Golf Stretches: Simple Stretches To Warm-up Before You Tee Off.

Lower your golf score, hit a more powerful shot and reduce the risk of injury with a simple warm-up.

Here’s what a pro golfer does before he hits the course: Stretch, practice putting for 30 minutes, warm-up hitting for 35 minutes, then pitch, chip, and hit sand shots for 10 minutes, then putt again for 10 minutes, and then finally, go to the tee. Here’s what you do: Get out of the car, swing a couple practice shots, and go to the tee. And you wonder why you don’t feel warmed up until the third hole.

Granted, you don’t need to prepare on the links like the pros. But if you only get out on the course a few times a month, you want to make the most of your playing time. The best way to prepare the body for golf is with a simple warm-up.

Golf stretching exercises, performed consistently (and properly) will increase your range of motion, your power and ultimately… help to reduce your handicap.

Perhaps just as importantly, stretching will help to reduce the occurrence of those niggling injuries that so many golfers endure.

Try these six dynamic moves on the course before you tee off:

Neck Rotations

1. Standing tall and relaxed, drop your chin toward your chest.
2. Gently roll your head toward one shoulder in a semicircular motion.
3. Roll it back to the front and around to the other shoulder.
4. Repeat this continuous motion for 30 seconds.

Arm Swings

1. Stand tall and hold arms out to your side.
2. Slowly swing your arms back and forth across the front of your body.
3. Repeat this continuous motion for 30 seconds.

Trunk Rotations

1. Stand with a shoulder width stance. Place a club on your shoulders holding it at either end.
2. With knees slightly bent, bend forward from the waist slightly (as though adopting the swing posture).
3. Turn from side to side aiming to get the ends of the club directly in front of you with each turn.
4. Complete a total of 15-20 full swings.

Side Bends with Club

1. Stand with a shoulder width stance. Place a club on your shoulders.
2. Lean to one side keeping your torso straight. Do not bend forward or backwards.
3. Hold for a count of 2 and then repeat to the other side.
4. Complete 8-10 stretches each side.

Standing Pelvic Tilts

1. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Place your hands on your waist.
2. Tuck your pelvis under, creating a backward tilt of your pelvis.
3. Arch your back, creating an forward tilt of your pelvis.
4. Repeat 5 times in each direction with a smooth motion.

Leg Swings

1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Keeping your upper body perpendicular to the ground gently swing one leg forward and backward.
3. Do not swing your leg so hard that you can not keep your upper body from moving.
4. Repeat for 10 full swings and repeat on other leg.

For more information regarding injury prevention or to arrange an assessment aimed to improve your golfing biomechanics contact one of the physiotherapists at Jubilee Sports Physiotherapy.