I always struggle to understand why so many amateurs ignore golf warm-up exercises prior to their round, especially when the example set by the best golfers in the world clearly utilises this process as a consistent part of their preparation.
Having the chance to get a feel for the perfect golf grip or an opportunity to calculate distance in the wind when the conditions are challenging could make a huge difference on the course, so why pass up the opportunity to find your groove?
Preparing properly for a medal or another club competition can give you a clear advantage over those who choose to turn up and just have a couple of swings before heading out to compete.
This routine, shared by a top PGA professional with more than 40 years experience coaching golfers of all abilities, will take around 20 minutes and is well worth getting to the course early for...
Golf Warm-Up Exercises: 5 Things To Do Before Your Round
1. Stretching
Regardless of how long you have before your round you should incorporate some stretching. The best golf exercises and stretches will help loosen up your golf muscles ready for play.
With your knees slightly bent, reach down towards your toes and hold that position before slowly raising up again. You don't want to overdo these stretches so don't feel like you are pushing too far.
Next up, hold a club at the grip and head end, and place it along your shoulder blades. Now, turn as if you were making a backswing and hold the position that would be the top of the backswing for around five seconds.
Now swing right through and hold your finish position for another five seconds. Repeat five times.
2. Prepare
While you don't want to be over complicating your warm-up routine with too much technique, it makes sense to check your set-up position and make sure you are lining up square to your intended target.
Create a practice spot and line up a club, or a golf alignment stick, parallel with your intended hitting line just behind the ball. This will help you set up in line with the target for every shot you take, regardless of length.
3. Build Up
Starting your warm-up with wedges will help you to work on your co-ordination and will gradually warm up your muscles. Start by hitting small pitches with one of your wedges and gradually swing further back and through.
Use four different length swings, the fourth being a full swing. After ten or so shots move up through your irons and then your woods. How many balls you hit depends on the time you have, but you won't need any more than five balls with each club.
4. Find Added Confidence
You want your warm-up session to help you take confidence onto the first tee and beyond. This can be helped by hitting from an iron in your bag that you feel you hit the best.
Hit ten balls with an iron that you generally hit well. This will usually be a mid-iron. Then hit five shots with the wood you are most confident with.
Whether this is a hybrid, fairway wood or driver, hitting a few good shots on the range or in a net will help build up your confidence.
5. Visualise
The last thing you should do before leaving the range and heading to the putting green is to play the front nine in your head.
For example, if you would normally hit a driver off the 1st, visualise the shot you need to hit and recreate it. If you hit a good drive, select the club you would normally play for your second and hit that shot.
This will help you warm up with a wide range of clubs and will help prepare you mentally for the challenge that lies ahead.
How Do The Best Players In The World Warm-Up Before A Round Of Golf?
The warm-up of top tour professionals differ depending on the individual, but many of the key components will be similar across the board.
Most warm-ups will consist of hitting some balls on the range, putting on the practice green and, of course, stretching.
Below, we have compiled a list of examples from the best players in the world - including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, so that you can learn from them and implement aspects into your own preparation...
