Warming Up For A Round Of Golf – Don't Injure Yourself On The Course

Playing any sport you need to make sure that you are properly warmed up before you begin to prevent any injuries, unprepared muscles can seize or cause pain which will obviously be an inconvenience as you'll likely be unable to play the sport for some time to recover. Golf is a particular sport where injuries can happen very easily especially if the player does not warm up before playing.

Considering you will be making fast, sudden movements during your golf swing it is very easy to pull a muscle or aggravate any back pain. There are a number of golf related warm up exercises you should do before heading out on to the tee.

The Head/Neck
Your neck can work surprisingly hard during golf games so roll your neck and tilt it in all angles to help keep it in prime condition for the game. Rotate your head as well to ensure that you are ready for the faster movements later on.

Shoulders
For your shoulders you need to flex your arms to prevent any joint pain during your round. There are two key stretches that help prepare your shoulders. The first is crossing each arm in turn over your chest as if you're scratching your back, the second is holding a golf club behind your back with two hands and raising your hands, sticking out your chest too.

Hands and Wrists
Obviously these are vital in golf for flex and power so make sure you bend your hands forward as far as is comfortable and in the opposite direction also. Rotate your wrists also especially if you are adept at adding spin and draws or fades to your shots.

Back and Spine
A lot of golfers can "put their back out" and this pain will last a long time for some people so it's important to make sure you stretch your back to by leaning left and right whilst facing straight forward. Bending down and touching your toes (or as close as you can reach) is another way to prepare your back for the rigours of golf.

Legs
Your legs are your base and even though you are stood in place when taking a golf shot you need to stretch your legs as when you rotate, your legs stretch too. You'll also be walking a good distance so doing leg stretches for calves, quads, and hamstrings is important.

Make sure you take care on the golf course, if you are struggling with back pain or develop an injury it is much better to end play than aggravate it further by continuing play.

Take care and protect yourself against any losses or injury costs by getting golf insurance, for added protection when playing abroad make sure you look into golf holiday insurance to cover costly expenses when abroad.