A Golf Warm Up Routine You Can Do Anywhere
Quick answer: A 10-minute golf warm up routine includes brisk walking, arm and hip circles, torso turns, leg swings, club stretches; if you have time, add 15 range balls and 5 minutes of putting. It loosens hips, back, and shoulders, and prepares you for your first swing.
A golf warm up routine of 10 minutes loosens your hips, back and shoulders, so your first swing isn't your stiffest.
18 Strategy
Why warm up
The golf swing asks your hips, back and shoulders to turn quickly. Going straight from the car to a full driver swing is when stiffness and poor contact are most likely. A short warm-up raises your heart rate a little, loosens the joints you will use, and gives you a few swings to find your rhythm, so the first tee shot is not the first real swing of the day.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have an injury, pain or a health condition, check with a doctor or physiotherapist before trying these exercises.
5 warm up exercises (no equipment)
- Brisk walk or march on the spot: one to two minutes to get warm.
- Arm circles: ten small circles forwards, then ten backwards, getting bigger.
- Hip circles: hands on hips, slow circles in each direction, ten each.
- Torso turns: arms crossed on your chest, turn gently back and through, as if making a swing, ten times.
- Leg swings: hold a cart or fence, swing one leg gently forward and back, ten each side.
Move smoothly and stay within a comfortable range. These are movements, not stretches to hold.
Stretches with a club
- Club behind the shoulders: hold a club across your upper back and turn slowly into your backswing and through to your finish, ten times.
- Overhead reach: hold the club at both ends above your head and lean gently to each side.
- Hinge: hold the club in front of you with both hands, bend from the hips into your golf posture and back up, ten times.
Range: 15 balls in order
If you have time for the range, hit about fifteen balls, starting short and building up: five half swings with a wedge, four with a 7-iron, three with a hybrid or wood, and three with the club you will hit on the first tee. Do not try to fix anything. You are finding your rhythm for the day, and noticing your likely miss so you can aim for it. More on range sessions is on driving range tips for beginners.
5 minutes on the putting green
Roll a few long putts first to learn the speed of the greens, then a handful from 3 feet so you see the ball go in. Speed matters most; see putting speed control. If you only have two minutes, do the long putts.
No time? The 3-minute car-park version
Thirty seconds of marching on the spot, ten arm circles each way, ten hip circles each way, ten torso turns with a club across your shoulders, and five slow practice swings building to full speed. Then go through your pre-shot routine on the first tee as normal. Calm nerves help too: see golf mental game tips.
Seniors: gentler options
If you are older or less flexible, keep every movement smaller and slower, and spend a little longer on the walk and the gentle turns. Do the torso turns sitting on a bench or cart if standing is uncomfortable. Make your first range swings half swings with a short iron, and build up only as far as feels comfortable. A shorter backswing is fine; it often improves contact.
Avoid
- Long static stretches held for a long time just before you swing hard. Keep the warm-up moving.
- Hitting full drivers with your first few balls.
- Pushing into pain. Stop if anything hurts, and check with a professional if pain continues.
A warm-up for different situations
If you are playing early in the morning or on a cold day, spend a little longer on the walk and the movements, because muscles take longer to loosen. Wear layers you can remove as you warm up. On a hot day, keep the warm-up shorter and drink water before you start. If the course is busy and there is no range, do the car-park version and hit your first tee shot with a club you trust, such as a hybrid. And if you arrive late, skip the range and use your last few minutes on the putting green; a feel for green speed can save more strokes than a few range balls.
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