This Tour winner uses an unorthodox method for adding swing speed

Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.

Winter is the worst time of the year for golfers in cold climates. Temperatures are low, courses are closed and daylight is slim. It’s a golf-sicko’s worst nightmare.

For someone like me who grew up in a year-round golf climate, the move up north took some adjusting to. For the first time in my life, golf had a true offseason.

I didn’t love the offseason at first, but I’ve since come to enjoy it. Not only does the offseason allow me time to decompress from the season that was, but it also lets me make changes in my game in prep for the season ahead.

This is much the same approach that the pros take. But when it comes to making some changes, there are certain pros that do things a little but different than others.

Take recent PGA Tour winner Maverick McNealy, for example. In a recent appearance on Smylie Kaufman’s podcast, McNealy revealed one of the ways he adds swing speed in the offseason is by heading to the ice.

Mav’s unique speed training

Everyone wants to swing the club faster, and there are numerous ways to go about it. Some golfers get in the gym to bulk up a bit, while others use speed-training programs. However, McNealy’s method for adding swing speed is a bit different than most.

McNealy, a former No. 1-ranked amateur, grew up playing competitive hockey in California, and he still makes sure to get plenty of ice time during golf’s offseason. The reps on the ice don’t just keep him connected to his former sport, they also help with his golf game.

“I just shoot [hockey] pucks,” McNealy says. “Makes me faster.”

McNealy estimates that if he gets a few hours of ice time during a week, he’ll come back to the course with two to three extra miles per hour on his golf swing.

Much like the golf swing, the motion of shooting a hockey puck requires you to sequence your body in a very specific way to generate power. And while the hockey-shot motion is slightly different than the golf swing, it does force you to use similar muscle groups.

“It’s hard to train the way your body moves in a gym,” he says. “Weights and stuff are generally very one dimensional. Getting all the muscle groups to work together, synchronized together — like I was just sore in random places. I kind of just want to buy a slide board and just fire pucks in the garage.”

McNealy’s method might be unconventional, but it also serves as proof that cross-training can be extremely beneficial to your golf swing. All you’ve got to do is activate the right muscles and you can train your body for golf without even knowing it.