Golf Warm-Up Tips for Women
I recently attended a golf fitness class with with Ashley Wood, Head Golf Professional at The Mountain Course at Incline Village, in Lake Tahoe. She has been kind enough to share some of her best golf warm-up tips for women. Read on to learn Ashley’s tips for bringing an exercise regimen and mentality into your golf game.
Golf is a lot like sprinting. This may sound strange to some, but if you think about it the golf swing is a very explosive action starting at a very static position. This causes a lot of force through your body in a very short amount of time. So, if you were to go for a sprint, it would be important to warm-up the body beforehand so you don’t only pull a hamstring, but get the muscles warm to perform at our peak. This should be true for golf. Whether it be for the next Club Championship, or the casual round with friends, being ready to play will not only shave a few strokes off, but will also help make it more enjoyable. With a proper warm-up routine, we can increase performance, prevent injury and increase the longevity of playing the game.
Hitting golf balls before you play is important, but warm-up should go beyond on the range. Focusing on balance, mobility and strength before you take your first swing are keys to success. Using a dynamic workout-meaning moving the body through in lunges, shoulder mobility etc. and not a static warm up (holding stretches for a prolonged period of time) will get the blood flowing and the muscles ready. Simple little moves can also be beneficial when you don’t have a chance to hit the range.
Check out this YouTube video on a few warm-up moves and try these before you hit the first tee, (or even in your living room).
But let’s not forget about our mind. Mental strength is also important. Tension is not our friend in golf so using your breath to calm the mind and loosen your grip will help increase range of motion and in turn increase our good shots! Try this….Take a long breath in through your nose counting to 7 seconds and really expanding your belly, hold at the top for 5 seconds and let your breath out again through your nose for 7 more seconds. Repeat this 3 to 5 times and notice the change in muscle tension. Feel better? Imagine doing this on the first tee, on the golf course in between shots, or walking down the fairway. All perfect times to get your mind right and prepared for your next shot.
Cheers to a happy and healthy game!
Author Bio: Ashley Wood, a PGA of America Professional and a certified fitness professional, is one of the Head Golf Professionals at the Lake Tahoe community of Incline Village. She previously served as the Head PGA Professional and Director of Fitness at the prestigious Presidio Golf & Concordia Club in San Francisco, from 2016-2019. She attended graduate school at SDSU earning a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology with emphasis in athletic development and sports and exercise psychology. Ashley has a passion for helping others live a happy and healthy lifestyle through the game of golf. To contact Ashley directly please email at aew@ivgid.org or call (775) 832-1339.
To learn more about Ashley and The Mountain Course at Incline Village, head to the Incline Village website.
With an Advanced Rules Certification from the USGA, Marcela teaches golf rules at clubs across the country. She’s helped thousands of women boost their confidence, avoid penalties, and elevate their overall enjoyment of the game.