Golf Pre-Round Warm-Up: Effective Exercises to Prepare Your Body
Before you hit the driving range, you should warm up your body and prepare your mind for what’s ahead.
Getting your body warm before physical activity is essential for performance and preventing injuries. This is because physical warm-up produces and pumps nutrient-rich oxygenated blood to your muscles as your heart rate and breathing increase. Proper warm-up activates the muscles needed for golf and improves your strength, mobility, and flexibility. For best results, I recommend a warm-up routine that’s 5-10 minutes working the major muscle groups. A good warm-up routine includes a mix of cardio and range of motion exercises.
I have developed the ultimate pre-round warm-up for golfers of all skill levels; all you need to do is dedicate 5 minutes of your time before you hit the driving range. You may need a chair or a table for support for these exercises.
In the warm-up video, the following exercises are demonstrated:
Hip Swing: 1 Minute (30 seconds on each side)
Holding onto a chair or table for support in a standing upright position, raise one leg off the ground and swing it forward and backward.
Make sure to keep your core engaged and maintain your balance during the exercise.
Start with your right leg first and do it for 30 seconds, then do the left side.
Hip Rotations: 1 Minute (30 seconds on each side)
Standing upright with your hand on a chair or countertop for support.
Lift your leg straight out in front of you with your knee bent.
Rotate your thigh so that your ankle crosses your midline to the outside, and then circle your hip backward. Imagine your knee being the lead of the pencil and it making a figure 8.
Next, reverse the entire motion. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise.
Keep your body as tall as possible so that you are moving from the hip rather than your body.
Now switch your legs and continue the same movement on the other side.
Standing Thoracic Open Book at Wall: 1 Minute (30 seconds on each side)
Standing upright with your side against a wall and your one leg in front of the other. Place your arms straight out in front of you with your palms together.
Slowly open your outer arm out to the side, separating your arms, attempting to flatten your back against the wall. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Make sure that your eyes follow your working hand throughout the exercise.
Now switch your legs and continue the same movement on the other side.
Standing Pelvic Circles: 1 Minute (30 seconds on each side)
Standing upright with your hands on your hips.
Gently move your pelvis in a circular direction, first clockwise, monitoring the movement with your hands, then counterclockwise for 30 secs.
Mental Warm-Up:
In addition to warming up your body, with this 5-minute physical warm-up, it’s important to prepare your mind. Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness. To learn more about improving your mental fitness, watch my interview with Ian Inguanez, who will teach you techniques to improve your mental game on the course.
Combing your physical and mental warm-up with help improve your body’s function, performance, and recovery. I’d love to hear how this warm-up helped you; please share your progress with me at hetal@performanceabove.com.
Follow along to learn more golf performance exercises and routines!
Not all exercises are for everyone. Before attempting a new exercise take into account factors such as flexibility, strength, and overall health to determine whether a particular exercise is appropriate for you.
This, like any other exercise, can result in personal injury. Any injury sustained from proper or improper use of this exercise is solely the responsibility of the exerciser. Performanceabove LLC disclaim any liability from injury sustained from the use of this exercise and suggest that you consult your professional healthcare provider before attempting any exercise or exercise program.
