Maverick McNealy makes use of a novel methodology so as to add swing velocity.
Getty Photos
Welcome to Play Good, an everyday GOLF.com game-improvement column that may make it easier to turn into a better, higher golfer.
Winter is the worst time of the yr for golfers in chilly climates. Temperatures are low, programs are closed and daylight is slim. It’s a golf-sicko’s worst nightmare.
For somebody like me who grew up in a year-round golf local weather, the transfer up north took some adjusting to. For the primary time in my life, golf had a real offseason.
I didn’t love the offseason at first, however I’ve since come to get pleasure from it. Not solely does the offseason permit me time to decompress from the season that was, however it additionally lets me make modifications in my sport in prep for the season forward.
That is a lot the identical strategy that the professionals take. However in the case of making some modifications, there are particular execs that do issues a little however totally different than others.
Take latest PGA Tour winner Maverick McNealy, for instance. In a latest look on Smylie Kaufman’s podcast, McNealy revealed one of many methods he provides swing velocity within the offseason is by heading to the ice.
Mav’s distinctive velocity coaching
Everybody desires to swing the membership sooner, and there are quite a few methods to go about it. Some golfers get within the fitness center to bulk up a bit, whereas others use speed-training packages. Nevertheless, McNealy’s methodology for including swing velocity is a bit totally different than most.
McNealy, a former No. 1-ranked novice, grew up enjoying aggressive hockey in California, and he nonetheless makes certain to get loads of ice time throughout golf’s offseason. The reps on the ice don’t simply preserve him linked to his former sport, additionally they assist together with his golf sport.
“I simply shoot [hockey] pucks,” McNealy says. “Makes me sooner.”
McNealy estimates that if he will get just a few hours of ice time throughout per week, he’ll come again to the course with two to a few further miles per hour on his golf swing.
Very similar to the golf swing, the movement of taking pictures a hockey puck requires you to sequence your physique in a really particular solution to generate energy. And whereas the hockey-shot movement is barely totally different than the golf swing, it does pressure you to make use of comparable muscle teams.
“It’s arduous to coach the best way your physique strikes in a fitness center,” he says. “Weights and stuff are usually very one dimensional. Getting all of the muscle teams to work collectively, synchronized collectively — like I used to be simply sore in random locations. I form of simply need to purchase a slide board and simply hearth pucks within the storage.”
