Do you warm up?

[RonTheSavage]

I always make sure to get to the course in time to warm up. I only do dynamic type stretching (jumping jacks etc.) no static stuff as I read somewhere that static could lead to injury. Something about lengthening the muscle before a round is bad for you.

[Lihu]

I always make sure to get to the course in time to warm up. I only do dynamic type stretching (jumping jacks etc.) no static stuff as I read somewhere that static could lead to injury. Something about lengthening the muscle before a round is bad for you.

Probably a good idea, but I am now playing daily first thing in the morning and have been using the first two holes to warm up and am fully warmed up by the 3rd or 4th. Sometimes I hit a couple hundred balls into the net at night before going to bed depending upon the amount of free time.

[lumpuckeroo]

I don't warm up, at my age, I don't have an extra 30-50 swings in me.

[Lihu]

Okay, before my round tomorrow, I am going to warm up.

I just had a pretty horrible round, although my score does not reflect it.

[Dave2512]

I try to exercise daily so in most instances already loose and all that. At the course it really depends on time and who is standing around. They often just send me out if there hasn't been a group on the first tee in a while and if I see I can get out ahead of those getting ready to tee off I run for the bar grab some beers and hit one quickly. Consequently I often bogey the first hole. Basically the first hole is my warm up.

[SafeBogey]

There is no range at the course where I play, so I use the first hole as a warm-up. Fortunately I usually manage to bogey it.

[Deryck Griffith]

The way I see it, why would I wait until the 3rd or 4th hole before I'm "in the groove and now feeling it" when I can get those early cobwebs out of the way on the range and stand on the first tee ready to go?

For me, a quick stretch (a quick stretch if time is limited is better than no stretch) and 20 or so balls on the range is all that's really necessary (even though I can hit more balls if I have more time).  The purpose of those 20+ balls is to 1. get loose and 2. see how I'm hitting it today.  If the swing for some reason is producing a "more than normal fade" during my quick warmup that I can't fix (and shouldn't try to since I'm playing that day) then guess what, you guessed it, it's a big fade today boys!  At least I know where I'm aiming on the first tee and during my round if my body wants to hit big fade shots that day :)

[vangator]

I always make sure to get to the course in time to warm up. I only do dynamic type stretching (jumping jacks etc.) no static stuff as I read somewhere that static could lead to injury. Something about lengthening the muscle before a round is bad for you.

I'm no sure bout this. I've done a lot of weight lifting ove the years and have read quite a bit. Stretching and warming up muscles is a good idea, IMO.

[dfreuter415]

If I play at courses that do not have a driving range and if so I tend to go to the local range before heading to the course. I have often wondered why the majority go from car to clubhouse to tee box and skip any kind of warm up.

Count me in the majority. About 90% of the time I get out of my car, put my bag on my pull cart, pay at the pro shop, and head to the first tee, hitting a couple of putts 50% of the time. I pull out my club, do a quick stretch, tee up the ball, and hit my first drive.

Reason for little warmup? Since I walk 90% of the time, I usually only need one hole to stretch out my legs and get warmed up, and really haven't noticed much difference in my score.

[RonTheSavage]

I'm no sure bout this. I've done a lot of weight lifting ove the years and have read quite a bit. Stretching and warming up muscles is a good idea, IMO.

Warming up the muscles is a great idea, I just choose a dynamic warmup over a static one thats all.

[3putter]

I know I really should stretch, but I rarely do it. Some days I'm on the fairway/rough/woods 5 mins after parking my car. I just jump on the 1st/10th tee if no one is in line, but going forward I'm gonna add it to the routine.

[Slice of Life]

Lately I just hit balls into the net in my garage. Down side is I can't see what my flight looks like...up side is that I stretch out, warm up, and make sure I'm hitting it solid before the first tee.

[Spitfisher]

rarely,almost never to I warm up

[Lihu]

Okay, before my round tomorrow, I am going to warm up.

I just had a pretty horrible round, although my score does not reflect it.

I did the warmup, but by the time I got to work I decided to put in a few more hours and work on my sensors this morning.

9 days of golf in 14 days is just a tiny bit too much for me, I'll play again tomorrow morning.

[noob]

After a few injuries that was accounted for by lack of warm up I now warm up properly before every round. The straw that broke the camel's back, or mine almost literally, was 4 weeks ago. Had a late night out and didn't get home until 3AM. Our tee time is 6:20AM and the course is 1hr away. So you could imagine I didn't really get to sleep much :) I was a bit late to the course so we went straight to the 1st tee. Had swung full with the driver and felt a jolt pain in my back. I could not take another shot. I could barely walk because every step I take was literally nerve pinching pain. Up on my friend cart I I went. I had to be the spectator for the first 9 holes. At the turn I went back in to the course clinic (yes it's a very nice course) where they treated me with some of the spray stuff which only helped a little and I rested (slept), waiting for my friends to finish the round. After that, you bet I warm up for almost 10 minute before every round. You'd never want to put yourself in that position again. I now do some extra strength training to improve my back muscles to protect my spine more, which will reduce the chance of that happening again.

[Torres9]

I am quite sure that I am not the only person completely baffled by this post. Explain thyself @Grndslmhttr3 . To respond to the OP and get back on topic, I don't really do much warm up and never the range. The range puts me in think Golf Swing mode and that's the last place I want my brain when I'm golfing, I want to be in target mode. My only real warm up will be pitches and chips at the practice green and a few putts to get the stimp. Never more than 10 minutes or so. If I'm waiting on the first tee I'll do a few 1/4 swing punches that travel about 40' just to get my weight shift happening correctly and make sure I have my feels down. That's it.

I think this explains a lot actually. You will never see professionals not warm up on a range prior to playing. its an anomaly to see even scratch amateurs not warm up on the range for fear of getting into a "thinker mode" that's why it's typically high handicappers who go straight to the tee or a few putts only. Either showing up last minute for a tee time or the range turns them into a head case. One thing to note, it is good in my opinion if someone realistically recognizes the range gets in their head so they skip it, to each his own, but for strong golfers in my experience it's very rare they don't hit shots to warm up from wedges to irons to hitting a driver/wood preparing their first tee shot. In all my years I've never seen a pro at a tour event or a players at USGA or big amateur events not warm up at the range, never. I think everyone needs to, but I do think everyone needs to figure out what works for them to get some kind of warm up that consists of more than putting or a couple green side bumps, it will only eventually make you stronger if you can figure it out for yourself. I think it's intelligent to stop at range and warm up prior to playing a course without a range as you stated. They key is warm up, not working on swing.... Very very different.

[RussUK]

I personally dont warm up on the range. I'll go to the 3 hole academy course where i play and i can hit wedge to 9 iron. Prior to that i'll make sure i do stretches, especially my wrists, as i injured my left wrist last year by not waring it up, and my knees (my knees can pop out of joint if i dont move them for more than 10 mins).

I think its more important your body is ready for your round as opposed to your swing. I'd much rather hit a duff 1st tee shot than injure myself so if its a toss up between doing 15 mins of stretches or heading to the range for me the choice is obvious but if time permits i'll do both.

[Al B Tross]

The way I see it, why would I wait until the 3rd or 4th hole before I'm "in the groove and now feeling it" when I can get those early cobwebs out of the way on the range and stand on the first tee ready to go? For me, a quick stretch (a quick stretch if time is limited is better than no stretch) and 20 or so balls on the range is all that's really necessary (even though I can hit more balls if I have more time).  The purpose of those 20+ balls is to 1. get loose and 2. see how I'm hitting it today.  If the swing for some reason is producing a "more than normal fade" during my quick warmup that I can't fix (and shouldn't try to since I'm playing that day) then guess what, you guessed it, it's a big fade today boys!  At least I know where I'm aiming on the first tee and during my round if my body wants to hit big fade shots that day :)

^^^^^^^^^^^ Ditto for me. I replaced most of my range time with stretching and believe that it helped a lot. I'll hit a handful of balls on the range and then the short game area for exactly the reasons above - no "fixing" at all but rather to see what's working and how. I always end with "playing" the first hole or two on the range (to get out of "mechanics" mode and into "shot making" mode) then rolling a few putts on the practice green.