I often get asked by people about the best ways to prepare for a round of golf. Whether it’s competitive or your weekly get-together with buddies, there are several things to keep in mind to get your body and game in top working order.
Everybody swings differently and gets ready in a different way. In the old days, warming up for a round meant having a Coke and a cigarette, but times have certainly changed. And after 30 years of coaching amateurs and tour professionals, I’ve developed some good ideas and suggestions for a proper warm-up:
It’s important to have a nice meal before you play, and it should be healthy. When in doubt, err on the side of a Mediterranean diet, such as olive oil, fruits, vegetables, fish and greens. Stay away from sugars and starch, and get some protein in your system to get you going.
Hydration is also important. Seldom do you go to or tune in to a professional tournament and not see a player with a bottle of water in his or her bag. There also are water or beverage coolers on many of the tee boxes.
Most players also have a physio routine they follow before play and try to stay consistent each time. The routine could be anything from light cardio to stretching. Rarely is weight work done, but the warm-up definitely gets the body loosened and ready to play. If you’re a weekend warrior, at least stretch before you get out there and start swinging.
A lot of players also make a decision about whether to start the warm-up on the putting green or range. I know some players who putt, go to the range and putt again before teeing off. Warm-up times vary between 45 and 90 minutes, with the idea of quality time more important than quantity of balls hit.
A typical player of ours will start on the green with short putts to work on alignment and getting their body square to the line. Then they work around the hole to see the breaks before rolling longer putts to get the speed down.
On the range, players typically go through the bag from wedges to driver, with a few swings with each club. They’re working on rhythm and pace and making sure the ball is going to the designated spots on the range. You should also do this, since this is seen as warm-up time instead of a practice session.
In this day and age, coaches are often with players during tournament week. Most of the time they’re working up a support base for their players and getting them comfortable and ready to play. That’s because the best coaches are working on mind, body and spirit. We also have a rule for our players that they should be on the tee 10 minutes before they play. The window of time helps them relax and get their minds focused and ready to play.
While a good warm-up is important, we’ve all seen or heard about players who lamented a poor warm-up session but ended up shooting a good score, and vice versa. Regardless, warming up and loosening up is crucial to playing your best golf. Your mind, body and scorecard will be the better for it.
