Ed. Note: This article was published in partnership with XXIO.
Posting a solid score starts well before you ever step to the first tee. There are many things you must do in the lead up to your round to put yourself in the best position to play well. One of the biggest keys? Getting stretched out.
Before you start your warm-up routine (which we’ve covered here), it’s important to get your body loose. This will not only get your body ready to perform at the highest level, but will also keep you from getting injured.
XXIO ambassador Nathalie Sheehan is here to show us two stretches that are perfect for getting loose before your round. Check them out below.
First and foremost, it’s important you don’t “dry stretch.” This means you should do something to wake up your body and get the blood flowing before you start exerting too much strain on your muscles. This could be a few jumping jacks or just shaking out your limbs — anything to get the blood flowing before getting into the serious stuff.
Stretch 1
For this stretch, get your feet shoulder-width apart and then go into a squat position. Rotate open with your chest to one side and reach your arm to the sky. The other arm should go across your opposite leg.
“It’s a really nice way to open up and activate your spine,” Sheehan says. “That’s a really nice one.”
Stretch 2
Grab a club and hug it across your chest. Then do a lunge and rotate against the leg you’ve lunged on. Repeat with your opposite leg and rotate in the opposite direction.
“That’s a nice way to activate those hamstrings and activate the lower body a little bit,” Sheehan says. “Those are two great stretches you can do on the range before you start hitting some golf balls.”
