What Does “Off-Season” Training Look Like?

How a player’s off-season can be most important for laying the foundation for a great summer

By Ben Esposito, Professional Golfer & Founder of In The Golf Zone

For many players, this time of year means not being able to play golf outdoors. It leaves them wondering how they can keep the rust from building through the colder months or even just a short break. However, winter can be a time of progress, giving a player time to work on parts of the game that are often neglected during the competitive season. In fact, certain aspects like speed training, swing technique work, and strength training benefit from an off-season, as it gives the player an opportunity to go all in without interfering with tournament performance.

Below I will outline some of the aspects of the game that a player can double down on during the off season to make leaps in performance during future tournaments.

Swing Mechanics

If a player needs to address a swing flaw or make any wholesale changes, winter is an excellent time to do so. These changes are tough to make in the middle of a tournament season, as they take time to implement, and as many golfers know, during that implementation process, the shot quality temporarily declines before it gets better. Therefore, it can actually be better for a player to work on these movements indoors so their focus is only on the mechanics and not the result of the shots. Sometimes a golf ball isn’t even required, just a space big enough to swing. Commit to 15 minutes a day on each swing component you are working on.

Strength and Speed

The winter is also a great time to strength train or learn how. Obviously, this increased activity can cause some soreness but it can be ramped up when there are less tournaments. Also, a higher volume training program can be implemented with low injury risk when a player’s overall golf activity has decreased. This leads to better strength and injury prevention during the active season. The same goes for higher volume speed training. The off season is the perfect time to increase your distance, just make sure you keep up with technique training at the same time!

Putting

Even if you live in a climate where courses are open year-round, a putting mat is an excellent investment. It gives a player the opportunity to hone their stroke in a place separate from the golf course so during play they can focus less on mechanics and more on making putts. I would highly recommend a putting a mirror and gate to be used with the mat indoors that can be used throughout the year.

Planning and Setting Goals

Goals and planning inspire a player to approach their practice with purpose and drive. Sit down with your junior golfer and figure out what their long-term and short-term goals are. Talk about the tournament schedule during the off-season so they can look forward to upcoming events and frame their practice and off-season work around them.

Mental Game

Finally, the most overlooked aspect of the game, one that you can learn about without a golf club, is the mental game! You can learn about confidence, how to pivot out of stress and make less unforced errors on the golf course just by sitting down and committing to it. I’ve worked with students from all over the country during the offseason to help them take their game to the next level. It can be surprising how much progress a player can make away from the course. Identifying simple process adjustments and breathing techniques can help a player hit the ground running as soon as the weather breaks. Most importantly, the offseason is perhaps the best time to identify what works for a player. Everyone is unique, and nothing about golf is one size fits all. So it’s important to identify what helps a player bring out their best when it matters most. All great players are successful because they do what works for them.

I work with my students on identifying their best as well as offering personalized mental golf coaching that holistically combines mental game techniques, short game and course management.

I’m offering a FREE first consultation (sign up here) with no obligation. In the consultation, we will discuss my personalized coaching as well as answer any questions players and parents may have. Parents are encouraged to attend and everyone always learns something.
Visit inthegolfzone.com to learn more about me and how to take you game to the next level.