If you're like most golfers, you get to the course about 10 minutes before your tee time, rush to get on your shoes, then make it to the first tee just in time to tee off. Then you wonder why you you don't hit your stride until the third or fourth hole. Like professional athletes, you need a pregame warm-up to preform your best on the golf course. If you do so, you will begin shooting lower scores, and your handicap will go down.
Arrive Early
Get to the golf course at least an hour before you are scheduled to tee off because you have a lot to do before you're prepared to play, and you don't want to feel rushed. Your pace of the day will be fast or slow depending on how you spend this hour.
Start By Practicing Putting
Almost half of the average number of strokes you'll take are on the green, so it makes sense to start here. Besides, if you first hit balls on the range, then putt until your tee time, you will stiffen up, and all of that practice time will be wasted. When you are on the practice green, don't aim for a cup, because many of those putts will not go in and will create an image you don't want to take with you to the course. Instead, putt toward a coin so the holes on the course will seem much larger.
Then Hit Chip Shots
The only way you'll be able to judge how far the ball will travel on the course's green is to test its firmness on the practice green by hitting chips. This is true even if you play the same course every week because conditions change with the weather. Also, you will begin reacquiring the feel of the shots that you had the last time you played. This time, use a tee to hit at instead of a coin or a cup.
Stretch Before Hitting the Range
It is critical that you do this before you hit your first ball to avoid injury and to increase your range of motion. It has been proven that a person's range of motion can be improved by almost 20 percent if he exercises before doing anything athletic. After stretching, start by hitting a few short wedge shots, then work your way up to a longer club, topping off your practice with long irons, hybrids and woods. Fred Couples, a touring professional, saves the last five balls for his driver but hits in slow motion so they travel only about 50 yards. He contends that this drill reinforces proper balance and rhythm, which help him on the golf course.
Arrive at the First Tee Ready to Play
Because it's never a good idea to wait several minutes to tee off after you are thoroughly warmed up, arrive at the tee only a minute or two before you have to tee off. If the tee is backed up and it will be a while before you tee off, stay loose by stretching again and taking slow swings.
About The Author
Bill Herrfeldt specializes in finance, sports and the needs of retiring people, and has been published in the national edition of "Erickson Tribune," the "Washington Post" and the "Arizona Republic." He graduated from the University of Louisville.
