If you're like me, your warm-up routine is the spike in your heart rate as you run from the parking lot to the first tee at Poppy Hills! But if you're serious about improving your golf performance, a smart, focused pre-round warm-up can give you a major edge.
In this post, we break down a 20-minute golf warm-up into 3 strategic segments:
✅ Stretching
✅ Putting Drills
✅ Driving Range Prep + Visualization
A structured warm-up doesn’t just help you feel loose. It does so much more, including:
Enhances mobility and flexibility
Reduces injury risk
Sharpens your mental focus
Gives you insight into your swing mechanics for the day
⏱️ Total Warm-Up Time: 20 Minutes
Stretching (6 min) + Putting (6 min) + Range + Visualization (8 min)
By incorporating dynamic stretches into your routine, you can enhance your flexibility, mobility and overall game. It allows you to warm up your muscles, work on your swing mechanics and helps prevent possible injury.
With six minutes you can perform these three Essential Dynamic Stretches for Your Pre-round Warm Up Session
Purpose: Activates core and upper body rotation
How-To:
Stagger your stance, start by standing with one foot out in front of you and one foot behind you.
Hold a club across your chest with your arms crossed.
With your weight on your front foot and a slight bend forward from the waist, you're going to twist your upper torso back and forth.
Do 30 seconds of trunk twists and then repeat with your other leg forward.
Purpose: Improves wrist and elbow mobility
How-To:
Stand with your feet next to each other and hold a club in each hand by the grip.
Put your arms straight down by your sides and lift the club up and down in front of you by hinging your wrists for 15 repetitions.
Switch to holding one club just below the grip with one hand.
Bring your elbow up to ninety degrees with your forearm pointed out in front of you and the club pointing up to the sky.
Rotate the club from side to side slowly for 20 to 30 seconds.
Switch hands and do the same exercise with your other arm for another 20 to 30 seconds.
Purpose: Opens up the hips and thoracic spine
How-To:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a club with both hands extended out in front of you.
Make a lateral lunge out to your left side with your left foot, and once your foot lands, twist your upper body to the left.
10 reps per side
Incorporate these three stretches into your pre-round warm-up to enhance your flexibility, mobility, and overall golf performance. Remember to listen to your body and only stretch to a point of mild discomfort, never pain. By preparing your body properly before hitting the course, you can set yourself up for success and a more enjoyable and effective round of golf.
Now that you've finished your dynamic stretching routine, most players would head straight to the driving range. However, I suggest dedicating six minutes to the putting green first.
Why Start with Putting?
You’ll touch the ball more with the putter than any other club
Early putting confidence sets the tone for your round
Focus: Build consistent stroke path and face alignment
Setup:
Find a straight 3–4 ft putt
Place tees on either side of putter head
Putt without touching tees
Pro Tip: Do with the trail hand only to fine-tune face control and will give you instant feedback if the face is open or closed at impact. Rolling in 10 to 15 of these short putts will help you groove your stroke and boost your confidence out on the course!
Focus: Green speed assessment
Setup:
Place 3 balls at 20, 30, 40 feet from the fringe
Putt the ball and try to stop the ball just before the fringe
Don’t read the break—focus on speed only
Now that you're physically primed and mentally dialed, head to the range. The key? Don’t fix your swing.... discover it!
Focus on trajectory and contact
Observe ball flight: high/low, left/right
Hit every other iron:
Option 1: PW → 8 → 6 → 4 → Hybrid
Option 2: 9 → 7 → 5 → 3 → 3W
Hit 3–4 balls per club
Don’t analyze technique—just observe ball flight
Remember, you only have about 8 minutes before your tee time, so swing changes and technique are best left for your longer practice sessions or lessons with a head pro. Before your round, you're just trying to figure out what swing you brought to the course that day.
Save driver for last
Visualize the first tee shot
Hit your final range ball exactly how you plan to play it
Your final shot on the range should be a mirror image of the shot you plan to execute on the first tee, just 2 minutes away.
In just 20 minutes, you've:
Loosened your body
Dialed in your putting feel
Assessed your swing for the day
Mentally rehearsed your first shot
So now all that’s left is to ask:
“Where’s the first tee… and what’s the course record?” 😉
This article is a part of our Get Into Golf Series, check out more related content and download our comprehensive Guide devoted to golf beginners!