Pre Match Warm-up Routine
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
Before you start your round it really will pay dividends to go to the range or practice nets at the club and loosen up. Developing a good warm up routine will help your game.
Start with some short pitch shots and three quarter wedge shots. Then move up through the short irons and mid irons and hit a few longer irons and your hybrid and or fairway clubs. Then move onto your driver. Don't spend long on each club - remember this is to loosen up and help you find your tempo and timing. Perhaps 5 balls on each club.
You may also benefit from leaving the range with some confidence.
Practice the opening tee-shot. Really visualise that first hole and your first shot.
Finish with some gentle wedge shots to bring your tempo back down.
Then move to the putting green and get a feel for your putting stroke. Give yourself confidence by holing successive short putts - hearing and seeing the ball drop repeatedly is a positive image to cultivate and remember.
Always get to the club on time and try to avoid rushing - you need to be relaxed and prepared to play at your best. Arriving in the car park 2 minutes before your tee time is not only likely to cause playing partners and other golfers concern but you will be flustered and less effective.
For longer practice sessions or ideas on how to make your practice more effective see my article about 10 top tips on
Simple warm-up exercises for golf
1. Take two clubs and grip both clubs. Slowly swing the clubs back and forth working up to a full swing. Using two clubs like this is a good exercise to stretch your muscles. The heavier weight warms up the muscles gently. No need to swing fast - this is about loosening and stretching those muscles.
2. Take a club and hold it in the middle of its shaft. Hold the club out in front of you and then alternate turning your wrist in one direction (clockwise) and then reverse. Repeat this quickly for a period of approximately 30 seconds. Swap hands and repeat. This exercise is a good way of warming those forearms and wrists up.
3. Take a club and place it across your shoulders. Hold the club in place with your hands and your arms crossed in front of you. Left hand holding the shaft against your right shoulder and right hand holding the other end of the club on your left shoulder. Take up your address position and then turn into your backswing position then rotate back into your forward swing position. Rotate around your spine and maintain your angle at address. This is a good way of warming up and work on keeping a good spine angle at address into your backswing and then into your downswing and follow through.
4. Loosen up those hamstrings by stetching down into a touching toes position with your feet about shoulder width apart. Do not bounce but insttead just 'hang'. Try to feel the weight of your head and arms hanging down and stretching out your spine and the backs of your legs.
