Pre-Golf Warm-Up Tips

With some of the world’s top golfers headed to central Ohio for the Memorial Tournament this weekend and with the longer days and warmer weather drawing golfers of all abilities to the links, it’s important to stress that performing a proper warm-up before arriving at the course is important to ensure that you are able to play at your peak performance level and prevent injury, no matter the course or your skill level! 

These exercises can be completed in as little as ten to fifteen minutes and can have a big impact on your game!

Trunk/Spine Mobility

  1. Upper Trunk Rotations: Keep your lower body stable, hips and head squared up to the ball. Slowly rotate shoulders from side to side focusing on deep breathing through the diaphragm.
  2. Open Books: Lying on your side, with your knees bent up to your chest, rotate your shoulders to the opposite side focusing on deep breathing through your diaphragm. Hold each stretch for 5-10 seconds, trying to go a tad further each time.
  3. Lower Trunk/Pelvis Rotations: This exercise can be completed either lying on the ground or standing. Keeping the upper body stable this time, shoulders and head squared to the ball, slowly rotate your pelvis from side to side. Continue focusing on diaphragmic breathing through the stomach and not the chest.

Shoulder Mobility

  1. Pec Stretch: Grab either end of the club and place your hands a comfortable distance apart. Reach Hands up and overhead until a stretch is felt across the chest.
  2. Shoulder Extension: Place club behind back with hands grabbing either end at a comfortable distance. Lift club off back until a stretch is felt in the front of the shoulders.
  3.  External Rotation: This can be done either standing or lying on the ground. Place club head in hand of arm that is being stretched. While keeping elbow fixed next to torso, push grip end of club, rotating the arm away from the body until a stretch is felt.

Core Mobility

  1. Cat/Camels: In the quadruped position, with your hips over your knees and your shoulders over your hands. Alternate between arching and rounding your back with a few second hold in each position.
  2.  Posterior Pelvic Tilt: This exercise can be complete either lying on the ground or seated in the golf cart. Contract lower abdominals and try to flatten the lower back into the ground or cart seat depending on position. Maintain this contraction for 5-10 seconds repeating 10-20 times or sporadically throughout the course of the round.

Hamstring Mobility

  1. Seated/Standing stretch: This can be completed either seated or standing with feet shoulder width apart, hinge from the hips and slide your hands down the front of your legs until a gentle stretch is felt in the back of the legs. Hold this position for 20 seconds and repeat a few times until desired stretch is felt. Try not to round from the low back and maintain a neutral spine position.

Wrist Mobility

  1.  

    Flexion and Extension: With arm pointed straight out, alternate between pulling your fingers down to the ground and up the sky. Hold for 5-10 seconds, repeating 15 times on each hand.

For more advance warm-up options, check out these tips from World Golf Hall of Famer, Greg Norman!

Any time you initiate exercise, it is important to do so safely in order to reduce the risk of injury. If you find yourself with pain or injured, consult a healthcare professional for further evaluation. Orthopedic ONE’s Sports Medicine physicians and Sports Medicine Hotline are great resources should you need them!

Sources: HEP2Go and Google Images