Grove Life Summer 2019

Player’s Corner Dan Pendola, Head Golf Professional I n this edition of Player’s Corner I would like to discuss your warm-up before a round of golf. In a section of Gary Player’s Black Book, labeled “What is the best quick warm-up routine before a round?”, Gary talks about the importance of a proper warm-up. He also mentions that the Professionals and Tour Players usually give themselves at least an hour to properly prepare their body for a round.

Although there is no substitute for a full warm-up, Gary has a suggestion if you are short on time. Take two clubs and swing 10 times right handed and 10 times left handed. Swinging the clubs from your non dominant side helps activate muscles that aren’t used to being activated. It really helps your body work together to help you swing as efficiently as possible. What I like to do is swing my orange whip trainer, a weighted flexible training aid that not only loosens me up but helps with my tempo. Like many of you, I also don’t give myself enough time to warm-up before a round. I amusually running out of the Pro Shop only ten or fifteenminutes before I tee it up. No matter howmuch time I have, I will warm-up by swinging my orange whip trainer and then spend most of my time hitting a sand wedge to make sure my rhythm and tempo are smooth. If I start my warm-up by swinging a longer club, usually my tempo can get quick and it sets the tone for my round. After hittingmostly wedges, I will hit a few eight irons and end with a few drivers. Always making sure my tempo is smooth. We all feel different on certain days and some days in our warm-up our ball flight works from left to right and sometimes right to left. My warm-up session tells me what kind of ball flight I should play for that day. If my ball flight is working from left to right, I will account for it on the course that day. I will try to stick with the shot shape that felt comfortable to me in my warm-up. These warm-up sessions are very important, even if it’s a quick one. My advice if you are short on time is to get loose, focus on your rhythm and tempo then play the shot shape that you are producing that day. Hopefully that will help you get the best out of your round even if you are short on time with your warm- up.

2019 Men’s Club Championship Curt Smith (Runner-Up) & Steve Alman(Club Champion)

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