I am one of those golfers who will play in almost any weather, but when the temperature goes to an extreme…hot or cold, my game almost always “goes to ____#$! in a handbasket,” no matter how I try. I asked our fitness guru Kathy Ekdahl of PersonalBestPersonalTraining for some advice. You can listen to what she had to say here:

Podcast (golfgurls-podcast): Download (Duration: 9:54 — 4.5MB)

If you’d rather read than listen… here’s a summary:

Cold and heat do have an impact on your game, but because the game of golf is slow paced, golfers don’t often appreciate the weather’s impact which is a lot different from what you’d experience if you were playing a fast paced game like soccer.

Cold Weather: In a fast paced game temps like 38 degrees don’t matter as much. Players keep moving and get overheated quickly. But in golf, play is a lot slower and muscles “freeze” i.e. tighten up and lose flexibility. Even if you warm up properly the cold will affect your muscles over time, especially if you are waiting a lot. Result: you hit the ball poorly, mental thoughts start to impact your game and once that starts, it is very difficult to play well.

Best advice: dress in layers and always wear a hat.

Hot Weather: Hydration is key. Even a 1% dehydration can affect your ability to play well. Your distance and accuracy are impacted and your cognitive functioning can be impaired.

What about alcohol? In cold weather you might be tempted to try a “hot toddy” at the turn, or in the heat, a beer or two. Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate especially in hands and feet and in cold weather, will actually cause you to lose body temperature making you feel even colder.

Leave the alcohol till the 19th hole for the best golf game.

What do you think? Leave a comment and share your experience.