Your Warm-up to play golf can be such an over-looked aspect in how you play on the golf course. Many Golfers take it for granted how vital the process of warming-up can be to your results on the golf course.
And although there are many types of Golfers that play many different styles of golf on the course – there aren’t many different styles of warming-up that are exhibited by everyday Golfers. By my count there are basically 4 different styles of Golfers for warming-up besides the GMS Golfer style.
We have the group that goes to the Driving Range to warm-up that starts with their Pitching Wedge – hit a few balls to loosen up their muscles; then move onto their 7 Iron to hit 8 or 9 shots to a green out in the distance; then move onto their 5 Iron for 6 or 7 shots to another green; and finally onto their Driver for an immeasurable number of shots that’s based on a complicated algarythm that includes factors such as how you’re hitting the golf ball, are you trying out a new Driver and how much time you have before your tee time.
The next group who gets to the range 90 minutes early and brings virtually their whole bag up to the bag stand on the range. They want to warm-up using every club in their bag before going out on the golf course. So they start with their Sand Wedge and work their way through their Irons onto their Fairway Woods and Hybrids as they work their way up to their Driver.
And of course we have the group of Golfers that’s always rushing to the golf course to make their tee time. This group checks-in with the Golf Shop, trots down to the Driving Range with their Driver and just starts “slapping away” at ball after ball – as their Playing Partners are constantly yelling in hushed tones – “Billy, we’re next on the tee. Come on, let’s go, they’re calling us.” That’s most often followed up by an “Alright, just one more swing” – which is repeated after the next six shots.
Then there’s also the group that doesn’t even go to the Driving Range at all before playing – but let’s just leave them alone. They have enough troubles!
Which group are you? Or have you started your own Group?
The issue that troubles me with all the above groups isn’t the order you hit your clubs or which clubs you hit or how many balls you hit with each club. That’s a preference that every Golfer should be allowed to choose during their warm-up.
The issue that troubles me is what are you trying to accomplish during your warm-up?
Most Golfers are just trying to “loosen up” or “get the feel of my swing” or “trying to find my tempo” or “everybody else goes to the range, so I figure I should do the same” or the classic “if range balls are included in the green fee I’ll hit’em, if they’re not – I’ll go to the putting green.”
So what should you be doing on the Driving Range before you go out on the golf course to play? You should be getting focused on your PLAN. What’s your PLAN for the day?
Well I believe your PLAN should be about your ball-striking.
Yet when most Golfers go out to warm-up, they’re working on their swing. Listen, if you’re working on your swing before you go out to play a round of golf – you’re probably not going to have a good round of golf! And I know most people reading this won’t understand what I just wrote because this is what they’ve always done before a round. They’re out there trying this and trying that. Trying to find some magical move they can develop in the next 3 minutes before they tee up their ball on the first tee box – so they can hit the ball straight and be able to get through the round without making too many bad shots.
The Monkeys I see warming up before a round of Golf are doing just that. They’re working on their Golf Swing – making adjustments, “Fiddling” with their grips, along with trying to figure out if they’re taking the club too far outside as they swing the club back. They’re jumping back and forth between different ideas that they’ve read and heard and then they hope. And hope?
Yeah, and hope that whatever they figure out will work for them in a few minutes!
The Players I see aren’t concerned with their full swing mechanics. They take very few full swing shots as they warm-up before a round of golf. They’re more concerned with Impact – Ball-striking. So they’re focused on shots that require less than full swings. These Players could care less what’s happening at the top of their backswing – they’re more concerned with what’s happening at the bottom of their swing – what’s happening at the ball!
There are hundreds of Golfers that have come to see us that now warm-up using our “Left-Right Warm-up Drill”. There are hundreds of Golfers that now warm-up with our “100 Yard Driver Drill” to promote solid contact with the golf ball. So as a GMS Golfer is working on impact (solid contact with the golf ball) by focusing their thoughts 100% on getting the club to the ball – The Monkey next to our GMS Golfer is out there hitting ball after ball and possibly getting more and more confused about their swing after each shot!
And I believe that’s one of the main reasons we’re seeing so many Golfers get better on the Golf Course. Our Golfers are just more focused on simple thoughts like impact and “Tick Tock” when they make the walk to the first tee. The last thing on a GMS Golfer’s mind on the golf course is the position of their clubface at the top of their backswing or if they’re taking their golf club 4 degrees too much to the inside on the way back or are they using too much right hand on the downswing.
I believe what makes our GMS Golfers play better on the golf course is what they’re focused on before stepping on the first tee! And what they’re focused on is influenced by how they warm-up. If you haven’t been to Golf Made Simple and been given a Wam-up PLAN – how have you come up with the way you’re currently warming-up?
Most likely you’re doing what you’re doing because you’re doing what you’ve seen other Golfers doing. And that – “follow the other Golfer’s lead mentality” is what we call being a Monkey. You don’t know if it’s the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do – you’re just doing it because everybody else is doing it! And you continue to do it even though it’s not working for you and it’s not working for them – but at least you’re doing what everybody else is doing!
The Monkey doesn’t put much thought into their Warm-up – they just hit golf balls and “Fiddle” with their swing.
The Player understands that the thoughts they produce during their Warm-up will be the thoughts that carry them through their round of Golf.
Go ahead, Be a Player!
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Regads,
Marc Solomon – Your Instructor For Life