Poll: Driving Range Warmup Before Playing a Round?

[Beakbryce]

The course I play most often puts a bucket of balls out at the practice chipping green. I hit chips and pitches and then putt a little. I am only trying to make sure I see the club head hit the ball and am not coming up out of it. Maybe swing a couple of wedges together to stretch. Then the driver. Practice swing both lefty and righty so both sides feel loose. 

I play at least three times a week and if not playing, I swing a few clubs on my mat on the porch four or five times a day. No balls, just swing. I have played often enough to know when it feels right. At 70, my swing is pretty grooved and doesn't take a lot of warming up.

Like Tom the Golf Nut, we just want to get after it. We are usually the first or second group and have to be ready because the pro shop can send us off early with little to no warning.

Every course I regularly play does not have an especially demanding first hole. If it did, I might go to the range. But probably not. Haven't been on a range in years. 

[Smackey17]

I use the range about half the time when I play. Even when I use the range I do so only to get loose, hitting about 15-25 balls, mainly driver and pitching wedge. To be honest, I don't see a noticeable difference in on-course performance between my driving range rounds and my non-driving range rounds.

I always roll a few putts and hit a few chips. For the putting, I try to make 6-8 four-footers from around the hole, then I'll hit some lags from 20, 30 and 40-feet to get a read on the speed of the green that day (assuming the practice green approximates the greens on the course).

[JCgolfer]

I book early tee times and don't get the opportunity to warm up sometimes.  I like the thought of hitting a few balls to loosen the back and shoulders.  I have found that I do better after 3 holes of play, probably because my body has now warmed up and moving.

[JWK1969]

What each player needs for a warmup before playing varies, of course.  I think John Daly's infamous warmup involves only cigarettes and Diet Coke.  For me, though, I find that I tend to play, overall, better if I warmup.  I am naturally pretty stiff, and getting the back loose before a round is important.  I play better and hurt less, which is a winning combo for me.  If I have full time, I will hit some chips/pitches, then hit some half swings and then hit a few lofted irons (maybe 10 or so), a longer iron (same), then 3 wood and finally driver.  I do like to roll a few putts to get a sense of the speed of the greens.  

I play with guys who just take a few two-club swings before teeing off, and a few door slammers who arrive at the tee barely in time.  So to each his or her own.

[Sixft9]

I like to hit a few balls before playing to get loosened up and get a feel for my swing that day. Start with a few wedges, a few mid-irons and a few drivers. I also stretch in clubhouse or outside before hitting balls.

[Fore67]

I try to. I get to play 2 different scenarios. Either after we've just completed a 6 hour shift on the grounds crew (these days starting at 5) and trying to get off the block within 30 minutes. That transition is very rushed and still has me at the golf course for almost 12 hours (long day). The alternative is first or second time of the day (on my days off) when the range isn't open yet.

Today, I've taken the day off (my birthday), with plans to hit the range before teeing it up with a full stretch before hand.

No expectations, but at least I will be ready to play rather than not giving myself a fighting chance.

Can't wait to get started!!

[Duxman130]

Absolutely warm up before a round. Stretch and a bucket.  Why wait until the 4th hole to get in a groove? Hit the range and roll some putts is always part of my routine before teeing off. 

[Ernie111]

I hit a small bucket of balls. I start with with a 8 iron without golf balls. I swing 1/2 way then 3/4 swing and finally full swings with golf balls. This helps me get my swing in sync. I then hit my 3 wood to get my wood swing in sync. I then go over to the putting green with one ball and put to a quarter 10-15 times. After that I putt with  2 golf balls to one hole above hole and below hole. 

[MadisonGolfbum]

Usually hit ~20 balls with various clubs to loosen up. Only hit more if I’m working on something.


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[JimP]

Depending upon time and facilities available >>  Must:  Movement exercises, stretch (work out the age kinks).  Wedges up thru 7i ~5 balls each.  Woods if course/range permit ~3-5 each.  Several D/3w-7i-W combos.  Putting - focus primarily on green speed and start line check.

[Tom Hall Jr]

As a child my father taught me to warm up before a round of golf and to return after the round to work on areas of your game that needed work. The advice became a habit and I feel that the warm up forces you to arrive early, be intentional about preparing for the round with time for putting as well. You now have loosened up, given your mechanics thought, have a feel for the greens and as Jack Nicklaus has always said the first swing is the most important because it sets the tone for the round.

[Kenms3762]

Almost never. If a free bucket comes with round or if i have a lot of time before my tee time i might hit a few. Otherwise its putting, some chipping and a lot of stretching. 

[mywong23]

unfortunately my carpool foursome & I don't make time to hit a bucket of balls... It would be a rare occasion, if we did......  Thus, we start our wagering after 4 holes of loosening up....   

[russtopherb]

Honestly it depends on the day and the course. If there's a range I might get a small bucket just to get loose and see what swing I brought with me that day. But I really don't recall any situations where hitting balls beforehand definitely led to better scoring, or vice versa. I usually have my Orange Whip in the trunk, so if there's no range (or no time) I'll loosen up with that.

[homerun3]

Yep.  Much prefer to warm up on the range before a round. Doesn’t always happen, but I try to do it.  Always roll some putts before a round though 

[Mr_BogeyPro]

I usually hit a small bucket to warm up. It allows me to stretch the muscles and work on those 80-yards and in shots. 

[Ray Eaton]

In my younger days I would just go play without a warm up session for I could play more than 18 holes each round. I can only play on the weekends now so warming up gives me time to check my ball flight, loosen up, and have more time at the course.

Edited May 3, 2023 by Ray Eaton

[Itzpiiz]

I'd love to only play courses that have a range attached, I feel so much more comfortable and confident teeing off after a small bucket at the range, a bunch of chips, and a few putts. Nothing better then showing up at the course an hour+ before your tee time and being in no rush going through the warm up routine. That's my happy place!

[Pellet head]

I stretch and then hit no more than 15 balls to loosen up. (My pro says any more and I start thinking about the swing to much.) Spend 30-40 minutes chipping and putting then play.

[cksurfdude]

C. Other = Also spend plenty of time on the putting green

[ezloan1]

I'm coming up on my 74th birthday in July...my younger 20-50yrs old self's routine was slamming my car into a parking space and running to the first tee, hopefully in time and then putting my shoes on when I could.  I was a 10-12 hdcp then.   

NOW...I get to the course 45 minutes prior to tee.  Load up my cart and prepare these rest (tees, divot tool, marker etc).  That done, I have a 5 minute stretch and body movement routine.  I'll putt until two holes have both my practice shots "in the leather-18 in." and I've putted BOTH IN on the second hole.  I have that marked on my putter (money demands exact measurements)!  IF the 1st hole goes well, great...if not it'll take 3-4 to get better.  For reference, I hit my 20 degree hybrid in the air 180 yards.  The rollout will vary  as will my hdcp currently hovering around 20.  The moral is, I'm happier PLAYING "the Game", wish it had happened earlier.  

[scubahoops]

Hitting balls is a must for me.  I will always stretch and warm up before I play but I play better and feel better if I have had time to hit at least 10 - 20 full swing balls before I play.  I put that above the chipping and putting if it is a course I know and play frequently.  I do the same as is said by many others with starting with short wedge shots and build my way up to driver.

When I was younger I would stretch and practice swinging and then my first hit on the range would be a 4 or 5 iron to see what a shot on the course might look like if that was my first swing and even when I was young and much better the shot didn't usually turn out to well. Now that I am older I learned that I need the swings and dropped that from my warm up routine. 

[essceebird]

Chipping, putting, and bunker warm up only, then some stretching.

Don't want to use up all the good shots on the range  

[rosco1963]

There is a local par 3, walk on with no tee times, that I go to. If there is no one behind or if I am held up, I search along edge for balls. I actually now have a 5 gallon bucket of found balls in my truck. I have to walk by the driving range to #1 tee, so I usually take about 10 of those found balls and hit them off before I start. Just seems to stretch a few muscles instead of teeing off completely cold.

[Robert Everhart]

Don’t do the driving range before my tee time, but try to get there early to practice putting 

[MC3157]

I manage a large golf group here in the Sarasota area and we play every Saturday morning. So, since I'm the organizer I normally get to the course at least an hour early so I have time to get the groups organized then hit a small bucket on the range to get loosened up. I start with my wedges, then move to 7 or 8 iron, one of my hybrids then my driver. Then just before reaching the first tee, I stop by the putting green to hit a few putts and get used to the speed of the greens for the day. So a day at the course for me is usually anywhere from 6-7 hours at the course.

[jbern]

Of the 5 courses I play most, only one of them has a range on-site. I still putt pre-round, chip (if there’s a chipping area) and warm up by using 2 clubs for a few swings and then swing every club I plan to use on the first hole to try to get my head in it. A little something has always been better than nothing for me. 
If there are range balls available before an outing or tournament I’ll always hit 10-15 to see what I’m working with that day and then warm up the same way I do if there’s no range. 

[Tincuptim]

Always have to hit a few. I see the shot shadow for the day and then just put club on ball. Try to sync the body. A short iron,  mid iron, fairway wood, then driver. 20 balls does the trick. No putts as this is usually my strength. 

[Philip_R]

When I play a course with the facilities to hit a few balls, I always hit at least half a bucket, but my home course doesn't have the facility to do so. I usually warm up a bit with some stretches and a couple heavy swings with 2 clubs in my hands. Luckily the first tee shot is a 5 or 6 iron to a wide fairway on a short par 4. 

When I get to hit some balls before I play, I usually play about 3 to 4 shots less on the round than on days I cannot warm up.  

[Fore67]

20 hours ago, robwalsh0283 said:

I usually hit a small bucket to warm up. It allows me to stretch the muscles and work on those 80-yards and in shots. 

My favourite Three Stooges picture. In a former life I had a large framed print of this hanging in my sports room basement!

Cheers, Mike