“I’m not good enough to get custom-fit” is the refrain of so many golfers who buy their irons off the rack. Convinced their swing inconsistencies override the potential benefits of clubs built just for them, these modest souls don’t allow that sometimes the chicken came before the egg. Fitters say the reason a lot of people hit it sideways is because they haven’t been custom-fit. Trying to figure out the swing with clubs whose length, weight, lie angle, shaft flex or grip size don’t match the body encourages players to make unnatural compensations that prevent them from developing proper mechanics.

This shaft drill will help you develop the elusive straight shot

If your mind is cluttered with swing thoughts and you’re struggling to hit the ball straight, try this drill to help you square the clubface at impact.

Put two short-iron shafts on the ground on either side of a ball parallel to your target line and about six to eight inches apart. You can tee the ball to make the drill less daunting, but make sure the shafts extend toward the target to create a channel for your club to travel through.

Now swing the club so it moves from inside the target line at the start of the alley, goes down the channel, and then moves back inside the target line at the exit.

This drill not only improves your clubpath, but in squaring the clubface it educates your hands, forearms and body to move toward the target as you swing down and through

As the days slowing start to get longer, and the Okanagan sun gradually gets warmer, it is time to pull your golf clubs out from behind your skis (or snowboard) and get prepped for the season. Unless you are some of the lucky few that spend the Canadian winters below the 49th, you’ll need to plan your triumphant return to the links accordingly.