5 ways to guarantee you don’t embarrass yourself on that first round back

1. Rhythm And Balance

“On your first round back, focus on rhythm in your swing, which leads to good balance. You do not have to ‘reinvent the wheel’ with mechanics, your brain will remember how to swing but your swing motion will likely be rusty.

Begin with a rhythm or order to your pre-shot routine, so you can re-establish your set up, especially grip and posture. From there, swing the weight of your club head and get a sense of rhythm (2 counts back, 1 count forward) and balance will kick in. Commit to it on each shot for the entire round.” — Carol Preisinger, Kiawah Island Club

2. Find The Rust

For your first round back after this long layoff, I’d focus on two things.

1. Having a great time with a thankful attitude about the game and all that it has to offer.
2. Evaluating the state of your game. What key skills made it through the lay-off and what skills didn’t.

At the end of that first round after you have evaluated where your game is. Meet with your coach to develop a plan for the coming months that includes practice strategies and regular follow-up sessions. — Jason Baile, Jupiter Hills Club

3. Check Your Expectations

Golf will feel a little different with the flagsticks always being in the hole and there won’t be any rakes in the bunkers. Many courses won’t have drinks available so be sure to pack something to help you stay hydrated as well as a few snacks for the round to keep your energy up.

Keep your expectations in check for the first round back. Your ball control will likely be a little inconsistent so pick smart targets avoiding all hazards. Be a little more defensive rather than aggressive to keep the ball in play. Be glad that you are back on the golf course! — Cheryl Anderson, Mike Bender Academy

4. Make A Mental Reset

The first round back after this long layoff provides many players an opportunity to hit the reset button on their mental game. If you are your own worst enemy on the golf course this is the chance to change your ways! The first step towards the new you is to manage your expectations; you haven’t played for months so expect to hit some poor shots, flub a chip or two and miss the occasional three-footer. While this might have lit your fuse in the past, don’t go there!

Make a concerted effort to have good body language, talk to yourself like a good coach would and take a few deep breaths. We are all incredibly thankful to be playing. This reset could be the start of a brand new you on the course. — Brady Riggs, Woodley Lakes G.C

5. Ease Into It

The most important thing when coming back is to ease into things slowly, don’t let your enthusiasm override the physical needs of your body! Most of us have been unusually sedentary during the pandemic and our body is not ready for lashing a driver at 110 mph immediately! A measured approach is required. Find some good all-body stretching exercises you can do before starting to warm up is a primary thing.

Next, get some feel back in those hands and start your opening practice session at the putting green, followed closely by some chipping.

Then move onto the driving range, stretch again and then ease into some wedges before running through the bag. Keep the expectations low, as it’ll take some time to get your eye back in. When you get out there, enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the environment we play our game in.

It’ll feel so good after being inside so much. If you hit a couple decent shots, that’s great! Don’t play for score, play match play and have fun! — Jonathan Yarwood, International Junior Golf Academy.