitting fat shots (chunking the ground first) or thin shots (hitting the ball too high on the face), your impact position likely needs work. This drill helps train solid contact, improve clubface control, and ensure you strike the ball before the turf, just like the pros.

The Drill

1. Set Up Your Impact Trainer:
   
   • Place an impact board, small towel, or a tee about 2-3 inches behind the ball.
   • Take your normal stance, positioning the ball in the center or slightly forward (depending on the club).
2. Make Controlled Swings:
   
   • Take slow, focused swings, ensuring the club misses the board/towel and strikes the ball first.
   • The goal is to create a clean, downward strike, compressing the ball into the turf.
3. Increase Speed & Test Under Pressure:
   
   • Once comfortable, increase to full swings, always checking that you’re avoiding the board or towel.
   • Try different clubs (wedges, irons, hybrids) to ensure solid contact throughout your bag.

Pro Tip:

Use video recording or a mirror to check your impact position. Look for:
✅ Hands slightly ahead of the ball at impact.
✅ Ball-first contact, then turf.
✅ Proper weight shift toward the lead side.

The Indoor Putting Gate Drill

After a long winter off the course, your putting touch and accuracy are often the first things to suffer. Without regular practice, it’s easy to lose feel for distance control and develop mishits off the putter face, leading to inconsistent rolls. This simple drill helps improve alignment, strike quality, and confidence on the greens, so you’re ready to start sinking more putts when the season begins.

The Drill

1. Set Up Your Putting Gate:
   
   • Find a flat surface (carpet or hardwood) and place a target 4-6 feet away.
   • Position two tees, coins, or other small objects slightly wider than your putter head, forming a narrow “gate.”
   • Set up so that your ball is just in front of the gate.
2. Putt Through the Gate:
   
   • Stroke the ball cleanly through the opening, ensuring you hit center-face contact every time.
   • If you make heel or toe contact, the ball will hit one of the gate markers—giving you instant feedback.
3. Refine Your Feel with One-Handed Putts:
   
   • Try putting with only your lead hand on the grip to develop better touch and hand-eye coordination.
   • Then switch to only your trail hand to focus on a smooth release.

Pro Tip:

To increase difficulty, narrow the gate or add a second checkpoint closer to the hole. This will train your ability to keep the putter path square through impact, leading to more accurate, consistent putting strokes on the course.

Get Your Swing Back with Expert Guidance

These five drills will help shake off the winter rust, rebuild your fundamentals, and get your game back on track just in time for the spring season. Whether you're working on grip, tempo, ball striking, or putting touch, consistent practice will ensure you step onto the course feeling confident and ready to play your best golf.

But why go at it alone? If you want a faster, more personalized way to regain your swing, Upstate Golf Rx has you covered. With K-Motion 3D technology and expert coaching, we take the guesswork out of your game—giving you real-time feedback and customized drills to fine-tune your mechanics for instant improvement.

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Let’s Get You Back to Playing Your Best Golf!

📍 Upstate Golf Rx – 8000 Pelham Road, Greenville, SC
📞 Call or Text: 864-361-4120
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Don’t let a rusty swing slow you down—get expert guidance and start the season strong! ⛳🔥