Rev up your engine

Make sure you use your warm-up time efficiently, no matter how early – or late – you arrive to the course

By Ed Whalley

Whether you show up two hours or two minutes before your tee time, it’s vital to get yourself physically and mentally ready to play golf. Obviously the more time you have before your name is called by the starter, the better. Either way, here are a couple of suggestions as to how you can best get yourself ready to play the game of golf depending on how much time you have to do so.

If you have an hour or more to warm up, you owe it to yourself to hit all of your shots. If you don’t have enough time to hit every club in your bag, try and pick the six most important clubs and hit those with a purpose.

After swinging as many different clubs as you can, try to go back over the areas that cause you the most trouble and get your confidence back. In order to play a decent round you must trust all of your clubs.

The most important thing to work on during your warm-up is getting your target straight, which in itself takes care of your posture and alignment. The next part of your game to be concerned about is your distance control. You have to know how far you can hit the ball with each of your clubs. The general rule is that the difference in distance between each club is 12 yards.

You should always take practice swings with a purpose. You want to skim the ground and keep your eye on a small object on the ground. You don’t want to swing thin because that’s what you’ll end up doing during your round.

If you have enough time, try and stroke a few putts on the putting green, just enough so you can get a feel for your distance. Always make short practice putts, not long ones. And don’t get too used to the speed of the putting greens because at many courses they won’t be the same as the ones you will be playing on.

If you arrive at the course so late that you don’t have enough time to hit any balls, I have a great drill to use that has worked very well for me over the years. Grab a club and take your stance with the sun at your back. Watch your shadow and keep an eye on your backswing and follow through. Make sure your body stays “within a door frame” during your swing and it isn’t moving all over the place.

Before you get to the first tee, check your equipment. Make sure you have 14 clubs in your bag and that you mark your balls with a distinct sign, like your initials or something of that sort.

The great Ben Hogan made it a rule to always have a caddy with him while he was practicing. When I had the good fortune to caddy for him at Salem Country Club in 1954, I remember when he got to the practice range everybody would just stop and watch him hit his balls. He was the master of all shots.

In closing, make sure to take your warm-up time seriously, no matter how much time you have to get loose. It can set the tone for your round and help you score better from start to finish.

Ed Whalley is a Lynnfield resident and long-time golf professional on the North Shore. The former PGA Tour player recently accepted the position as head professional at Wenham Country Club.