How to warm up like a tour pro

Steve Carroll

Ever thought about what a proper warm up might do for your game? Paul Waring takes us through his routine to see what you can learn from him

How many of us turn up on the 1st tee, without having made as much as a practice swing, and then wonder why we can barely hit the ball for the first three holes? Maybe we didn’t have time for a pre-round warm-up, maybe we’re being lazy, but it’s no surprise that our half-hearted efforts mean our scores really suffer.

To find out what we should do, I called in European Tour player Paul Waring to take us through his pre-round practice routine.

I visited Paul at his home club Bromborough, on the Wirral, where he gave me a step-by-step guide to ensure I’m ready to play at my best when it’s time to get a competition under way.

Pre-round warm up: Key point

Start on the putting green and use a mirror, preferably one that allows you to set up a gate. That makes sure the basics are really good – that you know where the putter is aiming and that you can start the ball on line.

You can check ball position, eye line, that the ball is rolling correctly and, for 10 minutes, hole some confidence boosting putts.

Watch the full video for more on pre-round preparation from Paul.

About the author

Steve Carroll

A journalist for more than 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long.

A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A’s prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.

Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men’s Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.

A part of NCG’s Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He’d like to tell you he floats around 10. The reality is more like 13.

Steve plays at Sandburn Hall, in York, and is a country member at Close House in Newcastle. He has served on various club committees during his time in the game, and is the current Rules Secretary at Sandburn.

Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NCTJ exams at Darlington College of Technology. He began his career working on weekly papers in Newcastle, before joining the York Press in 2001. After five years as a news reporter, he joined the sports desk – specialising in horse racing and snooker – and was Digital Sports Editor when he joined National Club Golfer in 2016.

What’s in Steve’s bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; Caley 01T irons 4-PW; TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges, Odyssey 2Ball Microhinge putter.

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