A 10-Minute Golf Warm-Up Routine for Arizona Golfers

Most golfers know they should warm up. Most also roll out of the car at 6:40 for a 6:50 tee time, hit three practice swings with the driver, and hope for the best. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone, and the fix does not have to be complicated. A focused 10-minute routine can help your body feel ready for the first tee, especially if you play early in the morning or in the Arizona heat.

Below is a practical pre-round golf warm-up routine you can do in the parking lot, on the range, or next to the first tee, plus notes on early tee times, heat, and hydration.

Why a dynamic warm-up beats static stretching before golf

The old habit of holding long stretches before you play is not the best use of your time. A dynamic warm-up uses active, controlled movement to raise body temperature, take joints through the ranges the swing needs, and wake up the muscles you are about to use.

A 2019 systematic review of golf warm-ups found that dynamic warm-ups and warm-ups that included resistance exercise tended to improve measures of golf performance, while static stretching appeared inferior to other methods and was potentially detrimental to performance (Ehlert and Wilson, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research). The same review found the research on warm-ups and injury was mixed, so we cannot promise a warm-up will prevent injury. What it can do is help you start the round feeling looser and more in control, rather than using the first three holes as your warm-up.

Save longer static stretching for after the round or for separate mobility sessions.

The areas to prime

The golf swing asks a lot of a few key areas. Your warm-up should touch each of them:

• Hips: rotation and the ability to shift and turn onto each leg
• Mid back (thoracic spine): rotation that protects the lower back from doing too much
• Shoulders: mobility for the backswing and follow-through
• Glutes and core: the muscles that control rotation at speed
• Forearms and wrists: grip and impact, especially if you have a history of elbow pain

The 10-minute golf warm-up routine

Move smoothly, stay in a comfortable range, and gradually build up the size and speed of each movement. Nothing here should hurt. A club makes a handy prop for most of it.

Minutes 0 to 2: get warm

1. Brisk walk or marching in place (60 seconds). Walking from the parking lot to the range counts if you pick up the pace.
2. Arm circles (10 forward, 10 backward), starting small and getting bigger.

Minutes 2 to 5: hips and legs

3. Leg swings (10 per leg front to back, 10 side to side), holding a cart or club for balance.
4. Bodyweight squats to a comfortable depth (8 to 10), using the club for support if needed.
5. Reverse lunge with a rotation (5 per side): step back, then rotate your chest toward the front leg.
6. Hip circles or hip “openers” (5 per side): lift a bent knee and rotate it out to the side, like stepping over a hurdle.

Minutes 5 to 7: trunk and shoulders

7. Club-behind-shoulders rotations (10 each way): get into golf posture with the club across your shoulders and turn back and through, slowly at first.
8. Side bends with the club overhead (5 per side).
9. Standing “open book” or reach-throughs (5 per side): in golf posture, reach one arm toward the ground and rotate the other toward the sky.

Minutes 7 to 8: activate

10. Glute squeeze or mini bridge against the cart (10 reps), or a few quick standing hip extensions.
11. Wrist circles and forearm stretches through movement (20 seconds), turning the palms up and down with a club held at its midpoint.

Minutes 8 to 10: swing progression

12. Half swings with a wedge or short iron (5 to 8).
13. Three-quarter swings (5).
14. Full swings at gradually increasing speed (5), finishing with a few with the club you will hit off the first tee.

If you have time to hit balls, follow the same idea: start with wedges, move through the bag, and hit only a handful of drivers before you head to the tee.

Early tee times: why mornings need more

Many Arizona golfers play early, sometimes before sunrise, to beat the heat. After a night of sleep, most people feel stiffer, and in the winter months desert mornings can be surprisingly cold. Both make a gradual warm-up more valuable, not less.

• Give yourself an extra 5 minutes to walk and move before the routine.
• Do the first round of each movement slowly and smaller than feels necessary.
• Layer up in cooler months and keep a light layer on until after your first few holes.
• If you have a known stiff area, such as your lower back or a hip, do a few extra reps there. Our articles on golf swing low back pain and hip mobility for the golf swing cover those areas in more detail.

Heat and hydration notes for Arizona golfers

Playing in the desert asks more of your body, especially from late spring through early fall. A few simple habits help:

• Start hydrated. Drink water with breakfast and before you leave home, rather than trying to catch up on the course.
• Drink regularly during the round. Small, regular sips are easier on the stomach than large amounts at once. On long, hot rounds, an electrolyte drink can be helpful for some people.
• Keep the warm-up short and in the shade on hot days. You need far less time to feel warm when it is already 95 degrees.
• Use sun protection: a hat, sunscreen, and breathable clothing.
• Know the warning signs of heat illness, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, cramping, confusion, or unusual fatigue. Stop, get to shade, cool down, and seek medical care if symptoms are severe or do not improve quickly.

If you have a heart condition, take medications that affect fluid balance or heat tolerance (such as some blood pressure medications or diuretics), or have been told to limit fluids, check with your physician about what is right for you.

When a warm-up is not enough

A warm-up prepares a healthy body to play. It is not a treatment for an ongoing problem. If you consistently feel pain during or after rounds, if a warm-up only takes the edge off a stiff back or a sore elbow, or if you are compensating in your swing to avoid discomfort, it is worth getting assessed. See a physician promptly for chest pain, shortness of breath that is out of proportion to effort, or sudden severe pain.

Dr. Phil Yoon is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He can tailor this routine to your body, build a longer-term mobility and strength program, and work on the issues behind recurring aches. For year-round training, see the main Boundless site’s page on strength and conditioning, or browse the golf physical therapy services here.

Phil’s practice is fully mobile: he comes to your home, club, or gym across Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, and sessions are one-on-one for the full visit. Boundless is out-of-network, with superbills on request. Arizona is a direct access state, so no referral is needed.

Make your first tee shot feel like your tenth

Ten minutes of the right movement can change how your round starts. If you want a warm-up and program built around your own body, history and goals, book a golf physical therapy evaluation.