Alright, so today I wanna share my little golf prep stretching routine. Nothing fancy, just some stuff I picked up over time that seems to help me not pull a muscle on the first swing.
It all started a while back. I was hitting the range, feeling good, and then WHAM, pulled something in my back. Couldn’t swing for like a week. That sucked. So, I started looking into pre-golf stretching.
First thing I do now is some light cardio. Like, really light. Just a brisk walk around the parking lot for maybe 5 minutes. Gets the blood flowing a little, y’know?
Then comes the dynamic stretching. This is where I actually start moving and loosening up. Here’s my go-to list:
- Arm Circles: Forward and backward. Just big, easy circles. Maybe 10 each way.
- Leg Swings: Holding onto my golf cart (or a friend), I swing each leg forward and backward, then side to side. Gotta be careful not to kick anyone, haha. About 10 swings each leg, each direction.
- Torso Twists: Feet planted, I twist my upper body from side to side. Nothing crazy, just feeling the stretch in my back and core. Do this like 15-20 times.
- Hip Circles: Like hula hooping, but slower and more controlled. Again, about 10 in each direction.
- Shoulder Rotations: I grab a club and hold it behind my back, rotating my shoulders. This one feels REALLY good. Like 10-15 reps.
After the dynamic stuff, I move on to some static stretches, holding each one for about 20-30 seconds:
- Hamstring Stretch: Just bending over and trying to touch my toes. If I can’t reach, no big deal, just go as far as comfortable.
- Quad Stretch: Holding my foot behind me and pulling towards my butt. Good for balance practice too!
- Trunk Rotation: Sitting down and twisting my torso, holding the stretch.
- Wrist Stretches: Extending my arm straight out and bending my wrist up and down, holding each position. Golf needs strong wrist.
Finally, before I even THINK about swinging, I do a few practice swings. Really slow and controlled, focusing on my form and feeling the stretch. Start with half swings, then gradually increase the power.
That’s pretty much it. Nothing earth-shattering, but it’s made a huge difference. I haven’t pulled anything since I started doing this routine, and I feel way more limber and ready to go on the tee box. Give it a try, maybe it’ll help you too!
