How serious do you take warming up?

[freshmanUTA]

There are probably going to be a million and one ways to answer this question but I want to hear what you guys have to say.

When you go purchase or get for free, a warmup bucket of balls, how serious do you take your warmup?

I personally just use the time to get the feel for weight transfer and couldn't care less where the ball goes(I'd call this not to seriously). My dad uses it as a time to work on what he's been working on recently, before the round starts(I'd say this is somewhat serious), and my neighbor uses it as time to try to shape shots and try to hit exact distances, etc(I'd say this is very serious).

I chose to not have a poll because I want to hear explanations of how you use your warmup bucket, or time on the putting green. Is it just to get loose, or do you try to take every shot like its a live round situation?

How seriously do you take it?

[rehmwa]

I need to hit about a dozen balls just to reset the point where I start making clean contact.  If not, I can expect my first 2 or 3 holes to be a crapfest

after that, I just start playing with shaping and the like

but I don't much care if I get to or not - so I guess I take it about as seriously as I treat how the guy playing two holes over deals with a tiny movement of his ball while putting - or what kind of watch someone is wearing

[jsgolfer]

I hit enough balls to loosen up with short irons (9I, PW, SW) and then a few balls with a longer iron 5 or 6 and then a couple of drivers.  Try not to wear my self out on the range before playing.  

I'm more interested in what my ball flight looks like than working on anything specific.  

[No Mulligans]

No warmup bucket for me.  I spend about 2 to 10 minutes on the putting green and then take a few practice swings while on deck at the tee box (without balls of course).

I get to the course about 20 minutes before tee time, not enough time for a warmup bucket.  I prefer to try to dial in my distance for putting and chipping.

[GolfLug]

Used to hit the first shot of the morning on the first tee usually. Now I take warming up more seriously to loosen up. About 10 mins of 8 iron and driver does it.

[Elrey Desol]

most if not all the courses i play on a regular basis don't have a range w/ real grass....it's all mats. and i'm  VERY GOOD PLAYER when i'm on the mats. that doesn't quite translate to the turf however, and so for that reason i rarely, if ever, warm up beyond hitting a few putts on the practice green. and those putts are probably from 20-30 feet just to get the speed down, and then a few from right around the hole.

add in a few minutes of stretching, and good to go.

[Groucho Valentine]

Not very. Before tournament rounds i usually make a half assed effort to warm up. But usually most of my pre-round prep goes into stretching and some putting. My swing is what it is at this point. 

When i do warm up its usually nothing more than 10-15 balls with a wedge or 8i and the club I'm going to use on the first tee.  My first four or five are half swings then i work up to full swing. For some guys, hitting balls before playing is an important part of their routine. Personally, i just have never gotten much out of it. 

[billchao]

I don't warm up anymore. I usually play the first tee time of the day and I'm not even sure if the range is open, assuming the course I'm playing has one to begin with.

If I do get a warmup bucket, I'd say I'm very serious. I use it to hit shots to targets, but not like practice. I just want to know what my curve and start lines are going to look like for the day.

If I just want to loosen up or something, that's what the Orange Whip is for.

[Patch]

Well it was 5:30 am, and the temp was 95*f when we tee'd off this morning.  I'd already been up since 4am walking my dogs. This time of year I don't worry that much about warming up. Maybe a few practice swings. 

In the cooler months/climates I will try to make it a habit to warm up. Especially if it's an earlier tee time. Then again I have played in freezing, windy, rain all bundled up with out warming up. It just depends on what's going on at that moment. 

Edited June 21, 2016 by Patch

[mchepp]

I try to follow the #1 player in the world. 

P.S. there are a bunch of these on youtube now and what I find is that they are all kinda similar. It is worth watching some or even all of them.

[Dave2512]

I stretch more than anything. I don't mind hitting a few before teeing off but it doesn't kill me or anything. I expect to play a little wobbly the first couple holes and it takes me a few to get into the flow. Rather than trying to overcome that on the range I am cautious about club choice until I get dialed in. If I laser it 185 instead thinking that's a stock 6 I'll grab a 5 and plan on my miss getting to 185ish.

Sometimes I'll play safe hitting it to the most benign areas in front of the green. My best and worst days are never determined by the first couple holes and I expect to do no better than bogey because they don't set up well for me.  I don't hit enough good shots period so an extended warm up doesn't do much for me.

[Gunther]

Used to warm up before every round, without exception.  And, I hit 2-4 shots with every club in the bag.  Want to make good contact but wouldn't call it serious.  Just got my swing grooved.

Since I've been fighting this hand arthritis, I don't warm up at all for fear of exacerbating the pain.  So, I start cold and don't really like it much.

[newtogolf]

I warm up more to stretch and get my body making a good golf swing movement than trying to hit great shots.  Start out with sand wedge and work my way up to driver, 20 - 30 balls max, especially if it's hot out.  

[Dave2512]

39 minutes ago, Gunther said:

Used to warm up before every round, without exception.  And, I hit 2-4 shots with every club in the bag.  Want to make good contact but wouldn't call it serious.  Just got my swing grooved.

Since I've been fighting this hand arthritis, I don't warm up at all for fear of exacerbating the pain.  So, I start cold and don't really like it much.

Sucky, how old are you?

[Natural Patrick]

I putt for maybe 10 minutes, chip for 10. Then just swing the driver for a minute or so.

[Yukari]

i usually hit about 10-20 balls total with driver and irons. Then head to chipping area and finally to putting. Takes about 30 min. 

I like to loosen up before the first tee. 

[MasonAsher2014]

Casual rounds I'm not too strict sometimes I'll hit balls for a bit and play but other times I don't hit them at all and just go out.

For tournaments, I'm really strict about it. I'll putt for about 15-20 minutes then go hit balls for 30-40 minutes. I'm very particular about it. I'll hit 60* to a flag, then go 9I, 7I, 6I, 4I, hybrid, Driver, 5I, 8I, PW then some random wedges to flags. I hit 60-70 balls warming up and I never get tired either. Most of it is wedges and driver. I like to get the feel of the wedges and know where my driver is going to go that day. Then I'll go putt for 10-15 minutes from 20 feet and in. End with 2 made 3-footers and then tee off.

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, mchepp said:

I try to follow the #1 player in the world. 

P.S. there are a bunch of these on youtube now and what I find is that they are all kinda similar. It is worth watching some or even all of them.

I like this warmup!

42 FS

26 Chips

27 putts