Crack!…The sound of a golf ball hitting the side of the cart
shed adjacent to the first tee at Gilroy GC. I hear that sound
about once a week. It almost always comes from a player who just
got out of the car and stepped on to the first tee without warming
up.
Crack!…The sound of a golf ball hitting the side of the cart shed adjacent to the first tee at Gilroy GC. I hear that sound about once a week. It almost always comes from a player who just got out of the car and stepped on to the first tee without warming up.
Warming up is very important for health and golf reasons. Cool muscles have a far-greater tenedency to pull or tear. It is very important to get those muscles warmed up before you hit your first shot. Simple stretches or swinging a weighted club is better than just a couple practice swings.
Look at your scorecard. How many times do you shoot better on the front nine than the back nine? Probably not nearly as often. This can be directly attributed to not warming up on the range ahead of time. Do you ever see a pitcher just get out of the dugout and go straight to the mound? Every day is different with your golf game. That’s why you should hit a few balls before you play to see what game you are bringing to the course. Some days you slice more than others, some days you aren’t slicing at all. It would be nice to know this before you hit your first shot instead of after.
Don DeLorenzo is a PGA-certified instructor at Gilroy Golf Course. To schedule a lesson with Don, call Gilroy GC at (408) 848-0490.
