Use this 5-minute warm-up to get loose before your next round

If you’re anything like me, your pre-round routine isn’t exactly robust. Living in New York City, playing a round of golf is an all-day affair. Between the time it takes to commute to and from the course plus the time spent on the course, total time spent can exceed seven or eight hours.

Given the considerable amount of time it takes just to play 18 holes, I seldom have time for a proper warm up pre-round. While I’d love to hit balls and stretch for an hour, I just don’t have that sort of flexibility in my schedule. So, when I do play, I’m usually loosening up with a few swings on the first tee and then getting to it.

This isn’t exactly ideal, but I make do with what I have. If I needed a perfect warm-up routine before every round, I’d play considerably less golf.

But just because I don’t have time to warm up like the pros do doesn’t mean I can’t get properly loose before I play. In fact, with the five-minute routine from fitness coach Mike Carroll, getting my body ready to play is easier than ever before. Check it out below.

1. Leg swings

Your legs are an integral part of your golf swing, so having them ready to fire properly is crucial. Carroll suggests some legs swings to get the hips and the hamstrings loose.

2. Pelvis rotations

You’ve got to coil your body correctly to generate swing speed, and part of that equation requires you to get separation between your pelvis and torso. The pelvis rotation stretch below will help you get your body ready to move in this manner early in the round.

3. Full-body rotation

It can be tempting to get lazy and just use your arms and hands to swing the club, but when you do this, you cost yourself in consistency and power. Get your body used to the feeling of proper rotation with a full-body rotation exercise.

4. Arm circles

Don’t entirely take your arms out of the equation when you swing, though. You still need them to function when you swing. Use some arm circles to loosen up your arms on the first tee.

5. Neck rotations

You might not think of your neck as an important element in the golf swing, but it certainly is. No one can swing to their fullest capability with a stiff neck. Use some neck rotations to loosen it up.