Make Warming Up a Warm Up- Not a Practice Session

When warming up before a round, the best advice I can give is to literally treat your time as a warm-up. You should not be trying to work on your swing (a common amateur mistake). That’s what practice time is for. Warm up time, instead, should be utilized to get your body and mind ready to perform.

I like to see competitive players do a quick bit of cardio prior to heading to the practice area, followed by some quick muscle activation stretches. Then, head to the short-game practice area to get a feel for chips and pitches- a great way to get all the small muscles in the hands and arms activated for fine motor control. Next, head to the range where the full swing warm up begins starting with wedges, working up to driver, and finishing with the club to be teed off with on the first hole. Don’t exhaust yourself here- 15-20 mins is plenty! Finally, head to the putting green and hit some lag putts to get a feel for the green speed and slope. Finish on the putting green by knocking in 3-5 footers around a hole- seeing the ball continuously falling in the cup. Head to the first tee 10 mins before your tee time to check in so you aren’t rushed and can mentally prepare for your first swing of the day.

Final Thought: I’ve seen players shoot career lows after hitting it great on the range prior to a round, and also shanking it on the range prior to a round. Your performance when warming-up isn’t mission critical- just get your body loose, your mind activated, and head to the first tee knowing you are ready to go!