Warming Up on Cold Mornings

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I woke up this morning, and the air just felt a bit more chilly than normal. Sure enough, as I got in my car it was 34 degrees! This was at 7:30, and I was imagining those golfers who were already at the course warming up on the practice range.

It’s hard to golf in cold weather. Your entire body feels tight, and you must take time to properly warm yourself up. On mornings, such as this, I would suggest beginning your warm up session with some chipping. By spending 5-10 minutes hitting chip shots, your hands will eventually start to warm up, and the club will begin to feel better to you.

Once you are ready to begin taking larger swings, you should do your best to keep your swings as long and slow as possible. It’s a good idea to hold 2 clubs together while warming up and stretching before striking full shots. The added weight of the second club will help to lengthen your swing, thus making it easier for you to fully stretch your achy muscles.

Another good way to warm up on cold mornings is to focus more attention on the bottom half of your golf swing. Warm up your legs.  It’s a great idea to feel a bit more bend in your knees as you golf in colder weather. This will help you to utilize more of your larger muscles, and your body will begin to warm up much faster this way.

How does this change if you are one of those that runs straight from your car to the first tee? Well, you definitely need to take a couple of minutes before hitting that tee shot to properly stretch. Your challenge will be keeping some length in your swing. As you find yourself cold and tight, you need to make some practice swings that feel especially longer and slower than normal. Also, it’s a great idea to focus a bit more on slowing down your breathing to help establish that slower rhythm you are seeking. After that, flex those knees and start your round! You may not feel properly warmed up until about the 6th hole, but hopefully you can manage.

It is always easier to golf in warmer weather, rather than colder weather. The reasons are obvious. You just feel better.  However, on those colder days, just focus on a few more things while you warm up. Do this, and you will find yourself playing better, regardless of what that temperature gauge reads.

 

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