Warming up before a round

[DrvFrShow]

Saw a video on Facebook of Dustin Johnson warming up and while I'd just share the vid, my browser doesn't seem to like to post facebook vids. So here's his warmup:

60* Wedges - 12

54* Wedges - 26

PW - 13

8 irons - 12

4 irons - 33

3 woods - 4

Driver - 11

6 irons - 13

(heads to chipping area)

PW off short stuff - 27

Pitches from rough - 6

(Heads to putting green) - I think for us hacks this putting routine should be reversed.

Putts from 25 feet - 2

Putts from 5 feet - 12 - I noticed he wasn't making very many of them.

Heads to first tee......

Full Swings: 68; Chip/Pitches: 128; Putts 14.... 65% shots inside 100 yds. Total number of shots: 196. Time 90 minutes.

Of course this is WARM UP, not practice. He's not working on anything or making any changes during this time. This is more shots than I hit during practice. Ouch.

 

[Rainmaker]

That's a lot more full swings and a lot less putts than I would've thought - particularly the 33 4 irons. 

But yeah, as far as I go, 68 full swings before a round . . .hmmm . . that's about 50 too many for me, lol.  I'd be ready to head for the car. 

[Gunther]

If that was from today, it sure explains his fade on the back 9.

[mcanadiens]

Pros doing pro stuff. 

Just looking at that makes me feel tired.

[Buckeyebowman]

I'm kind of surprised at so few putts myself. I'm kind of an oddball, so if I have the chance to warm up before a round I like to hit putts first, then go the range and hit full shots. I finish with the driver and head to the first tee where I'm going to hit, what? A driver! I've found that hitting full shots first and then heading to the practice green, stooping over a number of putts causes me to tighten up and gives me a back ache. IDK, maybe that's DJ's thinking as well.

[DrvFrShow]

@Buckeyebowman That surprised me as well. My instructor pro was on the tour for a few years back in the early 90s. He told me to spend about 20 minutes lag putting to get the speed of the greens ingrained in my head before I tee off. Also that if I only have about 20 minutes, putt.

But putting that much causes my back to tighten up which is why I went to a broomstick.

[Buckeyebowman]

3 minutes ago, DrvFrShow said:

@Buckeyebowman That surprised me as well. My instructor pro was on the tour for a few years back in the early 90s. He told me to spend about 20 minutes lag putting to get the speed of the greens ingrained in my head before I tee off. Also that if I only have about 20 minutes, putt.

But putting that much causes my back to tighten up which is why I went to a broomstick.

I've heard much the same. If time is short, putt. I've also heard that if the putting green permits short chips to be hit there, do that!

Interesting point about practicing lag putting. I once saw a video tip by Hank Haney about saving strokes on the course. No matter what some may think of him, this made sense to me. He remarked that he saw a lot of mid to high handicappers practicing 10 to 15 foot putts. He felt that those kind of golfers only faced that length of putt when they'd made a particularly fine approach, or a particularly bad chip! He felt that, for the most part, those golfers needed to practice lag putting, and short putts from 2 to 3 feet. And whichever of those you mess up more, you need to practice more. The entire object is to turn three putts into two!

[boogielicious]

I would be done if I hit that many full swings before a round, but I understand it. When I used to race bicycles, we would warm up to almost race speed before the start for shorter races like crits, cyclocross and MTB. The starts were fast and if you were not already completely warm, you would get dropped.

Pros can hit so many ball because they are conditioned to do it. I can see where they want to be in mid round form at the start.

[DrvFrShow]

Tour pros also walk the course. They play 5 to 6 rounds a week. Work out in the gym on top of it, and practice at the range when they're not at the gym. These people are professional athletes. They're not out playing a round, riding around in a cart, having a few beers with their buddies.

So if one has dreams of playing on the tour, in addition to the fact that they started young, some even at the age of 3, one has to consider this.

I think this warm up routine just shows the gap between us hackers and the tour level players. And consider the fact that most of us are still trying to get the fundamentals down. 

I get to see pros practice when I go to the range. Yes they're seniors now, but they're still pros. One hits about 50 wedge shots, then another twenty 9 irons. then about twenty 5 irons, then another 20 wedge shots and calls it a day. 40 full swings. 70 partial swings.

[Gator Hazard]

I need a nap after reading about the warm up. Sheesh. I'd be spent after all of that. 

[Groucho Valentine]

Im not really big on extensive warm up sessions. If I'm playing a recreational round or money game with friends i sometimes don't warm up at all. Strait from the parking lot to the tee. I do try to stretch every time before i play though. I find that more useful than hitting balls. If not before round at least between waits to hit my shot on the first couple of holes. 

Before tournaments i usually hit some balls. Probably less than 20 balls total. I don't care where they go, I'm just getting the joints and muscles warmed up a bit. Its typically just a couple of wedges, 8 irons, 5 irons then maybe a couple of drivers. Ill hit some pitches and sand shots if the course has a short game area and then spend the rest of my time on the practice green putting.  

17 minutes ago, Gator Hazard said:

I need a nap after reading about the warm up. Sheesh. I'd be spent after all of that. 

True indeed. Thats a lot of work he goes through.