How to warm up up for golf?

Matt Green - 5 February 2021

One of the most common questions I get asked by golfers is “What should I do before I play?”

It is a very good question, and this is an area that I think, in general, golfers do very poorly.

Warming up prior to golf, or any other activity, is really preparing to play as best as you can that day. You therefore need to move through the necessary ranges of motion needed for your golf swing, activate the muscles needed to produce these movements and coordinate these movements into the relevant movement patterns.

One thing that is probably underestimated by most people is that our body is constantly changing, and is impacted by what we do. So if you are busy at work and have been stuck behind a desk all week, you will lose mobility and not move as well, which will impact your golf. The goal of your warm-up should be to get your body into as consistent a state as possible for each round, so that you know what to expect from your movements.

So what should this look like?

Well that is going to be different for everyone, but there are basic concepts that we all need to address in our warm up.

1. It needs to be dynamic. You need to move to play golf, so your warm-up should involve movement to get your body moving through the necessary ranges of motion, most importantly rotation of the upper body and weight shift through the lower body.

2. It needs to activate the muscle groups you will need firing in your golf swing, especially your core, glutes and upper back muscles.

3. It needs to challenge your balance. This forces your body to move more efficiently, stimulates the movement control and coordination centres of your brain, and improves your postural awareness and control.

Individualising your warm-up to your specific needs, keeping the above concepts in mind, will give you the best chance to play well, injury free and for as long as you want.

If you need help developing a solid warm-up routine, contact us for a consult.