Who Stretches..........Properly!

[ADB]

I am always guilty of arriving late to the course, never warming up properly and consequently never feel totally 'loose' in my swing until after the 2nd or 3rd hole.

I just wondered if people, instead of hitting balls prior to your rounds, simply did some concentrated streching and whether this was as good, if not better, than hitting the practice range.

I tend to do a few rotations, bit of touching toes but have no idea how long you should take to 'properly' stretch and warm up rather than paying lip service to the process.

Any tips on the type of streching to do would be useful....I want to try and save my back in later years!

 

[Aztecs27]

I usually do (not necessarily in this order):

-Weighted swings (with two clubs, usually a 6 and 7 iron).

-Shoulder Rotations with the club bridged between my shoulders (behind my neck) standing upright.

-The same thing but bent over at 90 degrees

-And sometimes, if no one's looking, I'll do some back extensions, but usually I don't need to.

Then I'll hit 20 balls with a 7 iron on the range if I have time.

If I don't stretch, I *cannot* hit my drive on the 1st tee. It's probably more a mental thing, but it's become a pre-round routine now.

 

[patricks148]

Sometimes if I remember.

I usually just get out of the car, have a couple of putts on the practice green and head for the first tee.

I would rather do some stretches that hit balls on the range any day.

 

[Doh]

Being an oldie I aways have to stretch before a game as I only live 5mins away I do them before I leave home. starting from the head/neck down through the shoulders and finishing with the feet, easy to remember give yourself plenty of time don't rush.

 

[john0]

Does bending over to tie shoe laces count as stretching?

 

[USER1999]

Does bending over to tie shoe laces count as stretching?

Ditto for putting a tee in the ground.

 

[Alex1975]

I always do my back or I suffer badly after the game. I should do more but I get more stiff at my desk than I do on the course apart from my back... I always have to look after my back for some reason, must be getting old or something.

 

[john0]

Does bending over to tie shoe laces count as stretching?

Ditto for putting a tee in the ground.

and sometimes I do a bit of extra stretching by teeing up again to play 3 off the tee

 

[ADB]

Does bending over to tie shoe laces count as stretching?

Ditto for putting a tee in the ground.

Thanks boys, I new I could rely on you for a sensible answer

I'm usually stretching to retrieve my ball from the crud to the left after I snap one off the 1st.

 

[HickoryShaft]

I always take my lad to a lesson on the range Saturday morning and have a session myself including stretching before hand. If I head straight to the club afterwards I usually get off to a good start.

My regular playing partner realised this and started organising games for early Sunday moring when I roll up late and bleary eyed and head straight to the first tee

 

[surefire]

You shouldn't really need to stretch before playing.

It's a good idea to warm up, but people often confuse stretching and warming up.

A good way to warm up would be some brisk walking, perhaps just from the car or down to the range to get blood flowing through all the muscles in the body. Once this is done, dynamically work through moving your joints through their full range of motion.
Then start swinging building up in range of motion and speed.

On the topic studies are out there which show that immediately after stretching, peak muscle strength is reduced. Last thing you need if you want to boom a drive down the fairway.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I have to stretch my calves because I have flat feet. If I don't my shins ache to the point where I can't walk the next day. I also stretch my hamstrings out and do a few swings with two clubs, then just peg it up and hit a 6 iron down the middle.

Sometimes.

 

[SyR]

I was thinking about this a few weeks ago as I never do any warm up stretches and have never had any problems. The next day during a session at the range I tweaked my right shoulder while getting too agressive with my new driver.

It still hasn't settled dow, although it is slowly improving...maybe I've been lucky up until now or maybe it's a sign I'm approaching 30...

 

[MashieNiblick]

I will generally do some stretches (club across shoulders rotate and hold for 10 seconds both ways X 3) as well as some general strecthes (especially neck and shoulders) and easy practice swings. If I have time I'll hit some balls in the net.

Often swing 2 clubs to warm up but have now bought a couple of gadgets off HaplessHacker (improvemygolf.co.uk - excellent service, cheers Graham) - a swing ring and a weight pocket which I'm going to try out, mainly as a way of rebuilding my strength and swing speed but should be good for warm ups too. I'll review them when I've used them for a bit.

 

[colint]

I've started doing some pre game stretching and also a bit of general stretching during the week. Definitely helps me, I used to feel like I was made of wood until the 4th or 5th hole

I always hit a few balls before I play as well now

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I usually do a few light stretches and swing two clubs together but not with any real intensity. I tend to use the warm up before I go out for hitting balls to strtch and limber up and to try and find a modicum of tempo

 

[Imurg]

Does bending over to tie shoe laces count as stretching?

Ditto for putting a tee in the ground.

+1

 

[Simbo]

on medal days im usually at the course about an hour before im due off, i stretch a lot, working from the feet upwards finish with a couple of swings with a club then hit a few ball son the practice mats,

other days when i play/practice im not quite as thorough but i always make sutre i have a good stretch before i go out.

its not that good for your body going from being slouched over a desk 1 minute to trying to hit a ball at 90 ish miles an hour

 

[HawkeyeMS]

...bit of touching toes...

Show off, I haven't been able to do that without bending my knees since I was 18!

 

[ADB]

...bit of touching toes...

Show off, I haven't been able to do that without bending my knees since I was 18!

Did I say toes? Meant knees