These golf warm up exercises take 10 minutes and need no equipment. Here is the routine we suggest at our Cromer clinic.
Key takeaways
- Golf warm up exercises of about 10 minutes are enough for most golfers.
- Move through hips, upper back, legs and shoulders, then build up your swings.
- Save long static stretches for after your round.
- Warm-ups seem to help performance. The evidence for preventing injury is weaker.
When did you last do more than a few practice swings before the first tee? You are in good company. Most golfers treat the warm-up as optional, right up until their lower back disagrees.
So here is a simple routine you can do in the car park. We also look at what the research says.
Do you need golf warm up exercises before every round?
Yes, but they do not have to be fancy. A warm-up raises your body temperature and wakes up the muscles you are about to use. It also lets your joints move before you load them at full speed.
The performance research is fairly consistent. The evidence that a warm-up prevents injury is weaker, and we cover that below.
Which golf warm up exercises fit into 10 minutes?
Here is the routine we suggest to most golfers who come through our Cromer clinic. Keep it moving, and do not turn it into a workout.
- Get warm (2 minutes). Walk briskly or march on the spot. If you ride a cart, this matters more, because you have been sitting.
- Hips (2 minutes). Do leg swings forwards and sideways, then big hip circles. Your lead hip works hard in the swing, so give it some attention.
- Upper back rotation (2 minutes). Hold a club across your shoulders and turn slowly each way. Then try an open-book rotation on your side if you have some grass.
- Glutes and legs (2 minutes). Do bodyweight squats and a few side steps. Your legs drive a lot of the swing.
- Shoulders and forearms (1 minute). Do arm circles, wrist circles and a gentle forearm stretch. Your elbows and wrists will thank you.
- Build-up swings (as time allows). Start with half swings using a short iron. Then lengthen them, and finish with a few driver swings at about 70 to 80 per cent effort.
Should you stretch before golf?
Long static stretches before a round are not the best use of your time. Studies found they can reduce clubhead speed and distance. Moving through the same ranges works better.
If you love your stretches, do them after you play. Your body is warm then, and you are not about to ask it for speed.
Which golf warm up exercises work with only five minutes?
Do steps 2, 3 and 6. A few hip swings, some trunk rotations and a gradual build-up of swings beat nothing. They also fit in the time it takes to put your shoes on.
What does the research say?
Most golf warm-up studies are small and use skilled or young golfers. Treat the numbers as a guide, not a promise.
Does dynamic stretching beat static stretching for golf?
A trial of dynamic stretching (Moran and colleagues, 2009) used a five-iron. Dynamic stretching gave clubhead speeds about 1.7 metres per second higher than no stretching. Static stretching did no better than doing nothing.
Can static stretching hurt your drive?
A study of 15 young golfers (Gergley, 2008) added 20 minutes of total-body static stretching before an active warm-up. Clubhead speed fell by about 4 per cent. Distance fell by about 5.6 per cent.
What does the review of golf warm-ups conclude?
A review of 23 studies (Ehlert and Wilson, 2019) found many golfers do not warm up regularly. Dynamic and resistance-based warm-ups tended to improve performance, while static stretching was inferior. Studies on warm-ups and injury were mixed and inconclusive.
Does warming up prevent golf injuries?
A one-year study of 588 Australian golfers (McHardy and colleagues, 2007) found no significant link between warm-up habits and injury. The amount of golf played was linked.
What I take from that: warm up because it probably helps you hit the ball better. Keep it dynamic, and do not expect a guarantee against injury.
Want a warm-up built around your body?
A generic routine only goes so far. If your back, hips or shoulders stiffen early in a round, tailored golf warm up exercises help more. Our Golf Circuit Classes cover this kind of movement. A SwingLAB session shows what your body does in your swing. You can also book an appointment with us at Cromer Golf Club.
One last thing: this is general information, not a diagnosis. If you have an injury or pain that is not settling, book in with a practitioner. Do not self-treat from a blog post.
