Proper stretching and warm-up before a round of golf is essential. (Jean-Phillippe Debargue/EclipseSportswire.com)

"Pendulum" exercise will help golfers warm up

By Karl Fischer,
Contributor

After you have done your theater-position cradle turns, get a good grip on your 7 iron with your hands and let your long arms hang. Now swing the clubhead gently and smoothly back and forth making sure you touch the mat or grass at the bottom or each "swing arc" ... going forward and backward.

Keep doing this rhythmically 10 or 12 times getting the swing gradually bigger, until it is full. Think: pendulum.

Swing the clubhead and "feel the steel" through the ball down the line to the pin.

Stay relaxed. Breathe smoothly and regularly. Make sure you breathe out during the impact portion of your swing. Empty your lungs during your full finish to the pin.

Even in warm-ups, every time your club swings through the touch point, make sure you see an imaginary ball come off the clubface.

Always see every ball come off the clubface.

July 28, 2003

Karl Fischer has spent some 35-plus plus years teaching golf nationally and internationally earning the title of "IGAD-Doctorate," "CIMTP-Certified International Master Teaching Professional," "CMCB-Certified Master Club-Builder" and "CGC-Certified Golf Clinician." He has written six golf books, thousands of editorials, tips, "Bullet-Proof Drills" and much more. He can be reached at KF@555golf.com or by phone at (817) 673-8888.