E
veryone knows that sum-
mer in the Coachella Val-
ley is unlike almost any
place else, with daily average
temperatures hovering above
double digits and highs into the
low hundreds. For golfers, this
not only means that the ball will
carry farther, but a smart ap-
proach is required with every-
thing from club selection to your
warmup routine to what you put
in and on your body.
Classic Club PGA Teaching
Professional Jason Smith offers
four tips to make the most out of
your desert round during the
summer.
•••
Re-calibrate your yardages.
Warm air is less dense, which
means less friction and drag on
the golf ball, causing it to travel
farther. Golfers can prepare by
going to the driving range with a
Bushnell or any measuring de-
vice, scoping targets and hitting
different clubs while adjusting to
their new distances. Club selec-
tion will vary depending on the
player's ability.
•••
Go for the small bucket. I rec-
ommend players take a couple
clubs to the driving range and
treat it as a warmup session, not
a time to work on a new tech-
nique and pound hundreds of
balls. It's a time to get the legs,
back and the rest of the body
loose before heading to the first
tee. So keep the range time to a
minimum and save your energy
for the round.
•••
Stay hydrated. The majority of
desert courses provide plenty of
drinking water, so take advan-
tage of that and drink some on
each hole. I also recommend sav-
ing the alcohol consumption for
after the round. Also, pick up a
couple power bars or other re-
freshments from the snack shop
that you can eat between nines to
keep the body fueled and ener-
gized for your round.
•••
Protect your skin. I recom-
mend wearing bucket hats rather
than ball caps when playing in
the heat to keep the sun off the
ears and face. I also prefer using
spray sunblock rather than lotion
because you can avoid it getting
on your hands and making them
greasy, which makes it difficult
to grip a club.
BEAT THE HEAT
Here are four ways golfers can contend with warmer weather
Golfers can take
steps to deal with
the summer heat.
BY JASON SMITH
PGA Teaching
Professional
LESSON TEE
BOOK
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