5 Simple Golf Exercises for a Better Start to the Season

Updated 2021: The new golf season is slowly getting underway again, and we can’t wait to swing our clubs once more. But instead of rushing straight to the range to hit balls, it’s best to start by getting a feel for the club again. Here’s what the first day of practice after the winter break looks like for the founder of RocketGolf HCP +2):

Exercise 1: Chipping Around the Green

We’ll start with some short chips around the chipping or putting green. This can easily take 10 to 15 minutes. Always try to get the ball within 1 meter of the flag. This will help you regain your feel for the club and ball contact. Once you’ve got the hang of it, we’ll move on to the green.

Exercise 2: Putting circle for short putts

We’ll start here with short putts, no longer than 2 meters. The goal is to get back into the swing of things. If that goes well, we’ll move on to a putting circle (see the putting circle routine here). That’ll give us a chance to see where we stand.

Exercise 3: Warm-up and Stretching

Next, we head to the range. But wait—before you take your first swings, loosen up and stretch a bit. Otherwise, you’ll start feeling tense right away. As a general rule, you should always warm up before every round of golf. Not only does this help prevent injuries, but it also makes your swing much smoother. If you’re not sure how to warm up, here’s a short video:

Exercise 4: Short shots and pitches

Once you’re warmed up, you should start with short shots and pitches under 100 meters. This is just to ease into it. It’s best to always pick a target so you don’t just hit balls aimlessly. We don’t recommend starting right away with a 7-iron. After about 20 balls, you can really get going and test out all your clubs. Once you’re done and can hit the ball reasonably well again, you can move on to the next exercise.

Exercise 5: Checking stroke lengths

The most important exercise is the last one. What has changed over the winter? Do I have new clubs? At the start of the season, you should check your distances. Things often change, and that can make all the difference in your game. We explain the best way to do this here: Measuring shot distances. The most convenient way to do this is with a launch monitor, such as the ES14 Pro or its successor, the ES B1. You can also check your distances with a laser, but that’s more time-consuming.

Important:

Don't rush to tinker with your swing right away; instead, focus on getting a feel for it again first. It's also not a good idea to start the season with a coaching session. With that in mind, have a great game and make some precise shots!