How to Loosen Up for Golf

Showing up to the first tee cold is one of the fastest ways to sour a round of golf before it even gets going. A stiff body and an unsettled mind are a recipe for doubles and triples on the opening holes. This guide will walk you through a complete, pro-level warm-up routine that goes beyond a few half-hearted swings, getting your body and mind ready to play your best from the very first shot.

Why a Proper Warm-Up Actually Matters

Many golfers treat the warm-up as an optional step, but it’s just as important as your setup or your grip. A good warm-up is about far more than just "loosening up." It’s a purposeful routine designed to accomplish three specific things:

• Prevent Injury: A golf swing is an explosive, athletic movement. Asking your body to go from 0 to 100 without preparation puts unnecessary stress on your back, shoulders, and hips. A proper warm-up gradually readies your muscles and joints for the demands of the swing.
• Find Your Tempo: Rushing to the tee often leads to a quick, jerky takeaway and poor rhythm. A warm-up period allows you to slow down, find a smooth tempo on the range, and carry that feeling to the course.
• Build Confidence: Seeing a few well-struck balls on the range and watching putts drop on the practice green immediately shifts your mindset from anxious to confident. You’re not hoping to hit a good first shot, you’re expecting to.

Think of the warm-up not as a chore, but as the first step of your game plan. It’s your transition from the car to the course, helping you arrive on the first tee feeling prepared, focused, and ready to go.

Phase 1: Getting Primed Before You Swing (Dynamic Stretching)

The first step in a physical warm-up shouldn’t involve a golf club at all. Static stretching - where you hold a stretch for 20-30 seconds - is best saved for after the round. Before you play, you want to perform dynamic stretches. These are active movements that take your body through a full range of motion, increasing blood flow and activating the specific muscles you’ll use in your swing. This should only take 5-10 minutes.

You can do these in the parking lot or near the practice area. Here’s a simple sequence:

1. Leg Swings (Forward and Backward)

Hold onto a golf cart or the side of a wall for balance. Swing one leg forward and backward 10 times, like a pendulum. Keep the motion fluid and controlled, gradually trying to increase the height of the swing. Switch legs and repeat. This opens up your hamstrings and hip flexors.

2. Leg Swings (Side-to-Side)

Facing the wall or cart, swing your leg from side to side across the front of your body 10 times. This helps to loosen the adductor and abductor muscles on the inside and outside of your thighs, which are important for stability during the swing.

3. Torso Twists

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms crossed over your chest or place a club across your shoulders. Gently rotate your upper body from side to side, feeling the stretch through your torso and lower back. Do 10-15 rotations to each side. This mimics the core rotational movement of the swing.

4. Arm Circles

Hold your arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height. Make 10 small circles forward, then 10 small circles backward. Then, make 10 large circles forward, followed by 10 large circles backward. This simple move activates all the muscles in your shoulder girdle.

5. Standing Cat-Cow

Place your hands on your knees and bend over slightly. On an inhale, arch your back, dropping your belly and lifting your chest and tailbone (the "cow" position). On an exhale, round your spine upwards, tucking your chin and tailbone (the "cat" position). Repeat this 8-10 times to promote spinal flexibility, which is fundamental for a healthy golf rotation.

Phase 2: Finding Your Feel on the Range

Once your body is awake, it’s time to head to the driving range. The purpose of this session is not to find a new swing or fix a lingering fault. The goal is simply to find a rhythm, make solid contact, and see the ball fly. A small bucket of 25-30 balls is more than enough.

Step 1: Start Small

Never start your range session with a driver. Your body isn't ready for it. Instead, grab your most lofted club, like a sand or lob wedge.

• Begin with Half Swings: Hit 5-7 balls with smooth, waist-high-to-waist-high swings. Focus only on the feeling of the clubhead making crisp contact with the back of the ball. Don't worry about distance.
• Progress to Full Swings: Once you feel comfortable, take a few full, easy swings with that same wedge. The idea is to calibrate your swing with your most forgiving club first.

Step 2: Work Through the Bag

Now, progressively work your way up. This method allows your body to gradually adjust to the changing length and lie angle of each club. A good progression might look like this:

• Wedge (5-7 balls): As described above.
• 9-iron or 8-iron (5-7 balls): Focus on maintaining the same smooth tempo from your wedge shots. Notice what solid contact feels like with a short iron.
• 7-iron or 6-iron (5-7 balls): You'll start generating more speed here naturally. Concentrate on balance and finishing your swing.
• Hybrid or Fairway Wood (3-5 balls): Take a slightly wider stance. Practice sweeping the ball off the turf (or a very low tee).
• Driver (3-5 balls): Now your body is fully warmed up and ready for the big stick.

Step 3: Rehearse the First Tee

This is a critical final step. Decide what club you will be hitting off the first tee. Take the last 2-3 balls in your bucket and treat them exactly like you will on the course.

Go through your entire pre-shot routine. Step behind the ball, pick your a target, make a practice swing, set up, and hit the shot. Visualize the fairway of the first hole. This mental rehearsal transfers the feeling of confidence from the controlled environment of the range to the reality of the course.

Phase 3: Dialing it in Around the Green

Your blood is flowing and you’ve found your long-game rhythm. The final piece of the puzzle is to get a feel for the two things that will save you the most strokes: putting and chipping. Don't skip this, even if you only have five minutes.

Putting Green (Focus on Speed)

Hitting a hundred 3-footers won't prepare you for the course. The main goal on the practice green is to judge the speed for the day.

• Start Short: Begin by hitting a few 3-foot putts. This isn’t for practice, it’s for confidence. The simple act of seeing and hearing the ball go into the hole reinforces a positive mindset.
• Lag Putts: Find a long, straight putt of 30-40 feet. Without aiming at a hole, just try to roll three balls so they stop next to each other. This is all about speed control. See how far the ball rolls out. Are the greens fast? Are they slow? Learning this now prevents you from a disastrous three-putt on the first or second hole.

Chipping Area (Focus on Contact)

You don’t need to do a full short-game workout. Just grab your favorite wedge and a few balls.

• One Shot, Multiple Clubs (Optional): If you have time, try hitting the same short chip with two different clubs, like a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. Notice how the ball flies lower and runs out more with the PW, and flies higher and softer with the SW.
• Basic chip: If you're short on time, just hit 5-10 simple chips to a pin. Focus on the sound of contact. Are you catching it cleanly? You're just reminding your hands what a crisp chip feels and sounds like.

With that, your routine is complete. Walk to the first tee knowing you’ve prepared your body, synched your tempo, and have a good feel for how the ball will behave today. You’re no longer hoping for a good start - you've engineered one.

Final Thoughts

Transforming your pre-round habits from a rushed afterthought into a structured warm-up is one of the easiest ways to improve your scores and your enjoyment of the game. A great routine - combining dynamic movement, purposeful range work, and short-game feel - replaces first-tee anxiety with genuine confidence.

Building a consistent routine is about making the game simpler and eliminating guesswork. It’s the same philosophy we used when developing Caddie AI. By giving you immediate, expert-level answers right on the course - from on-demand strategy for a tricky par-5 to personalized advice for a tough shot from the rough - we help you stand over every ball feeling prepared, supported, and clear on your game plan.