Most people's warm-up is three practice swings with a driver and a hopeful look down the first fairway. It shows. The first few shots go wherever a stiff body sends them, and the rest of the session gets spent chasing them.
Ten minutes fixes most of that. No equipment, no gym, just a sequence you can repeat every time.
Why warm up at all
A golf swing asks your hips, upper back, shoulders and wrists to turn and unwind quickly. Asking for that straight out of a cold car, after a drive across the city at minus twenty, is asking a lot. A few minutes of movement first gets you ready for the speed you are about to use, and makes your first real swings look more like your normal ones.
This is general guidance, not medical advice. If you have an injury, a sore back or anything that limits how you move, ask a physiotherapist or your doctor what suits you, and skip any movement that hurts.
The 10 minute golf warm up routine
Four parts, in order. Move first, then swing small, then swing full, then putt.
0 to 4 minutes: golf warm up exercises and stretches
Keep moving rather than holding still. Slow, controlled, and well inside a comfortable range.
- Hips. Ten leg swings forward and back on each side, holding a club upright for balance, then ten side to side. Finish with a few slow hip circles each way.
- Upper back. Hold a club across your chest, take your golf posture, and turn back and through slowly, ten times each way. This is the thoracic rotation the whole swing depends on.
- Shoulders. Ten arm circles forward and ten back, then bring one arm across your chest and ease it over with the other hand for a few seconds on each side.
- Wrists. Circle the wrists both ways, then hold a club out in front and hinge it up and down ten times.
4 to 6 minutes: half swings with a wedge
Take a wedge and make half swings, hands to hip height on each side. No full speed and no reading numbers. You are looking for centre contact and a relaxed grip. Build to three-quarter swings over the last few balls.
6 to 9 minutes: build up through the bag
Move to a mid iron for four or five balls at three-quarter speed, then a hybrid or fairway wood, then a few drivers. Save full speed for the last two or three drivers.
If the first ones curve, do not start fixing anything yet. A slice in the first few minutes can just be stiffness. If it is still there once you are warm, our guide on how to fix a slice walks through the two causes and how to tell them apart.
9 to 10 minutes: a few putts
Finish with a handful of short putts and two or three long ones for pace. On a simulator green that is mostly about rhythm. Before a round outdoors, the practice green also tells you how quick the real greens are running that day.
The Calgary winter version
Wear layers you can take off, keep your hands warm on the drive over, and give the mobility part an extra minute or two on very cold days. A cold body does not want full speed straight away, so build up more slowly than you would in July.
Warming up before a bay session
Bay time is shared and billed by the booking. The simulator turns on at your start time and shuts down at the end of your slot, so every minute of leg swings on the mat is a minute not spent hitting. Do the mobility part before you start the clock, at home before you leave, then use the first minutes in the bay for the wedge and build-up swings.
You do not need to add extra time for any of this. PGM suggests 1 to 1.5 hours per player, and that already includes warm-up. The how it works page explains the door access link and the timing, and the FAQ covers the rest.
Once you are warm, the question becomes what to do with the rest of the hour. Our guide on how to practice on a golf simulator lays out a 60-minute plan that starts where this golf warm up routine ends.
Common warm-up mistakes
- Starting with the driver. The longest club and the fastest swing are the last thing a stiff body needs.
- Standing still in long stretches. Keep the body moving before you play, and save long holds for afterwards.
- Reading the numbers too early. Carry distances from cold swings will send you chasing a fault that is not there.
- Skipping the putts. Pace is the first thing to go after a layoff, and two minutes keeps it honest.
- Rushing because the clock is running. Ten calm minutes at the start make the rest of the booking count.
Next time you book
Do the stretches at home, bring your clubs, and give the first ten minutes to the routine above. Rates start at $18 an hour for the whole bay plus GST, and the rates page shows when those hours fall. Pick a slot on the Calgary booking page and see how much better the first swing feels.