Warm-up for lower scores

David Howell with Chic Carvell.

But since the arrival of physiotherapists and personal trainers on the world's leading Tours, professional golfers are now among the fittest sportsmen and women - and they need to be, to maintain their busy schedule and retain their high level of play.

And even weekend golfers have found their scores tumbling simply by introducing stretching exercises which help to keep the body supple.

Chic Carvell is one of the leading fitness coaches in the UK, helping train several leading Tour pros including Swindon's David Howell and in this article advises amateurs on the best way to warm up.

Prepare the body

It's important to prepare the body to hit a good shot off the first tee and get your round off to a good start over the first few holes.

This can begin with exercise that will increase the temperature of the body by raising the heart rate and increasing the volume of blood that flows through the muscles and joints.

This part of the warm-up should last about five minutes and the increase must be gradual.

For example, start with gentle heel/toe jogging on the spot. Move on to step-ups or raising the knees a little higher when jogging on the spot. Finish with astride jumping.

Trunk rotation.

Mobilising exercises

The second phase involves simple mobilising exercises to loosen the joints. For example, trunk, shoulder and neck rotation.

Trunk rotation to assist mobility, means holding your driver across your chest, keeping head and neck straight. Turn shoulders trunk and hips from the address position to each side in a smooth, rhythmical motion. Repeat slowly five times.

To play golf well you need to be supple in the torso, hips, legs, shoulders and neck, so specific stretches make up the third phase of the warm-up.

Expand the chest.

In the chest stretch, bring the elbows out to shoulder height with palms facing outwards, fingers together. Expand chest while pulling your shoulder blades down and together.

Stretching allows the body to work at its most efficient, the joints being able to move through a greater range of motion.

Try the spine and hips stretch by holding the driver with both hands and squatting down slightly so that hips are behind the feet. Reach forward with the trunk and arms, then stretch to each side keeping the driver in a central position.

Spine and hips stretch.

Through time and our natural ageing process, muscles and tendons will shorten unless stretched regularly.

It's important therefore to raise the body temperature before you start stretching. This not only makes stretching safer but also encourages faster nerve impulses, which lead to a more effective swing action.

This mobility enables the swing to be smooth and rhythmical, thereby reducing the risk of injury.

During this part of the warm-up it's beneficial to swing the club a few times on the practice ground between stretching exercises. Start with the 9-iron, and work your way through 7-, 5-, 3-iron and metal woods, then spend about three minutes just hitting balls to keep the muscles warm, as close as you can to the time when you hit your first tee shot.

Stretch from side to side.

A good exercise here is the full side stretch in which you hold the club overhead, keeping your neck straight with head and shoulders facing forward. Slowly bend to the side, left and right.

Don't cool down

Many players amble over to the putting green but this will undo all the good work you have done in getting your body supple. Inside 20 minutes your body will have cooled down.

Warming up makes sense and every other sport recognises its value, so try these exercises before you play and hopefully it will lead to lower scores.

*Chic Carvell (tel: 00 44 1793 530880)is owner and managing director of Chartex, a respected manufacturer of instruction and education charts for the medical, fitness and sports industries. 'Keeping fit for golf is his latest fitness product and is used by several top players.