Warming Up Before Golfing – Is it Necessary?

The short answer is yes! If you’re a golfer, you have most likely seen (or been guilty of) the following scenario: you pull up to the driving range 10 minutes before your round begins, pull your driver out of the bag, and swing away! No warm-up, no mobility routine, and boom – you wake up with a sore back the next morning.

Luckily for you, there’s a way to prevent this from occurring in the future! By performing a mobility routine and warming up, you’ll be able to enjoy your time on the golf course without worrying about a sore back the next day. A proper pre-round routine will help improve the flexibility of your muscles and prime them for the round ahead. This, in turn, will result in less soreness the following day. 

A pre-round mobility routine should focus largely on the lumbar and thoracic spine, as well as hip internal and external rotation, as you will be using these ranges of motion every time you swing the club. Below are three quick and easy mobility exercises that will help improve the range of motion in your hips and back. To optimize your warm-up, you should start your range session with light swings of your wedges and build up to using your driver with a full swing!

Hip Flexor Stretch with Sidebend 

Put one foot flat on the ground and the other knee placed on the ground behind it. Shift hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your hip. Hold this stretch and alternate bending towards each side. Perform for 2-3 sets of 15 repetitions each side.