Early tips for spring

Editor's note: Steve Charters is in his 13th year as a pro at Twin Pines Golf Course. Born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Charters competed at Central College in Pella and has been a pro for 20 years in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids.

While the weather around here goes like a Katy Perry song in the spring ('Hot an Cold”), here are some tips to keep in mind as the clubs get dusted off and ready for the season:

l Be sure to warm up - For some, winter is an inactive time, especially when it comes to swinging a golf club. Spend 10 to 15 minutes before your round stretching and hitting a few practice balls to ensure your muscles are ready to go and nothing gets pulled or tweaked right out of the chute.

l Practice with purpose - When hitting practice balls focus on your pre-swing routine. Pick out targets, take your stance, posture and correct ball position. Really focusing on setting up correctly from the get go. Concentrate on getting your swing tempo consistent from swing to swing.

l Focus on short game more early - Thanks to our muscle memory, your swing will probably be pretty close pretty quick. But chipping and putting are more ingrained in feel, which doesn't stick with us as well and takes more practice to get back. Make sure you spend some time on and around the putting green to get that back and not throw away strokes early.

l Go scoreless for your first few rounds - Focus on the fundamentals and getting back into your rhythm and not breaking any numbers. They'll be plenty of time for that this summer.

- Steve Charters