Monica Novak’s Guide to the Proper Golf Warm-Up Routine
(Allow 10 minutes for a proper warm-up) Warm Up • Start by using a baseball swing. Hands on the grip of a long iron. Swing side-to-side. Feel the weight shift from right foot to left foot, open up the shoulders and hips. Perform approximately 30 swings. Keep swinging back and forth, now slowly move the club head down toward the ground. With each pass of the club take it lower to the ground, until eventually sweeping the grass. Perform approximately 30 swings. Hold the club in front of the body, one hand on the hossle and one on the grip. Perform a chopper, above head and below the knees performing a quarter squat at the same time. Repeat for 10-20 repetitions. Keep the same hand position and now perform a diagonal chop 10-20 reps to each side. Perform a quarter squat with the turn. Be sure to rotate all the way around opening up the shoulders. Come up onto the toe as you rotate. To ensure proper warm up for your rotator cuff before a round perform these four exercises. Complete 20 repetitions of arm circles forward and 20 backward with your arms extended at shoulder height. o o o o Palms face the ground Palms face the sky Thumbs face the sky Thumbs face the ground
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Stretching Routine The heart rate should be up and you should be breathing hard. Now it is time to stretch well. 1- Golfer’s Lat Stretch Standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Knees slightly bent. Raise your arms straight up & grab your right wrist with left hand. Lean over to your left, gently pulling on the right wrist until you feel a good stretch on your right side. Then, lean over from your waist & turn toward the left, still pulling on your right wrist you should feel a fantastic stretch along the right side of your upper body into your hip. Hold for 15 seconds. Then come back to the start position & do the same thing going the other way. And then repeat two more times on each side. 2- Rotational Stretch With your golf stance, place the shaft behind your neck (on top of the shoulders)
Knees slightly bent. Rotate slowly side-to-side. Hold for 5 sec. each direction. Repeat 3 times each side. Keep your head stable. 3- Hamstring Stretch Feet together, club still in your hands. Knees slightly bent. Lean forward from waist, and try to touch your toes. Hold for 10-15 seconds. 4- Triangle Stretch Feet wide in a V shape. Leave the left hand under center; take the right hand up to the sky. Rotate the shoulders and feel a stretch in the inner thigh of the opposite leg. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on other side. 5- Hip Flexor Stretch Stagger the stance, one foot in front of the other. Lean into the front leg, have a slight bend in the rear leg and the rear toe on the ground, heel is up. Lean the shoulders back slightly. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on other side. 6- Back Cuff Stretch Place left hand on the right shoulder and right hand on the left elbow. Now pull the left arm into your chest. Hold for 10-15 seconds and repeat on the right arm. 7- Under Cuff Stretch Place the left hand behind your head with your palm facing your neck and the right hand on the left elbow. Now push arm down behind your head. Hold for 10-15 seconds and repeat on the right arm. 8- Chest Stretch One arm behind your body, holding onto the golf cart or the tee sign. Stretch the chest. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on other side. 9- Shoulder Stretch Take the club in your right hand. Hand by the grip. Your palm faces the sky, elbow up and pointing away from you. Right hand is by your shoulder. Take the club shaft to the outside of the elbow. Latch it under the elbow and lift up with the left hand on the shaft by the hossle. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on other side. 10- Gluteus Stretch Sit in the golf cart or a chair. Cross your right leg over the left, placing the right ankle on the left thigh. Lean slightly forward until you feel it in the hip and low back. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on other side. Now let the Big Dog Eat!