How to warm up like a tour pro
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.
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 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 currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
