Improve Your Golf Game with a Proper Warm Up and Cool Down
Posted Jul 29, 2008
Why do we need to warm up?
1. Have you ever honestly spent any time warming up to play golf?
2. How many times have you gone to the driving range or to play a round and gone straight to swinging your clubs?
The truth of it is that the majority of us never even think about warming up properly to play or to just hit balls. The trouble lies with our perception of the game- it is not a sustained physical effort. It is intermittent by nature, and this reduces the feeling of a need to loosen up prior to play. The problem is that when you consider the high club head speeds generated when a striking a golf ball, and the number of strokes required to finish the round, you get a formula for injury. High impact movements that are repetitive and asymmetrical will lead to pain and dysfunction over the long term. This is not good for lowering golf scores. Warming up properly can dramatically reduce the risk of injury.
How do I warm up properly for golf?
The Helicopter Lunge – a great dynamic warm up exercise for golfers
Think of your golf game like a workout and approach your warm up this way. The object of a warm up is to activate the muscles that you will be using for the activity, and to increase your range of motion in the movements that are to be performed. Some key points to consider are -
1. Never stretch a cold muscle – it makes the fibres tighter and less supple. Bring your body up to operating temperature with 5 to 10 minutes of light activity. Walk down to the range or around the ground of the clubhouse BEFORE you attempt any stretching. Get on the bike or treadmill for a couple of minutes if your club has gym facilities.
2. Use dynamic movements first. Break down the golf swing into its component patterns and work through these in a sequence to prepare your body for the explosive power of the swing. HINT: See below for a great dynamic warm up routine!
3. Save the static stretches for after the round. These are better for cool down and to restore range of motion in your joints one you have finished playing.
4. Only proceed to hit balls after you have completed your dynamic warm up. This should only take 5 to 10 minutes.
We have created a great dynamic warmup routine for golfers on www.mypypeline.com to make this process simple. You can download this 10-minute free video by following the link below -
Try using this the next time you head out to the driving range or to play a round. You will find that your ball striking becomes more consistent, and your incidence of golf related injures will decline dramatically.
Do I need to cool down after playing golf?
Open Books – a great mobility exercise for cooling down after a round.
The answer is yes if you want to maximize your longevity and your performance over the long term. Repetitive, assymetrical movements create muscle imbalances that are based on loss of mobility /flexibility in one muscle group, and weakening/lengthening of another opposing or synergistic muscle group. A proper cool down should focused on the following items -
1.Restoring range of motion. This is the time for static stretching – the stretch and hold type. The stretches should address the movements and the muscles specific to the golf swing. HINT: See below for a great stretching sequence following a round or a driving range session.
2. Constantly working on improving your mobility. Mobility refers to joint range of motion plus muscle flexibility. Exercises to improve both of these factors involve movements at the joint in question. The key areas for golfers to address here are thoracic spine extension and rotation, shoulder range of motion, and pelvic tilt mechanics. All of these are necessary to maximize separation, width, and control of your posture in your golf swing. Spend some time on a foam roller and getting massage work done to address areas of tightness to get bigger improvements here.
How do I work on items 1 and 2?
Once again we have created some great tools for you on www.mypypeline to simplify this process.
For a great cool down stretch sequence try this free program
Follow this up with a great little mobility sequence to improve the separation between your upper and your lower body -
If you are playing more than one round per day, or multiple rounds spread out over a few days, you will feel much better if you dedicate more time to muscle recovery in your cool down. Yoga is great way cool down for golfers. Static poses held for longer durations are great for restoring range of motion and for building stability. Jana Webb and myself will take you through a great golf specific yoga class on www.mypypelin.com. No previous experience is needed, and the benefits are great. Follow this link to preview this great class –
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