Do you warm up before a round by stretching your legs, arms, torso, wrists, and neck? Most golfer do none of this and they cannot figure out why they end up so sore at the end of the round and throughout the next few days. Why do we stretch before playing basketball, tennis, football, and pretty much every other sport, but not before a round of golf? Read on to find out why stretching is so important in golf.

Besides the obvious of avoiding an injury, stretching can also help you swing your golf club better. Have you ever felt stiff while swinging the golf club? This can effect your game until you actually loosen up, which could take 3 or more holes. If you stretch before your round you will already be loose and you can start in better shape off the first tee, then if you do not stretch before playing. Here are a few stretches to perform before each round.

First, start with the neck and put your hand on the opposite side of your head. Then, pull your head towards to one side. You should feel a stretch in your neck. Do this on both sides and forward. Hold each stretch for 20 seconds.

Next, stretch your wrists by putting one arm straight out from your body and pulling your hand back with the other hand. Do this to the top and to the bottom with both wrists. You will then want to sit down and start stretching your legs.

Place one leg straight out on the ground and cross the other leg over it with your foot on the ground. Then, hug your leg and you will feel a stretch in the back of your leg. Next, twist your back and put your elbow on the bent leg’s knee. This will stretch your lower back. Do this on both sides for 20 seconds.

The last stretch is your arms. Take a golf club and hold it at each end with your hand in front of you. Twist it slowly until your arms are crossed and hold it for 20 seconds. Do it again until your arms cross in the opposite way and hold it for 20 seconds again.

These are just a handful of stretches that you can do before each round. You should really stretch for about 10 to 15 minutes before each round. By stretching you will be able to set yourself up for a better round of golf and you will be less likely to pull a muscle or end up injured.