Golf Warm-Up Routine Exercises

A proper part of every golfer's routine is the warm-up. Your warm up is essential to preventing injury and playing your best. Lack of a proper warm up is one reason why many golfers take a long time to "get in the game" and will not perform as well for the first few holes. Others have the opposite problem where they start off strong but grow tired and impatient before they have finished a complete round. A good warm up routine will help with this.

A proper golf warm up increases your heart rate, blood pressure and circulation to help supply adequate blood flow throughout the body. It also helps you get mentally prepared for the game that is about to happen. Whether you are practicing, playing a round with the buddies or participating in a tournament, a solid warm up routine will help you do your best.

Now that you know why it is important, here are some exercises that you should consider putting into your golf warm up routine:

Knee Bends- Spend about a minute or so doing knee bends for 12 repetitions. I like to hold a golf club behind my neck parallel to the ground while doing my knee bends to help me keep my back straight and maintain proper form.

Trunk Twists- Using my club behind my head again for this one, I perform trunk twists, moving slowly and without quick, jerky motions to fully stretch out the midsection. Pause at the end of the twist and hold to make sure you get the full benefit of the stretching. Do this for 12 repetitions- about a minute and a half.

Overhead Side Bends- For this one, I raise my hands over my head, still holding the club. Then I bend slowly to the left as far as I can do and then to the right. I do six repetitions which takes about one minute.

Combination Presses- Using the golf club again, I take about 2 minutes for six repetitions of this warm up exercise. Keep your back straight and your head up to get the most benefit.

Toe Raises- Finally, I put the club down and do some basic toe raises, holding for a count of three each time. I do twelve repetitions which takes about a minute and then I am ready to begin my golf game or practice for the day.