Fall has arrived! It is time to assess your 2023 season and start thinking about your goals for the 2024 season and how to create a plan to achieve them. The off season is the time to make real permanent change to your body and your golf game. As we are not golfing as much, this is the time players can focus on mobility, flexibility and strength and conditioning as well as making permanent motor pattern changes to your swing.

But, how do you create a plan to achieve your goals? Too often we see players at the Performance Lab that in the past have spent their off seasons endlessly hitting golf balls with no real plan and doing the same exercise routine they have been working on for years and they wonder why they are not seeing any major improvement year over year. To make real change, players need a focused plan designed on improving their areas of weakness and maintaining the areas of their game that they are already strong at. The first step in creating a plan is to evaluate your play over last season to determine where to start.

Here are some things to think about or questions to ask yourself when evaluating your season:

• How many fairways do I hit every round?
• How many greens in regulation do I hit every round?
• On an average par 4, what iron/club would I usually be hitting into a green?
• On average, how many putts do I take per round?
• Do I have trouble reading putts?
• If I am chipping from around the green, how long am I leaving the putt?
• Do I feel stiff or sore during or after a round?
• Do I not really feel warmed up and ready to play until the 4th or 5th hole?
• If I have 2-3 bad holes in a row, do I mentally check out?
• Do I have a clear thought process in my pre-shot routine and when I am standing over the ball ready to hit?
• Do I know how far each of my clubs carry?
• Have I been losing distance?
• Do I feel fatigued or tired nearing the end of the round?
• What do I eat before a round of golf/during a round of golf?

The next question to ask yourself is: What are your goals for next year? And it is important to be specific. For example, a goal should not be shoot lower scores next year or I want to hit the ball straighter. Better goals would be, I want my scoring average to be below 80 or I want to average 14 greens in regulation each round. 

Once you have established your areas of strength and weakness and have clearcut goals for next season, now is the time to book in for a golf MRI to let our team put a performance plan together to help you achieve those goals! The Golf MRI is one of the most in-depth golf and body assessments in Canada. It gives us a clear cut picture as to the root causes of your body and golf dysfunctions and allows us to create a proper periodization plan to have our players peaking for the 2024 season.

For more information, please reach out to the golf team directly!

Dan can be reached at: dan@honsbergerphysio.com

Brandon can be reached at: brandon@aimgolfacademy.com