Dynamic golf warm-up to maximize performance
25 Apr 2012
by Titleist
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Driving Range Golf Warm Up - Titleist Performance InstituteBy Jason Glass. BHK CSCS TPI Advisory Board Member
One of the most common questions I am asked from coaches and golfers is, “What is the best warm up to do before playing golf?”. My answer is quite simple, just like every golfer has a different swing style and body type, every golfer needs a different warm up. Saying that, if you live by my warm up rules and fit them to your body, you will be able to design a pre round warm up that is perfect for your game. Here are the rules of warming up for optimal golf performance:
Make Sure itʼs Dynamic
Your warm up needs to be dynamic in nature. The golf swing is dynamic and so should your warm up. I always say Iʼve never seen anyone pull a muscle statically. Prepare your body for the dynamic ranges of motion and speeds that it will encounter during the golf swing.
Raise your Body Temperature
Before your round of golf, you want to warm up your muscles, tendons and connective tissue without breaking into a sweat. You just want to feel like you have played a few holes before you reach the first tee.
Warm Up the Nervous System
Whenever people think about warm ups they think muscles. What about the system that controls the muscles? To maximize your performance your nervous system also needs to be firing on all cylinders. I like my movements to incorporate increasingly more complex motor patterns as the warm up progresses.
Reinforce Proper Motor Patterning and Sequencing
The golf swing starts with a loading pattern from the arms down and a firing pattern from the ground up. Make sure the exercises you choose reinforce the proper body positions, sequencing and speeds used in your golf swing.
Make it Golf Specific
My warm up starts very non golf and progresses till it resembles the swing. The mind and body must get into golf mode during the warm up so always finish with exercises that closely resemble the swing. I want my golfers to feel like they have already hit a bucket of balls before they hit their first tee shot.
Range Appropriate
Your pre-round warm up should be simple, require no equipment other than a golf club and can be performed on the driving range in your golf clothing. If you need bands, weights, balls and gadgets you are probably trying too hard. Save those exercises for the gym.
Keep these concepts in mind when you are designing your pre round warm up and you too can play your best golf.
For an example of the simple and effective on range golf warm up that I use with my players, watch the "Driving Range Warmup" below, that you can find on my DVD “Feel Better, Play Better”.