A warm-up is very important to playing golf. Golfing professionals indicate that is one step any golfer cannot afford to forego. You may be in great shape, play often and are ready to step up to the tee immediately. But, are a couple practice swings sufficient before teeing off? Although you may be mentally ready to play as soon as you step onto the course, you also may find yourself playing a poor game or, even worse, injured because you skipped a quality warm-up.

Cars from a few years ago always required a brief warm up before heading out to the highway. You started the engine, allowed the fluids to circulate and then knew the car was ready to go. Your body is no different. No, there have been no major upgrades over the past several years. Your body still needs time to warm up. In fact, it becomes even more essential as you age.

What exactly is a good warm-up, then? You do not have to hit an entire bucket of balls on the driving range, nor do you need to do a full workout of stretches. Just take time to hit at least a dozen balls but do so starting slowly. Start by hitting a few short range shots, gradually working up to longer drives.

Some gentle exercising is always a good idea, even if it consists of a brief walk. The reason so many people have heart attacks on the green is because they did not prepare their bodies for the physical demands of golf. Even if you are playing a casual, recreational game, golf places some strenuous physical demands on your body.

If you do not play regularly, a warm-up of at least a half hour to an hour would be proper before the golfing begins and you tee off. This requires you to arrive early or doing your warm up somewhere other than the course, perhaps at home. However, you may find that the driving range at the course is the best place to warm-up prior to a game. Some golfers spend some time practicing with training tools before leaving home, then park a good distance from the clubhouse allowing the walk up to serve as part of his or her warm-up.

If you play golf often and are in good physical condition, you may be fine with a shorter warm-up period, but you still should set aside some time for warm-up before making your first swing. If you do not, you may find yourself straining muscles that are not ready for such rigorous use on the course. Not only will pulled muscles hamper the rest of your game, they may also keep you off the course and in the clubhouse much longer than you want.

Some golfers use the warm up period as a time to be alone and concentrate on the upcoming game whereas others like to warm up friends and partners. Either way, it is essential that you set aside some time beforehand to prepare for the game. You will play better at this game and future tee times!