A daily golf swing routine when bad weather hits

Looking for a good drill to retain that muscle memory when the weather turns bad? Follow the lead of baseball players in the on-deck circle.

That's the advice of PGA Professional Kevin Piecuch, head golf professional at Country Club of Greenfield. Baseball players will sometimes add a heavy weight to their bats and take a few regular cuts before they step up to the plate. It loosens up the shoulders, torso and arms, and prepares their muscles for the task of hitting a baseball.

Prepare yourself: Tips for playing in cold weather
You can do the same thing at home by consistently swinging your heaviest club — or by adding some weight to it — if you can't get to the practice range or course on a regular basis due to weather.

You’re looking to keep the muscles that control your golf swing strong and flexible, and retain positive muscle memory. That will eliminate or reduce the amount of "rustiness" when Mother Nature allows you back outside to play.

"The idea is to use any club where you can feel the weight on it," Piecuch said. "You can tie a towel to the end of it. It doesn't matter the length of the club.

"It's all about getting swings with a purpose. Don't just swing the club back and forth fast, but stop and make a full swing every time. I find that makes a really big difference."

If you can do this drill every day, Piecuch said, you may be surprised when better weather returns.

Getting loose: Warming up on cold days:
"If you can do 25 to 50 swings a day with a heavy club, I find it makes a big difference come spring," Piecuch said. "My athletes who have done that have increased clubspeed by two or three miles per hour over a three-month period, which is equivalent to 15 to 20 yards off the tee."

Piecuch suggests finding a good spot around the house where you can make a full swing without worrying about hitting the ceiling, whether that's the garage, the basement or a spare room.

"You can even do it outdoors," Piecuch said. "We're not Antartica here all the time. In the wintertime, when it's 25 to 30 degrees out there and the wind's not blowing, you can step outside on your driveway and get in 15, 20 swings. If you can do it every day, it's good."