​How to Warm Up like the Pros

There’s a proper way to get the body and mind ready to play a terrific round. Most think it is just taking a few swings before hitting balls on the range. But it can and should be more comprehensive than this. At the World Golf Fitness Summit, I spoke with Tom House, the legendary throwing coach for Major League Baseball and the NFL, including quarterbacks Tom Brady and Drew Brees. House told me a story how New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick invited him to training camp. At the end of the day’s tour, Belichick asked House, “What do you think?” House replied, “I don’t understand why you are using Brady’s most valuable asset (his arm) to warm up when you can be doing other things and get the same result.” 
 
House explained that Brady could warm up in a different way rather than by throwing passes and using his arm incessantly, which already took so much toil during the regular season. Belichick got it right away.  Needless to say, House was invited back on several occasions and remained Brady’s throwing coach, even after being traded from the Patriots. Brady is still playing the NFL at 43 years old because of this routine of monitoring his practice and diet.
 
When it comes to your golf game, the same is true.  If you do a small workout before your round, your body will be more prepared to play golf.  Witness how the PGA Tour has a training van to accompany the players each week. Here’s a 73-second video of Jim Furyk when 42 years of age, now 50, sharing some of his golf-specific stretches and exercises before a round and how it has served to improve and elongate his great career. https://youtu.be/dZPJLQl3JNg
 
For more information on how to develop your own golf-specific warm-up routine, feel free to visit me, talk with your physical trainer, drop into a yoga class (online or in person), or check out the Titleist Performance Institute at www.mytpi.com.
 
Next week’s column will feature the pre-round routine on the putting green, short-game area and the range after you have completed your pre-range workout.
 
Patrick Parrish PGA
2016 Northern California PGA Teacher of the Year
Cell 831-236-8970