Think about your routine when you get to the golf course. You park your car, grab your clubs, head to the locker room and hopefully have some time before you tee off to hit a few balls at the range. Sound about right? This is pretty typical, what’s unfortunate about it is that most people leave very little time for stretching before their round. Yes, stretching. While many people acknowledge the benefits of stretching for golf, very few take the time to do it. They just don’t have enough time and want to spend what extra time they do have at the range. The Mayo Clinic recommends golfers walk for 10 minutes around the practice tee and then do some basic stretching before playing a round. There are also a few that have demonstrated that injuries due to specific movements may be prevented by stretching.
There are two types of stretching: static (or passive) and dynamic (or active). Static stretching is simply stretching a muscle when it is not moving (like touching your toes). Active stretching is stretching caused by an activity (like certain types of kicking to stretch hamstrings). According to most medical studies, static stretching does not enhance and may actually decrease performance. Be advised that this depends on the joint involved. Active stretching, on the other hand, has been proven to increase performance and strength. There is also evidence that dynamic stretching may also prevent certain types of injuries, depending on what’s being stretched. This article will help you understand the difference between static and dynamic stretching.
Unfortunately, despite these facts, most people continue to neglect to warm up. They think it will take too long and just skip it. But what if it would only take them 60 seconds?
I have developed a stretching routine that includes mostly active and some passive stretches that will increase performance. The beauty of this routine is that it only takes 60 seconds. As anxious as I am to hit golf balls when I get to the golf course, I have found that taking the time to do this 60-second warm-up makes a world of difference. It enables me to hit the ball farther and feel better while doing it. When I introduce another golfer to this warm-up, they almost always incorporate it into their pre-round routine.
Two of the most important aspects of this routine include the dynamic stretches of the upper arms and the hip rotators, which you will see in the video. In daily life, our arms tend to get married to our shoulder joints so that when our trunk moves, our arms also move. In the golf swing, we want the upper arm to be able to swing freely in the shoulder joint sockets, divorcing themselves from the trunk. This is difficult to do unless you first swing the arms in the sockets to prepare them for what’s to come. Fred Couples often swings his arms in the sockets while on the golf course to keep his arms and shoulders “loose”. Also, the hip rotators and legs need to be able to move in the hip sockets. You will see how simple it is to accomplish these two objectives in the video.
Watch the video, try the warm-up, and see for yourself why this should be an essential part of your pre-round routine.