If you are like most golfers I know, the winter has been filled with college basketball games, a myriad of bad movies, countless Seinfeld re-runs, and finally another Super Bowl championship for the city of Philadelphia (yeah right!)  But, now its time to play golf and here are a couple of fundamentals that all of us should make sure we are doing correctly in order to play our best golf this year.

1.)    Check your alignment.  I have seen more golf swings ruined by poor alignment than just about any other fundamental.  At the very least when you are practicing, lay a club at your feet pointing at the target.  This will help you with your alignment and could help your swing path.

2.)    Check your grip or your hand placement on the club:  It is impossible to properly square the club without a proper grip (repeat 3 times!!!)  Bad grips have held back many a player trying to reach his or her potential..  Stop by Tanglewood and ask me if you are gripping the club properly.  A poor grip also leads to manipulation of the clubhead to produce a hook or slice.  This leads to inconsistent ball striking.

3.)    Stretch before you play.  This is the most important thing you can do before playing.  All those Seinfeld re runs and the other winter activities I mentioned above take a toll on your body.  Do not even think about picking up a club before stretching.  Ideally, when you are idle in the winter, you should try to stretch daily.  This will prepare you for springtime and you will be ready to play right away.

4.)    A good memory.  Try to remember how you cured your swing ailments in the past.  Surely, it is the same thing every year with a little twist thrown in.  Perhaps in the springs of the past you hit shank after shank.  Did you cure them by:  doing a ritualistic dance, maybe a voodoo doll stuck with grandmas sewing pins, or did you have a séance complete with a Ouija board?  Likely a swing thought or a lesson with a PGA Professional got you out of your slump.  Take my advice and try to remember what worked as a cure in the past.

That’s all for this month, now its back to Kramer, Elaine, George and Newman for me!  Oh, wait its 60 degrees out, I can finally put down the remote and play golf!!  FINALLY

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