Most golfers either skip a warm-up entirely or try to rush one in just before they tee off.
I’ve done both.
A simple warm-up isn’t about preparing to play perfect golf. It’s about getting your body moving, getting a feel for the club and giving yourself a chance to arrive on the first tee ready to play.
It also isn’t the time to start rebuilding your swing.
Start by getting moving
Before hitting balls, I like the idea of simply getting the body moving.
You don’t need an elaborate fitness routine. The aim is to loosen up rather than turn the warm-up into a workout.
A few gentle movements and stretches can help, particularly if you’ve been sitting in the car before arriving at the course.
The important thing is not to go from doing very little straight into hitting full drivers as hard as you can.
Start with the shorter shots
If there’s a putting or short-game area available, spending a few minutes there is a useful way to start.
You’re not trying to perfect your putting stroke or work on your chipping technique.
You’re simply getting a feel for the club and ball again.
With putting, I’d be more interested in getting a feel for the pace of the greens than worrying about whether every putt goes in.
The same applies around the green. Hit a few simple chips and pitches and get used to making contact again.
Build up to the longer clubs
When you move onto the range or practice ground, there’s no need to start with the driver.
Begin with some shorter swings and gradually work through the bag.
As your body starts moving more freely, you can make fuller swings and eventually hit some longer clubs.
By the time you reach the driver, it shouldn’t feel as though it’s the first proper golf swing you’ve made that day.
Don’t turn the warm-up into a golf lesson
This is probably the most important part for me.
The warm-up isn’t the time to discover that your backswing doesn’t look right or decide you need to change your grip ten minutes before teeing off.
If the ball isn’t behaving perfectly, that’s fine.
You’re about to play golf with whatever swing you’ve brought with you that day.
Use the warm-up to prepare that swing rather than trying to replace it.
Watch Rich’s Pre-Round Warm-Up Lesson
PGA Professional Richard Lawless also looks at warming up before a round as part of the How to Break 100 course.
In this lesson, Rich takes the warm-up onto the practice ground and talks through how to prepare before heading out onto the golf course.
The useful thing about watching Rich demonstrate it is that you can see how straightforward a pre-round warm-up can be. It doesn’t need to become another practice session.
[Embed: Warming Up Before a Round of Golf | Richard Lawless PGA | Weekend Golfers]
The first tee is what you’re preparing for
A good warm-up isn’t measured by how well you hit the practice balls.
It’s there to help you arrive at the first tee feeling a little more prepared than you would have been if you’d gone straight from the car park to your opening drive.
Some days you’ll warm up beautifully and then hit a terrible first tee shot.
Other days the warm-up won’t feel particularly good and you’ll play perfectly well.
That’s golf.
The aim isn’t to predict the round. It’s simply to give yourself a better chance of starting it ready to play.
If you’d like to see more of Rich’s coaching, you’ll find his courses and lessons in the Weekend Golfers Free Golf Coaching Library.
