Is it essential for Juniors to travel and compete in tournaments during the winter months?
My research and experience say – no!
There seems to be an overwhelming sense of ‘playing paranoia’ with juniors and junior golf families. Many I speak with are under the impression that if they don’t play tournaments year-round they will not be recruited to play college golf. This is an inherent flaw and understanding in junior golf.
However, if you live in a warmer climate and are still planning to play tournaments during the winter months, you’ll want to make sure you’re fully prepared and ready to go.
It’s also important to note, everyone has a different “recipe” they execute in order to successfully prepare for tournaments. In this case, winter preparation depends on your area’s climate and your access to necessary resources.
First, let’s see what’s happening in college golf….
Many college golfers, especially at challenging high-academic colleges, have explained to me that having a little extra time off during the winter is a blessing in disguise, so they can get acclimated to their new class schedule and prepare themselves for the new semester.
Typically, when college players arrive back on campus in January, their training and practice will depend on a few factors: climate, date of their first tournament, and budget/resources. As a generalization, most NCAA programs tend to arrive back on campus the first/second week of January, then go back “in-season” a week or two after arriving back at school, and most will play their first Spring tournament in February. It’s important to point out, most programs will not immediately go back in-season when players arrive back on campus in January. Instead, some schools will rely on indoor facilities for off-season training and practice for a few weeks. Many elite D-1 programs have indoor performance centers, which include hitting bays, strength training studios, recovery rooms, team locker rooms/lounge areas, and adjustable putting/chipping greens! These same facilities often include the luxuries of Trackman, SAM Putt Lab, and state-of-the-art equipment that can be effectively utilized during the winter months for extra in-depth analysis.
While many of the schools in warm-climate regions have enough access to a “winter” facility to continue playing and practicing golf between the fall and spring seasons, the northern-based programs have to get creative. The NCAA’s elite cold-weather programs have adopted their own winter “recipes” to tackle the cold weather each winter.
Here is what’s interesting: the NCAA now allows college golf programs to finance practice outings anywhere (even outside their home state), as long as the student-athletes do not miss class for these practices. With this new rule in place, many of the NCAA’s elite cold-climate golf programs will fly south as many as three to five times during late January, February, and even March to provide an opportunity for their players to train, play rounds of golf and, most importantly, regain their feel for playing the game outdoors under real conditions. If there is one thing I’ve learned being raised in Florida and attending James Madison University in Virginia it’s that there is no substitute to “real” golf in a warm weather climate on green grass! Hitting indoors (even on Trackman) or practicing with 5 layers of clothes on can only be so effective at helping you prepare for tournament play.
So if you are a junior golfer facing geographical and climate challenges, my advice to you is figure out what your main priority is for the offseason, typically a HS freshman’s offseason in the Northeast should look much differently than a HS Senior in Florida.
A good philosophy is to, think of it not as the “off-season” but instead as your very own “player development” training to prepare for your upcoming events. Put together a well-thought-out, written plan or short-term goal sheet so you’ll be prepared and ready to go when the cold weather passes. The winter months should be utilized as your time to expand your Golf IQ, improve your swing technique, get properly fit for golf equipment, and spend extra time in the gym gaining the strength and flexibility necessary to achieve success in the upcoming golf season.
Best of luck on the recruiting trail!
Visit www.ForeCollegeGolf.com to learn more about the recruiting process or reach out to us to learn more.
Michael J. Smith
#collegegolfplacement #ajgagolf #collegegolf #juniorgolfexperts #juniorgolfhelp#americanjuniorgolfassociation #ajga #juniorgolftournaments #juniorgolf #preparation #ncaagolf
