Warm Up Routine

[dagolfer18]

What’s your usual warm up routine for a round? Is it the same for casual rounds and tournaments, or do you have different routines for each?

I have two different routines. I’m usually not big on longer warm-ups, so when I play my own rounds, I’ll get to the course about 20 minutes before my tee time, and I’ll putt for a few minutes.

To explain my tournament routine, I’ll assume my tee time is 10:45. In this case, with a 10:45 tee time, I’ll get to the course a few minutes before 10:00. I’ll go up to the pro shop and get a bucket of balls, and I’ll usually spend about half an hour on the range, leaving me about fifteen minutes to putt. I don’t take all fifteen minutes. When the group in front of me tees off, I’ll head to the first tee.

So as you can see, I’m not a huge fan of longer warm ups unless I’m in a tournament. 

[hunterw297]

My routine is the same for both casual rounds and tournaments: 20 minutes on the range and 10 minutes putting. I know from experience that trying to warm up for longer for tournaments than I would any other day just gets me out of my comfort zone, which is huge for tournament play.

[colin007]

Find a cart, grab the roof with both hands, and drop my hips to try and get my thoracic spine to crack and release

[bkuehn1952]

Casual play I usually stretch at home and then proceed to the course.  If I did not stretch and there is time and a place on the ground that is not wet/muddy I will stretch at the course.  Then a bit of putting.  Almost never hit balls other than courses that may have a chipping area.

Tournaments, I am typically working the registration desk and I am lucky to have time to putt a few and stretch.  If I am not tied up with administrative things, I will hit a few balls.  I like to see how my driver is behaving (a bit of a fade or almost straight is my standard flight) so I can anticipate whether to aim at the left side of the fairway or right.

 

 

[Archie Bunker]

I use the Count Yogi method - walk to the first tee, tee up the ball, and hit it down the fairway. Yogi never took a practice swing.

[chicub15]

My routine does not differ based on the round being a tournament or a casual round. My routine differs if I'm playing a course for the first time, in which case I'll allocate more time to chipping/putting to feel confident on the unfamiliar greens. 

[FlyingAce]

I don’t have a warm up routine. I don’t usually hit balls at the range before a round, maybe putt a few minutes but that’s it. I do swing my driver maybe 5 times and crack all my knuckles at the first tee before starting my round. 

[Sandy Divot]

Sometimes I hit a few and putt a few. Sometimes I'll swing a couple clubs to loosen up.

[Yukari]

Same routine.  I will hit about 10-15 balls on the range, then chip for ~5 min, and putt for ~5 min.

Previously, it was (i) check-in and (ii) head to the first tee.

[Club Rat]

And friend and I were playing an early morning round at 6:30 last month.
We met on the range and he told me his Pre-Round routine is usually "A dump, A jump and A bucket of balls"

Due to the early tee time, he could not have his usual routine ...  

[rkim291968]

What's a warm up?  I don't need no stinking warm up.  Life is short, too short to waste time in the range.  🤪

[Fairway_CY]

For casual rounds (typically played alone)... I'm usually slamming the trunk, stepping on to the first tee, taking one or two swings at nothing with my driver to loosen up and then heading out.  Unless I happen to get there early or something, in which case I'll hit a few wedges at the range.  

For rounds where I'm playing for something... I'll show up 20 minutes early to hit a few balls.  In that case... it'll be a few 9 irons, a few 6 irons and if I have time, a few drivers.  If I still have 5 minutes or so, I like to hit a couple 10 footers on the practice green.

For competitive, tournament rounds (pre-COVID)... I show up 90 minutes early.  I like to get my pockets set up (tees, ball marker and club cleaning tool in my right pocket, sunscreen chapstick in my left pocket and my ball mark repair tool in my back, right pocket). I'll typically hit balls on the range for 30-45 minutes, working from wedges up to my driver.  I'll then take a few minutes to relax in the shade (or in the clubhouse).  I'll head back out and putt for 20 minutes, starting with 10 footers to get the pace right and then moving to 6 footers to get some confidence.  If there is a chipping area, I like to spend about 10 minutes there before heading to the staging area and socializing for 5-10 minutes before we head out. 

With COVID... I try to keep it as close to the same routine as possible... just shorter.  We're only supposed to show up 30 minutes prior to tee time which really condenses things.  I hit balls for 15 minutes, putt for 5-10 minutes and then head off to the first tee.

CY

[Bucki1968]

I will usually hit a few clubs for about 10 to 15 minutes just to get the feel of hitting the ball (sometimes it only takes about 5 minutes). I like to hit a short iron and long iron. I don't usually hit driver.  Putt for 10 minutes and go.

[klineka]

For regular rounds (which is like 90%+ of my rounds) I arrive 30 minutes before tee time. Check in at the clubhouse then spend the remaining time chipping and putting, mainly focused on how the ball reacts when it lands on the green and speed control of putts. Most of the casual courses I play don't have ranges.

Tournament rounds I arrive 60 minutes before tee time, check in and get range balls. I like to take my time and not be rushed for a tournament round. I'll hit roughly 20-30 balls, no specific order, just hitting a few of each "grouping" of clubs like wedges, short/mid/long irons, then fairway wood and driver. If its a narrow course or I know I will be hitting less than driver off the tee, I'll hit a couple extra 3 woods. Then I chip and putt, same as casual rounds getting a feel for firmness of greens and speed.

[Billy Z]

Casual round, it is right from the car to the tee box, sometimes with putting practice. In tournaments it's the full range of the practice facilities. Being older I only hit about 5 driver shots, concentrating on more short game shots, including some lob and sand shots. Then over to the putting green. I don't over extend on any practice facility, I either know how to play or not is my philosophy.

Edited October 1, 2020 by Billy Z

[colin007]

Y'all got more time than I'd know what to do with LOL

[ncates00]

On 9/27/2020 at 8:21 AM, dagolfer18 said:

What’s your usual warm up routine for a round? Is it the same for casual rounds and tournaments, or do you have different routines for each?

I have two different routines. I’m usually not big on longer warm-ups, so when I play my own rounds, I’ll get to the course about 20 minutes before my tee time, and I’ll putt for a few minutes.

To explain my tournament routine, I’ll assume my tee time is 10:45. In this case, with a 10:45 tee time, I’ll get to the course a few minutes before 10:00. I’ll go up to the pro shop and get a bucket of balls, and I’ll usually spend about half an hour on the range, leaving me about fifteen minutes to putt. I don’t take all fifteen minutes. When the group in front of me tees off, I’ll head to the first tee.

So as you can see, I’m not a huge fan of longer warm ups unless I’m in a tournament. 

I try to arrive no less than 30 minutes prior to tee time and like to get 45 minutes prior if I can.

1) general movement and stretching

2) use superspeed sticks or my driver for a few fast "baseball" swings to get the juices pumping.

3) pick some targets and lay out my 0* start line with a stick.  Start with some pitches with either my 60 or 54 and work up to a full swing.  When pitching, working on having a slightly open face and more vertical shaft at address and through impact (no lean), but still feel a downward, solid attack.  Once I get up to a full shot, preset forward lean, hinge the club up, and feel the downward attack.  With both pitching and full shots, get the ball to start on my 0* line.  This is just a few balls.

4) still picking some targets and laying out my 0* start line with a stick.  I'll pick clubs based on whether I started with 60 or 54 and go up by skipping a club between, e.g., 60-PW-8i-6i-4h-5w-Dr or 54-9i-7i-5i-7w-3w-Dr.  Again, the main keys for me here are a good setup, hinge up, downward strike, and start the ball on 0* (so long as I'm striking it reasonably solid, ball shouldn't curve or if it does then my path is too far too the right or left) (Driver is very similar for me but without the nice divot).  Just a few balls with each club hit.

5) I'll usually finish by playing a couple of holes (on the range obviously) based on how I hope to play the hole.  Then I'll hit one last ball and it will be the tee shot I'll hope to have on my first hole.

6) A few pitch shots around the green (try to get different lies) and out of bunkers.  (note: I don't usually "chip" unless it's out from the trees; I prefer the "pitch" technique--see @iacas's explanation of the difference between the two techniques in his covid practice plan).

7) a few putts from short range all the way around the same hole to dial in bead and speed.

8 ) a few long putts to dial in read and speed.

9) go to the tee box, take some practice swings

10) have fun!

[RFKFREAK]

I just stretch my back out and loosen up my shoulders.

If I hit balls at the range beforehand, which I usually don't, I'll use Tiger's warmup routine.

Edited October 1, 2020 by RFKFREAK