Reasons to Warm Up Before Playing Golf
The most underrated part of a good round is a good warm-up. Start good… end good. No one is above a warm-up, even the pros.
Whether you spend 3 or 10 minutes warming up, any amount of time will reduce risk of injury, prepare you better for your day, and ultimately help with your success on the course in a major way.
While prepping your body for that perfect game of golf, it also helps reduce muscle strains and sprains, as well as mentally warming up before you play is just as beneficial. It’s so easy to get thrown off in your game with one bad stroke or putt, but getting yourself in the zone before playing will help you (and your crew) remain patient and not feel like giving up halfway when one small thing doesn't go as planned.
Here is our guideline to warm up properly before your round and set yourself up for success.
SHOW UP EARLY
Plan ahead and make sure to plan to warm up. You don’t want to rush to the course, rush your round, or anything else. Showing up early gives you time to properly stretch and do a warm-up routine to get you ready for your round. A clear mind is always crucial to a relaxed game of golf.
MAKE A STRETCHING ROUTINE
Doctors and trainers who have attended The Academy of Golf Dynamics have told us that they highly recommend stretching if you have time to. Stretching helps loosen your muscles and flexibility is key for your golf game since it helps you make better wings. Secondly, stretching helps you avoid injury. Pulled muscles usually occur when our muscles are tight.
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Hamstrings: Spread your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your knees straight with your weight on your heels. Bend over as far as you can go without bouncing. Try to hold this position for at least 10 seconds.You can do this stretch as many times as you feel necessary. Stretching your hamstrings helps loosen your lower bag as well as your legs
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Shoulders: Take one arm and pull it across your chest with your other and swing it forward and backward at your side. Repeat with the other arm. This routine will help you loosen your shoulders and get the blood flowing before you play golf.
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Core: Place your club behind your neck with both hands on the golf club. Twist back and forth slowly. This motion helps stretch your core and back.
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Arms and Wrists: Extend your arm at full length and pull your wrists and forearms.
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Whole Body: Take two golf clubs, hold them together, and swing them continuously back and through. Doing this routine slowly can help stretch everything, all in one shot. These are just some simple exercises you can do to help you get ready for your round of golf.
WARM UP ON THE RANGE
There are multiple benefits to warming up and that includes warming up at the range. These reasons include helping to loosen muscles, setting the tone for how you will swing, and warming up helps you find out “what you have” before you tee off.
Warming up on the range helps to loosen muscles before your golf game. Warming up helps with your timing, tempo, and balance. It’s important to feel confident in all aspects leading into your round.
When preparing for a round of golf, we encourage you to set aside time for your warm up. It could mean the difference between the round of golf you want and the one you try to avoid.