Saturday, April 26, 2025

With a warm weekend ahead and the Masters underway, we’re guessing a few of you are dreaming of teeing it up soon. But after a long winter, you may want to shape up a bit first. Most amateur golfers are probably a bit out of practice. And while no one expects your first round to be flawless, we don’t want it to put you on the injured list all season. So in the next few weeks, a warm up is in order.

If watching the pros is making you itch for your own tee time, you may want to swap the couch for the clubs a little early this year.

“We see a lot of people kind of just come right to the tee, they haven’t golfed all year, and they just start trying to hit balls and that’s pretty sore on your body.” Few golfers warm up adequately and that leads to injured backs, shoulders and hips. King’s Forest Associate Golf Pro, Kyle Gibson, recommends at least five minutes of stretching before every round. “The more flexible you are, the further you are going to be able to hit it. Someone that’s very unflexible, they have to find an unorthodox way to hit the golf ball to create distance.” That unorthodox swing could damage your muscles and joints – so some active practise may be in order.

An indoor simulator, like Golfer’s Den, lets you golf an entire course at your own pace. Even if you’re far from a pro, it will get you worked in for your first round.

If you’ve been inactive all winter, your muscles will get a wakeup call the next day. but they’ll thank you when you hit the green for the first time this season. Skipping out on the golf cart is a great way to get extra exercise but unfortunately, research has shown golfers who carry their own bag are twice as likely to have a back or shoulder injury as those who don’t. So if you’re going to haul your own gear, do it carefully.