5 Steps to Prepare for a New Golf Season
1 March 2022
As the new golfing season is about to start, this article outlines 5 key steps to ensure you are fully prepared when you step onto the course for the first game of the season.
5 steps to prepare for the new golfing season
- Look back on your previous years’ statistics and set 3-5 goals for the season
- Plan a strategy for your home course / regular course
- Update your courses and firmware
- Replace any broken or damaged tags
- Have a set pre-shot routine
1 – Look back on your statistics and set 3-5 goals for the year ahead
Reviewing your performance helps you learn what you do well on the course and what you need to work on in order to play better golf. The Shot Scope mobile app and web dashboard provide 100s of insights into your game which make it straightforward to identify any weaknesses in your game.
Compare your game against a lower handicap using Shot Scope strokes gained on the mobile app. Strokes Gained provides a clear indication of which areas of your game are your strengths (areas with a positive number) or weakness (areas with a negative number).
When it comes to setting goals, these need to be realistic and achievable. Goals based on specific performance metrics are easier to manage. For example, increase my greens in regulation from 45% to 50% or reduce the number of times I 3 putt from twice a round to once a round. Little performance based goals like this that are specific are much better than simply stating ‘reduce my average score by 5 shots’.
2 – Plan a strategy for your home course / regular course
If you play at the same course most of the time, you will likely be in some form of routine as to what clubs you hit off certain tees, or how you try to play the hole. Use this time before the season starts to review your home course statistics and see if there is anything you can try out this season that might improve your performance.
For example, try hitting a longer club on a hole that you always lay up on. Try hitting one more club into that Par 3 you always end up short on. Try something new that challenges you to step out of your comfort zone. You can’t expect to get better if you don’t change anything or try something new.
3 – Update your courses and firmware
Before playing for the first time we highly recommend checking to see if there are any course updates available for the courses you usually play. This can be done by connecting your device to the mobile app and navigating to courses. Any course you are subscribed to that has an update available will be flagged in the ‘sync’ tab. More information on how to do this can be found here. The winter months are usually quieter with less rounds being played, so this provides an opportunity to update the course mapping of our courses.
It is also recommended that you check that you have the most up-to-date firmware on your device. This ensures you have the best experience on the course when using your Shot Scope product. There have been some updates towards the end of the year so if you haven’t updated your firmware since then please do it now. To check the firmware version, go to settings on your device and navigate to firmware. The most recent firmware versions are as follows:
V3 = 2.4.0
G3 = 2.2.98
V2 = 1.8.7
If you do not have the most recent firmware version installed you can find out how to update your firmware here.
4 – Replace any damaged or broken tags
If you are using Shot Scope V3 or V2 then we recommend you check your club tags before playing for the first time. If your clubs have been sat for an extended period of time without being used you may be best to replace the tags in the end.
Replacement tags are available to buy here.
5 – Have a set pre-shot routine
A pre shot routine doesn’t have to be long, and it should only involve steps that you feel are crucial in hitting the shot. A good pre shot routine should follow something like this:
- Obtain distance using GPS watch or Laser Rangefinder
- Select appropriate club, accounting for weather and course conditions
- Practice swing beside the ball to visualise/feel the shot
- Address the ball in the same manor every time
- Couple of looks at the target
- Hit the shot
Having a solid pre shot routine has many benefits to your game. A good pre-shot routine gives you something you can reply on if you are under pressure – you just repeat the exact same process that you do for every shot and it helps take a bit of pressure away from the shot or environment you are in.
The steps mentioned in this article are only advice on how to prepare for the season ahead. There are many other things you could be doing to prepare, but these 5 steps are what we believe will help you get the most out of your game in the new golf season with the help of Shot Scope GPS watches or golf laser rangefinders.
Tracking your game and statistics is easy with shot tracking products such as the V3 GPS watch, PRO LX+ Rangefinder or H4 tracker from Shot Scope. If you are serious about your golf and looking to improve, tracking your game is crucial in the journey to improvement.
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