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Exercises

Warm up exercises for golfers: an 8-minute routine for the range or first tee

Published October 24, 2026

Spend 1-2 minutes on high knees or a brisk walk, then 3 minutes loosening the joints the swing uses: 10 leg swings each way per leg, 10 arm circles each direction, 5 walkouts and 5 cossack squats per side. Wake up your upper back and hips with 15 band pull-aparts and 10 lateral band steps each way, then finish with 2 minutes of practice swings that build from half speed with a wedge to full speed with the driver. About 8 minutes in total, and you can do all of it beside the bag.

  1. High Knees Quads
  2. Leg Swings Hamstrings, Glutes
  3. Arm Circles Shoulders
  4. Walkout Abs, Shoulders, Chest
  5. Cossack Squat Quads, Adductors
  6. Band Pull-Apart Shoulders, Upper Back
  7. Lateral Band Walk Abductors
  8. Med Ball Rotational Throw Abs

Get warm: 1-2 minutes

A golf swing is fast, but the warm-up does not need to be. Jog in place with high knees for 30 seconds at a time, or walk briskly from the car to the range, until you feel your breathing pick up a little.

Raise heart rate, in place

High Knees

Quads

It warms you up anywhere, including the parking lot, with no equipment, and it gets the hips flexing before you ask them to turn.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet under your hips and your elbows bent.
  2. Jog in place, driving one knee up toward hip height while the other foot stays under you.
  3. Swap legs quickly and pump your arms in time with your knees.

Cues

  • Tall chest, quick feet
  • Knee to hip height

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to lift the knees: stay upright and lower the knee height until you can keep it.

Swap for: Butt Kicks, Skipping in Place, Jumping Jack

Build a session with High Knees

Loosen the hips, spine and shoulders: 3 minutes

The swing turns your hips against your upper body and lifts your arms high behind you, so these four movements take the hips through front-to-back and side-to-side range and the shoulders through full circles. Keep them moving: long static holds belong after the round, not before the first tee shot.

Hip mobility, forward and back

Leg Swings

Hamstrings, Glutes

The hips have to rotate and hinge freely at address. Swinging each leg front to back wakes up the hip flexors and hamstrings.

How to do it

  1. Stand side-on to a wall or post and rest one hand on it.
  2. Swing your outside leg forward and back like a pendulum, letting the range grow each rep.
  3. Do all reps on one leg, then turn around and switch.

Cues

  • Loose leg, still torso
  • Let the range grow

Common mistakes

  • Rounding your back to kick higher: only go as high as your torso can stay upright.

Swap for: Walkout, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Leg Swings

Shoulder mobility

Arm Circles

Shoulders

Your lead arm crosses your chest at the top and your trail arm folds behind you. Big circles take both shoulders through more range than the swing needs, so the backswing feels free.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height.
  2. Draw small forward circles, then let them grow larger over the set.
  3. Reverse the direction for the second half.

Cues

  • Small to big
  • Ribs stay down

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging up into your ears: keep the shoulders low while the arms circle.

Swap for: Band Pull-Apart, Plate Halo

Build a session with Arm Circles

Hamstrings, shoulders and trunk at once

Walkout

Abs, Shoulders, Chest

A walkout moves the hamstrings, the shoulders and the trunk in one drill, which is efficient when you only have a few minutes before your tee time.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall, hinge at your hips and put your palms on the floor, bending your knees as much as you need.
  2. Walk your hands forward until you reach a high plank.
  3. Walk your hands back toward your feet and roll up to standing.

Cues

  • Hands walk, feet stay
  • Hips level in the plank

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips sag at the front: brace your belly before you walk back.

Swap for: Bear Crawl, Plank to Push-Up

Build a session with Walkout

Side-to-side hip range

Cossack Squat

Quads, Adductors

The weight shift in the swing loads one hip, then the other. Sitting into each hip in turn rehearses that shift and opens the inner thighs.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet about twice shoulder width, toes turned slightly out.
  2. Shift your weight to one side and sit down into that knee while the other leg straightens, toes up.
  3. Push back to center and sink to the other side.

Cues

  • Heel of the bent leg stays down
  • Chest proud

Common mistakes

  • Dropping deeper than your hips allow: stop where your heel starts to lift, and go a little lower each rep.

Swap for: Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Build a session with Cossack Squat

Switch on the upper back and glutes: 2 minutes

A light band in the bag covers this stage. Pull-aparts and face pulls get the muscles between your shoulder blades working so your posture holds at address, and side steps get the outside of your hips ready to brace the lead leg through impact.

Upper-back activation

Band Pull-Apart

Shoulders, Upper Back

It switches on the muscles that hold your shoulders back at address and lets you rehearse a stable shoulder blade before you start swinging.

How to do it

  1. Hold a light band in front of your chest with straight arms and hands shoulder width apart.
  2. Spread your hands outward until the band touches your chest, pinching your shoulder blades.
  3. Let the band pull your arms back in slowly.

Cues

  • Shoulder blades meet
  • Arms stay long

Common mistakes

  • Arching your lower back to finish the rep: use a lighter band and keep your ribs down.

Swap for: Band Face Pull, Band Rear Delt Fly, Band Scapular Retraction

Build a session with Band Pull-Apart

Rear shoulders and rotator cuff

Band Face Pull

Shoulders, Upper Back

The face pull adds rotation to the pull, which matches what the trail shoulder does at the top of the backswing.

How to do it

  1. Anchor a band at about head height and hold one end in each hand, palms down.
  2. Pull the band toward your forehead, with your elbows high and your hands finishing beside your ears.
  3. Return slowly until your arms are straight.

Cues

  • Elbows high
  • Hands end by the ears

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to move the band: step closer to the anchor and keep your torso still.

Swap for: Face Pull, Band Pull-Apart

Build a session with Band Face Pull

Glute activation for the lead leg

Lateral Band Walk

Abductors

The outer glutes stop the lead knee from sliding out as you rotate through. A few side steps get them firing before the first swing.

How to do it

  1. Place a mini band around your legs just above the knees or at the ankles.
  2. Sink into a quarter squat with your feet hip-distance apart.
  3. Step sideways with the lead foot, follow with the other without letting the feet touch, and keep tension in the band.

Cues

  • Stay low
  • Toes point forward

Common mistakes

  • Swaying the torso side to side: keep your shoulders level and take shorter steps.

Swap for: Clamshell, Band Standing Hip Abduction

Build a session with Lateral Band Walk

Rotation primers, then practice swings

Before the round, end with practice swings that climb from half to full speed. On gym days, a few rotational throws and Pallof presses teach the hips to lead the turn and the trunk to brace against it.

Rotation primer, hips first

Med Ball Rotational Throw

Abs

On gym days, a few throws at rising effort teach the hips to start the turn and the chest to follow, the same order a good swing uses.

How to do it

  1. Stand side-on to a wall about an arm's length away, holding a medicine ball at your back hip.
  2. Load into your back hip, then turn your hips and chest toward the wall and throw the ball into it.
  3. Catch the rebound, reset, and finish all reps before switching sides.

Cues

  • Hips turn first
  • Throw through the wall

Common mistakes

  • Throwing with only the arms: the power comes from the back leg and hips turning.

Swap for: Cable Woodchop, Med Ball Woodchop

Build a session with Med Ball Rotational Throw

Anti-rotation brace

Pallof Press

Abs

Resisting rotation is the other half of rotating well. It gives you a brace to turn against without loading your back.

How to do it

  1. Stand side-on to a cable set at chest height, holding the handle at your sternum with both hands.
  2. Press the handle straight out in front of your chest and hold it there for a second.
  3. Bring it back to your chest without letting your torso turn.

Cues

  • Don't let the cable turn you
  • Press straight out

Common mistakes

  • Standing too close for any tension: step out until you feel the pull.

Swap for: Landmine Twist, Cable Woodchop

Build a session with Pallof Press

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

On the range before a round

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands

You arrive 15 minutes before your tee time with a band in your bag.

Raise, mobility and band activation in 8 minutes, all doable on the grass beside the bag, then practice swings. Every block stays light so you finish warm, not tired.

Pre-Round Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
High KneesSeconds. Easy pace. 2 × 20–30 4 15 s
Leg SwingsPer leg, forward and back. 1 × 10–12 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10–12 4 0 s
Walkout 1 × 5–6 4 15 s
Band Pull-Apart 2 × 12–15 3 15 s
Lateral Band WalkSteps each way. 1 × 10–12 3 15 s
How to run it
Do it once before every round, before you hit your first range ball.
How to progress
When the routine feels automatic, add one walkout and one more set of pull-aparts rather than more time.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Before a golf strength session

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands, Adjustable Cable, Medicine Ball

You lift twice a week to hit the ball farther and want the session to open warm.

The gym version adds the rotation primers with loads you log, so the warm-up flows straight into rotational power work. Throws are kept a few reps short of tired so speed stays high.

Golf Gym Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
High KneesSeconds. 2 × 30 4 15 s
Cossack SquatPer side. 2 × 5–6 4 15 s
Walkout 1 × 6 4 15 s
Band Face Pull 2 × 12–15 3 20 s
Pallof PressPer side, 1-second hold. 2 × 8–10 3 20 s
Med Ball Rotational Throw1 warm-up set firstPer side, rising effort. 3 × 5–6 3 45 s
How to run it
Use it at the start of each golf-specific gym day.
How to progress
Use a slightly heavier ball or cable weight when every throw stays fast across all sets.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Five minutes at the first tee

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets4 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands

You arrive late and have just a few minutes before you play.

Only the moves that cover the most ground: legs and shoulders loosened, upper back on, then swings. It trades completeness for time.

Quick Tee Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
High KneesSeconds. 1 × 30 4 0 s
Leg SwingsPer leg. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Band Face Pull 1 × 12–15 3 0 s
How to run it
Do it while your group tees off ahead of you.
How to progress
If you can spare one more minute, add the cossack squat.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is a good warm-up for golfers?

A short raise, then dynamic moves for the hips and shoulders, a little band work for the upper back and glutes, and practice swings that build from half to full speed. Eight minutes covers it.

How long should a golfer warm up?

Eight to ten minutes before you hit balls is enough for most golfers. If you only have five, keep the leg swings, arm circles and a few band pulls.

Should golfers stretch before a round?

Use moving stretches like leg swings and walkouts before you play. Save long held stretches for after the round.

What are four warm-up exercises for golf?

Leg swings, arm circles, walkouts and band pull-aparts. Together they cover the hips, the shoulders, the hamstrings and the upper back.

Can I warm up with just practice swings?

Practice swings are the last stage, not the whole warm-up. A couple of minutes of moving first lets those swings reach full speed sooner.