Race to the course, grab the clubs, slam the trunk, run to the pro shop, roll a few putts, then dart to the first tee. If this sounds familiar, you may be known as a “trunk slam” golfer. Trunk slammers don’t have or take the time to prepare their bodies for optimal performance, thus sacrificing strokes and exposing themselves to the potential for injury.
An effective warm-up prepares the golfer, both mentally and physically, for the upcoming round. It increases core and muscle temperature, as well as blood flow to areas of the body. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a well-designed warm-up has the following impacts on performance:
- Faster muscle contraction
- Improvements in the rate of force development and reaction time
- Improvements in muscle strength and power
- Enhanced metabolic reactions
Proper warm-ups contain two phases: general & specific. General warm-ups consist of 5 to 10 minutes of slow activity. The specific phase is meant to replicate movements in a given sport. Blake Denney, of Oak Brook-based SMART Golf Fitness, designed a customized program for Chicagoland golfers dealing with the occasional cold-weather tee time.
Check out a couple samples below from The Dynamic Pre-Round Golf Warmup or click here to download the complete report with all ten warmups exercises.
Heel Toe Raises
- Press toes into ground, then lower
- Press heals into ground while flexing toes upward
Figure 4 Hip Stretch
Lift leg to hip height | Grasp ankle and knee/shin | Pull raised leg toward chest while activating the planted leg | Repeat both sides
Reps: 4