First I want to apologize for the long break, between a busy summer and Hurricane Florence, life just got busy. A little shout out to everyone in North Carolina, wishing you all sunny skies and fast recovery.

But I am back in business and ready to get back to my blog!

When we first walk up to the practice tee we are so excited to play the golf course. We think warming up is taking our driver and take big swings to get our body loose.  Unfortunately, this is basically like walking into a gym and picking up a 50lb barbel and just beginning to lift. You wouldn’t do that to warm up in the gym, so you shouldn’t warm up first with a driver on the practice tee.

First, you should stretch your body out. Arm circles, toe touches, side lunges, etc. Once you have adequately stretched, place a stick/ club on the ground to get your proper alignment. Please make sure you are aiming at a target before you begin to warm up. I can not stress this enough. Then we are ready to grab a club – the PW! It is one of the shortest clubs and we can start with small swings. These small swings are going to be a chip shot! Take about 10 swings just using your shoulders, watching the club face move back and forth without it twisting and turning. When we feel good, then go to a pitch shot (basically a half swing). This adds your hips into the swing. Nice half swing shots making sure you are finishing at your target with your hips finishing all the way. About 10-15 of these swings. Then work yourself into a full swing. Now that you have stretched your body properly, you are ready to swing the club all the way back and through freely without pain or tightness.  After these go to an iron, a couple full swings, then a hybrid or a fairway wood. And lastly the driver! Maybe even visualize an imaginary fairway while you hit these driver shots, preferably visualize the first hole if you have played the course before.

What this will do is prime your brain to play, and help with first tee jitters as well.  This is not a time to try and fix your swing and worry about technique or mechanics.  This time on the practice tee is only for warming up your body and swing.  The time to worry about mechanics has passed, the time for action has come.  Once you feel sufficiently warmed up, head to the practice putting green and roll a few putts to get a feel for the greens.  After that, you are ready to head out to the first tee and smash that first drive down the fairway!