Warm up
Proper warm-up is essential for peak performance in any sport. If you attend any
professional sporting event you always see athletes going through a pre-game
warm-up, and pro golfers are no different. By the time tour professionals step to
the first tee, they are fully prepared to make their best swings from the opening
tee shot.
Most amateurs, however, get “warmed up” by dashing from their cars to the pro shop
to check in, then running to the first tee, all within five minutes or so. Usually
this is followed by unsteady play for the first five holes and ends up with another
disappointing round. In my opinion, with this style of warm-up, golfers are making
bogies before they ever step on the course. To avoid this syndrome I recommend the
following routine:
– Get to the course early. You need enough time to take care of your business in
the golf shop, use the restroom, change your shoes, etc. It is important that you do
not feel rushed, so allow time to complete this entire warm-up period at a leisurely
pace. Remember, your warm-up routine sets the tempo for the day, so move slowly and
relax. I recommend that you arrive at the course a minimum of one hour before your
tee time.
– Begin warming up on the putting green. Putting is 43-percent of golf and the
putting stroke is the slowest and smoothest of all strokes in golf. By spending time
warming up on the green first, you will not only be prepared for the speed of the
greens but you will also be starting the day with smooth, deliberate tempo. It
makes no sense to visit the range first and get stretched out and limbered up for
the opening drive, then stand for 15 minutes nearly motionless on the putting green.
Spend the first five minutes putting to a tee or a coin from twenty, thirty and
forty feet and from a variety of angles. Watch the ball and pay attention to how
much the ball rolls. Speed control is critical in putting and time spent judging
pace will pay off on the course. Many students often complain that the greens on
the course are not the same as the practice greens. The only difference between the
two is the pressure to perform. The practice green is cut at the same height with
the same mower and is usually constructed in the same manner as the greens on the
course. The putts you roll on the course count and the pressure to perform makes
the greens seem different.
You should then spend another five minutes or so rolling putts to a tee or coin
from ten feet in to three feet. Do not putt at the cup. You never want to see the
ball miss the hole, so just use a tee or coin. Also, if you roll putts at a small
target like a tee or coin, the hole will seem huge and, therefore, your confidence
level will be high. Confidence is vital to good putting. Finally, spend a few
minutes hitting 25 six-inch putts that run straight up hill. You will make all 25 in
a row and this will set you up with the perfect image: the ball rolling in the hole
every time.
– Spend 10 minutes hitting chips around the green with a tee as a target. To
determine how much the ball will roll you must test the firmness of the greens. On
hard greens the ball tends to roll more than on soft greens. Also, different types
of rough make the ball react differently when the ball hits the green. Spending time
around the green will give you some ideas that will help you choose the best
greenside shots during the round, and where to land the ball on the putting surface.
