On-Course Warm-Up

Simple warm-up exercises that can be performed while waiting on the first tee will make those early swings smoother.

Perform your on-course warm-up using the following flexibility exercises. These exercises can be done even while in your golf cart. If you are running late to the practice tee, be sure to at least do the following stretches: seated hamstring, seated club lat stretch, seated low back and groin, pec neck, standing hip flexor, bow bend, body rotation, and abdominal hollow.

Focus: Lower back and groin

Procedure:

1. Sit upright in a cart (or chair) with your legs separated slightly.
2. Exhale, extend your upper torso, bend at the hip, and slowly lower your stomach between your thighs.
3. Hold the stretch.

Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.

Tip: Be sure to exhale as you bend at the hip.

Focus: Hamstrings

Procedure:

1. Sit in a cart (or chair) with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. Assume a position to allow a little bit of arch in the lower back region.
2. While maintaining the arched-back position, attempt to straighten one of your legs.
3. Perform the movement slowly, maintaining the slight arch through- out the whole exercise.
4. End with one knee more extended while maintaining an arched-back posture.
5. Do all repetitions on one side and then the other.

Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.

Focus: Hips and gluteal muscles

Procedure:

1. Sit up straight in a cart or on a chair with both feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your right foot and rest it on your left knee.
3. Place both hands on your right leg and push your knee away from your chest until you feel a gentle stretch in your hips or buttocks region.
4. Hold the stretch, relax, and repeat with left leg.

Duration: Hold for 20 seconds.

Focus: Hips and gluteal muscles

Procedure:

1. Sit up straight in a cart or on a chair with both feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your right leg and cross it over your left thigh.
3. Place both hands on your right leg and pull your right leg toward the left side of your body until you feel a gentle stretch in your hips.
4. Hold the stretch, relax, and repeat with left leg.

Duration: Hold for 20 seconds.

Tip: Stop if you feel pinching in the groin region.

Focus: Upper back

Procedure:

1. Sit in a chair or in your cart with your feet resting flat on the floor and your back slightly arched.
2. Grasp the bar of the club with both hands and position it behind your head at ear level Gust below the base of the skull). Make sure your hands are directly above your elbows.
3. Rotate your elbows upward (toward the ceiling or the sky), holding the position for three counts.
4. Return the elbows to the neutral position.

Duration: Hold for 15 seconds or 5 X 3 seconds.

Tip: Make sure your hands are directly above your elbows.

Focus: Neck and upper pectoralis major

Procedure:

1. Stand or sit with your shoulder blades pulled down and back, as if you were squeezing something between them.
2. While keeping your shoulder blades down and backward, rotate your head to the left and hold.
3. Repeat on opposite side.

Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.

Focus: Quadriceps and hip flexors

Procedure:

1. In a standing position, place one foot on an elevated surface.
2. Roll the pelvis forward (pulling your buttocks in).
3. Place your opposite leg behind you. Keep the foot pointed straight ahead.
4. While keeping your back straight, lunge forward so that a stretch is felt in the front part of the thigh of the rear leg. Repeat on the other side.

Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.

Focus: Shoulders and upper back muscles

Procedure:

1. Stand in upright position with feet in split stance
2. Hold club in right arm with elbow bent and rotate arm back.
3. Reach under with left arm and grab club to support elbow.

Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.

Focus: Outer hips, sides, and shoulder muscles

Procedure:

1. Stand in an upright position with the arms elevated over the head and holding a club beyond shoulder-width apart.
2. Place the right leg behind the left leg and try to keep the toes pointed straight ahead.
3. Allow the right hip to fall or press out to the right. Bend to the left.
4. Use your left arm to pull your right arm down, close to the head.
5. Repeat on the opposite side by placing the left foot behind the right foot and following the same sequence.

Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.

Tip: The stretch should be done in this sequence so that the stretch is felt first in the outer hip, followed by the side, ending with the shoulder region.

Focus: Hips, abdominal and gluteal muscles

Procedure:

1. Sit up straight in your cart with both feet on the floor.
2. Keeping feet on the floor, rotate your legs to one side and your upper body to the other side.
3. Exhale and rotate as far as you can by holding onto the seat.

Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.

Focus: To promote trunk stability and activate the abdominal and small muscles

Procedure:

1. Sit in the cart with your back straight, knees bent, and feet resting firmly on the floor.
2. Pull your tummy in and up under your rib cage.
3. Hold for duration of stretch and relax.

Duration: Hold 20 seconds or 10 X 2 seconds.

Tip: Perform the exercise so that neither the pelvis nor the spine move, but remain stable while doing this type of deep abdominal muscle contraction.

Focus: Rotator cuffs and scapula stabilizers

Procedure:

1. Hold a club or stick in both hands with arms against your side and palms facing upward.
2. Attempt to pull hands apart while still holding the club tightly (outward).
3. Now attempt to push hands together while holding the club tightly (inward).

Duration: Hold for 10 seconds or 6 X 2 to 3 seconds.

Tip: Maintain an erect posture to achieve optimal external rotation.

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