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Warm Up Routine

Canuck227

Canuck227

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Mar 3, 2011
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Location
Miami, Florida, United States
Handicap
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I recently went out and proceeded to shoot a 50 on the front 9 and a 37 on the back. As a 13 handicap the 50 was a bit disturbing. Got me wondering if i was prepared for the round. As a bit OCD my routine is always the same.

Stretch
10 swings with 2 irons, (added weight)
5-10 practice swings without ball, focusing on plane
5 light swings, with ball, gap wedge
5 full swings with gap wedge
5 swings w/ 9 iron
5 swings w/ 7 iron
5 swings w/ 5 iron
5 swings w/ hybrid
5 swings w/ 3 metal
5 swings w/ Driver off grass
5 chips w/ 56*
Spend 10-15 minutes on putting green

What routine do you use?
 
Canuck227 said:
I recently went out and proceeded to shoot a 50 on the front 9 and a 37 on the back. As a 13 handicap the 50 was a bit disturbing. Got me wondering if i was prepared for the round. As a bit OCD my routine is always the same.

Stretch
10 swings with 2 irons, (added weight)
5-10 practice swings without ball, focusing on plane
5 light swings, with ball, gap wedge
5 full swings with gap wedge
5 swings w/ 9 iron
5 swings w/ 7 iron
5 swings w/ 5 iron
5 swings w/ hybrid
5 swings w/ 3 metal
5 swings w/ Driver off grass
5 chips w/ 56*
Spend 10-15 minutes on putting green

What routine do you use?
Click to expand...

First of all I never stretch unless im warmed up. Im sure everyone has heard it from gym class or whatever. But last year and the 6 years before that, I was a high school basketball coach and stretching cold muscles is a major cause of injury. Especially in the back and deltoids (shoulders)
My routine is:
I punch about 20 balls with my lowest lofted iron (4 iron for me)
10 Full swings with a 6 iron
5 Full swings with a 5 iron
10 full swings with an 8 iron
5 full swings with a 7 iron
10 full swings with a PW
5 full swings with a 9 iron
(I know that might look confusing, but I try to skip an Iron and go back to it so im constantly changing lofts and lengths. Im not just going long to short or short to long)
I honestly hit 7 or 8 balls total with my 2 hybrids (2&3)
Then I hit 2 with my driver and 2 with my sand wedge and keep alternating until ive hit about 24 balls. On school of golf I heard it was a great way to work on tempo. So ive been doing it ever since and I like it. I hardly ever use alignment sticks pre round. I use them post round or on a day where im just gonna practice.
Then I stretch. I do like 3 different stretches that I like for me.
And then I putt for about 30 mins. That routine is all over the map haha. I usually start close to the hole and work my way out. Then Ill just work on putts that have been giving me trouble as of late (ex: long up hill putts).
Ill then put 2 balls in my left pocket and about 7 tees and 2 coins in my right and head to the box to get some bets lol.
 
I'm sorry to say that my normal routine is to just go to the first tee and play. I'll take some extra practice swings to get a little loose, but I pretty much just start cold. There is no doubt that this hurts me at times as well, but I just don't have much time most days to hit shots before playing. This is the way I have been my whole life. Just tee it up and go. Really not the right way, but it is what it is for me. Our range is right near the first tee and if there is a wait, I will go hit a few driver shots but that is about it.
 
HoosierGolfer said:
I'm sorry to say that my normal routine is to just go to the first tee and play. I'll take some extra practice swings to get a little loose, but I pretty much just start cold. There is no doubt that this hurts me at times as well, but I just don't have much time most days to hit shots before playing. This is the way I have been my whole life. Just tee it up and go. Really not the right way, but it is what it is for me. Our range is right near the first tee and if there is a wait, I will go hit a few driver shots but that is about it.
Click to expand...

Ditto! Many of my rounds are after work and I have just enough light to finish 18.
 
mcook77 said:
Ditto! Many of my rounds are after work and I have just enough light to finish 18.
Click to expand...

same here, especially if Im playing my course.

Otherwise when there is time for the range its mostly 5,7,9,PW and driver/hrbrid
 
If I have time, I like to hit about 6 wedge shots, 6 with a short iron, 6 with a mid/long iron, 3 drives, and that's about it. I only want to loosen up, not have a full practice routine before I play!

edited to add - don't forget to putt! After the shots, I'll hit a few long putts to the fringe to get a feel for speed, then a few short putts to get my confidence with those in.
 
Golf is a weird game. I've played some great rounds without any warm up and vice versa. Though I do prefer to warm up if possible. If I don't have much time I like to hit some chips and pitches and do some putting.
 
My routine is:
Get out of car
Change shoes
Load bag onto cart
Swing driver a few times behind ball on 1st tee
Go

Seems I never have time to do a proper warmup and several of the courses I play do not have a range, only a putting green...
 
10-15 balls with my lob-wedge, and if I have time I work up through the bag. But if I do not have the time for the whole bag, the wedges usually gets my swing going, and I am not killing them for extra distance, so I keep my faults at a minimum.
 
I strech the quads,hammies, rotate the shoulders front and back and stretch the back.
Then I'll take a few practice swings just to gage how I feel (pain or no pian)
I start with full 4 iron shots 7 to 10
then back down to the 56* with half shots to a target 50 to 80 yds away 10 of these
Full sand wedge shots 100 yds maybe 5 swings
Jump to the 7 iron to work the ball both directions first right to left then hold off fades
Up to the 5 iron for some high/low shots
Three wood for 5 swings
Then The driver, trying to hit a 3 to 5 yd draws down the right side. Then I hit the high cuts starting in the middle and fall off to the right.
Depending on the course I may take a few swings with the hybrids (short courses only)
Move to putting green where I work on my speed and distance control. I am not too worried about holeing these putts. I work on my setup over the putter and find my speeds.
Back to the cart for tees, markers and balls. This all takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
 
I'll start with the Niblick...then GW....then 8i....then 6i....then 9i...then 7i...then PW....hybrids.....SW....3w.....Driver....LW.....then putting/chipping green
 
Ill hit 4 balls with my GW
then 8 with my 6 iron
8 with my 9 iron
and then putt...i like to spend the bulk of my warmup time on putting

sometimes later in the summer if im trying to get nine in after work ill skip the range and just roll a few balls quick
 
I don't have a set routine although I do try to get to the course at least 1 hour prior to my round and hit a bucket of balls, then spend 20 minutes or so on chipping and putting. Which clubs I hit with the bucket of balls depends on what I think needs attention or what will give me confidence.
 
HoosierGolfer said:
I'm sorry to say that my normal routine is to just go to the first tee and play. I'll take some extra practice swings to get a little loose, but I pretty much just start cold. There is no doubt that this hurts me at times as well, but I just don't have much time most days to hit shots before playing. This is the way I have been my whole life. Just tee it up and go. Really not the right way, but it is what it is for me. Our range is right near the first tee and if there is a wait, I will go hit a few driver shots but that is about it.
Click to expand...

I have been like this the last few years, but this year I'm trying to change that with very little luck.

the_paulo said:
If I have time, I like to hit about 6 wedge shots, 6 with a short iron, 6 with a mid/long iron, 3 drives, and that's about it. I only want to loosen up, not have a full practice routine before I play!

edited to add - don't forget to putt! After the shots, I'll hit a few long putts to the fringe to get a feel for speed, then a few short putts to get my confidence with those in.
Click to expand...

If I have very little time before the round this about what I do, start with wedges then work up just trying to get a feel for short iron control not big full swings.

tdinbr said:
My routine is:
Get out of car
Change shoes
Load bag onto cart
Swing driver a few times behind ball on 1st tee
Go

Seems I never have time to do a proper warmup and several of the courses I play do not have a range, only a putting green...
Click to expand...

Yup, see above... I'm basically riding in this boat!

Ake84 said:
10-15 balls with my lob-wedge, and if I have time I work up through the bag. But if I do not have the time for the whole bag, the wedges usually gets my swing going, and I am not killing them for extra distance, so I keep my faults at a minimum.
Click to expand...

And again, if I get the chance I'm right here with you...
 
I take two Aleve for my hangover and don't bother wasting my swings on the range. I will try to roll about 10 long putts and make a couple of 4 footers and then it's off to the first tee.
 
nothing too concrete or strenuous. I twist around a little bit with an iron in my hand, just to loosen by back a little, then i squat down and hold my squat to loosen the legs up a little. Then I swing at about 10 balls on the driving range without worrying about aim or anything, just trying to get loose with actual swings.

That's about it. I do actually stretch my back before and after rounds, just because it feels good.
 
Not to hijack this thread, but I warm up with my TR3 Speed Sleeve! After about 10-15 nice swings I'm good to go. I really like the speed sleeve.

*Sorry if someone else posted this, I didn't read thru them all, was just putting what I do to warm up.

Before the speed sleeve, I had one of those little donut weights.
 
HoosierGolfer said:
I'm sorry to say that my normal routine is to just go to the first tee and play. I'll take some extra practice swings to get a little loose, but I pretty much just start cold. There is no doubt that this hurts me at times as well, but I just don't have much time most days to hit shots before playing. This is the way I have been my whole life. Just tee it up and go. Really not the right way, but it is what it is for me. Our range is right near the first tee and if there is a wait, I will go hit a few driver shots but that is about it.
Click to expand...

That is like my Dad, he never warms up. Me, I do something like Canuck and need that to find my tempo. My Dad knows this and always make sure we get to the course with only minutes to spare whenever we play together. Time to stop car pooling with him!
 
I'm envious of every one that can just rock up and play. Generally I end up doing something to get my heart rate up then strech out, hit a decent number of range balls (30ish), rock the putting green for 10 minutes and then go.
 
I'm actually surprised at the number of shots people hit to just warm up. I'm a believer of just doing enough to get your swing loose, and not use up too much energy hitting balls before a round.
 
I hate not having the time to warm up before teeing off!! Given the time I like to start around the chipping area and hit a few dozen shots there. Small bucket on the range, usually pretending to play the first three or four holes. I will hit the putting green after that and start with the 3 footers. Roll about a dozen from different looks and then move out from there until it's time to tee off. If I'm pushed for time I will at least roll a few and chip/pitch a few before teeing off.
 
I just started this routine this season. More of it was from what my trainer, chiro, deep tissue massage therapist recommended me doing. Before getting into the car, I use a foam roller to loosen my back. It's about a 5 min thing. Then I'd just do a couple of iron swings to get the feel of the club that day and I'll be swinging away on the first tee. Played three rounds so far and this has kept me loose for the whole round.
 
Depends on when my tee time is. If it's around lunch or later I'll pitch, chip hit some bunkershots etc before doing anything else.

I get to the range minimum one hour before my round.
Stretch for 5 minutes.
Swing with 2-3 clubs to loosen up.
Short pitches with LW.
Hit 3-4 balls with every other club. Throw in the type of shots I might face on the course. High/low, cut/fade etc.
End with 5-10 soft pitch shots.
Then chip & putt for 15 minutes. Start with longer putts to get my feel, roll in a few 1-2 meter putts, then I go to the bathroom and then I tee off.
 
For me it depends on what time I am teeing off and what facilities the course has. I always try to at least hit the putting green before hitting the first shot to at least try to get a feel for the speed of the green.

I also make sure to do a dozen or so vigorous swings with what ever club I am using from the first to loosen up.
 
Canuck227 said:
5 swings w/ Driver off grass
Click to expand...

If I did that I'd never even walk out on to the first tee since I'd be firmly convinced I wouldn't be able to make contact with the ball, lol!

Personally, I just get a small bucket and grab one of my shorter irons (8 or 9i). I go through some balls just trying to feel my swing and focus on my alignment and ball flight. Usually in about 20 minutes I can get my desired ball flight happening consistently and that helps me hit more greens during my round. Once my swing is feeling pretty good then I'll jump around the the different clubs in my bag. If I don't hit some balls beforehand then I usually spend the first 3 or 4 holes trying to get my swing going.
 
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