A Simple Warm-Up By The Car Before Golf

A lot of golfers arrive at the course and go straight from the car to the first tee.

Bag out. Shoes on. Trolley sorted.

Then off we go.

That can be fine on a warm day when the body already feels loose. But plenty of the time, especially as the years go by, the first few swings can feel stiff, rushed and a bit disconnected.

It is not always a golf problem.

Sometimes the body still thinks it is getting out of the car.

Why the first few minutes matter

If you have been sitting in the car for half an hour or more, it makes sense that the shoulders, back and legs might feel a little tight.

Then, quite suddenly, you are asking the body to walk, turn and play golf.

I notice it more now than I used to.

I have no interest in spending ten minutes stretching beside the car, and I certainly do not want a collection of bands and gadgets in the boot.

But giving yourself a minute or two before heading towards the first tee can make the start feel a little less sudden.

Give yourself a minute before you head off

A few shoulder rolls while you sort the bag out.

Move the arms around a little.

Turn from side to side.

Bend the knees a couple of times.

Just enough to feel as though the body has started moving again.

That is really all I mean by a warm-up here.

The point is not to become more flexible in the car park.

It is simply to avoid going straight from sitting behind the wheel to standing on the first tee.

Sometimes the walk does most of the job

There are days when I do not think you need much more than a decent walk towards the first tee.

Rather than rushing from the car, give yourself a few extra minutes.

Move around a little.

Let the body wake up naturally.

By the time you reach the tee, you may already feel quite different.

That is probably enough without turning the car park into a fitness class.

Cold mornings are the ones you notice

A mild summer morning is one thing.

A cold, damp morning in Britain is another.

Those are the days when getting straight out of the car and trying to start the round immediately can feel particularly awkward.

The hands are cold.

The shoulders feel reluctant.

The legs have not really got going yet.

I would rather spend another couple of minutes getting organised and moving around than spend the first three holes wishing I had.

The first hole may still feel a bit stiff

Even after moving around for a few minutes, the first hole can still feel slightly awkward.

That is fine.

You have another three or four hours of golf ahead of you.

There is no need for everything to feel perfect on the opening tee.

For me, a short warm-up by the car is simply a way of making the start feel less abrupt.

Nothing more than that.

You get out of the car.

You move around for a minute or two.

Then you go and play.

If the body feels ready but the first tee still feels a bit bigger than it should, How To Settle First-Tee Nerves With One Simple Target follows on naturally from this.