Pre-round preparation: Part 5

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At this point in time you should understand the goals and importance of a pre-round preparation program. Again, the basic goals of the time before you hit the first tee are to physically, biomechanically, and mentally prepare yourself for the upcoming round. The end result of a pre-round preparation program will be a body, golf swing, and mind ready to tee up it for 18 holes.

Sean Cochran

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA TOUR regularly and works with TOUR professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson.
He has been involved in the production of numerous golf fitness videos and books including Core Golf Fitness. He has authored numerous articles with publication credits in Golf Digest, Sports Illustrated, and Golf Magazine.
In addition to working with Mickelson, Cochran has worked with LPGA Champion Hee Won Han, U.S. Open Champion Corey Pavin, world-renowned golf instructor Rick Smith and short game expert Dave Pelz.
Cochran continues to speak at seminars and clinics around the country on golf fitness. In his free time he enjoys golf and surfing. He resides in Del Mar, Calif.
To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs, click here

A pre-round preparation program, as we've discussed previously, is split into three sections. Section one is your physical warm-up, which prepares the muscles and nerves of your body to swing a golf club.

The second section of the program is preparing your golf swing. This section is completed at the range, short game area, and putting green. The goal of this part of the program is to get your golf swing ready to play as well as determine what your golf swing is doing on that particular day. Again, we are all well aware that our golf swing can be slightly different day-to-day, just like it is for PGA TOUR players. Understanding what your golf swing is doing on a particular day can be of great benefit during a round when deciding on what shots to play.

The final section of your pre-round program is mental preparation. This is a process of centering and focusing on the upcoming round. This section of the pre-round plan can be completed in conjunction with preparation of the body and swing or through a separate set of focusing drills.

As we can see each section of a pre-round preparation plan has a purpose and as whole provide a solid foundation for you to be ready for your round.

The first section, the physical preparation of the body, consists of a series of golf fitness exercises. Up to this point we have discussed Torso Rotations, Rotators, Windmills, and Single Leg Turns as the exercises involved in this section. The final exercise I would suggest to implement in this section of your program is Full Turns. This is last exercise to perform before heading to the range.

To execute this drill, simply take your 5-iron address position with club in hand. While maintaining your set-up position place your right hand (right handed golfer) on the shaft of the club just above the clubhead, keeping the left hand in place. Adjust the club so that it is parallel to the ground and facing down the target line. Again, maintain your set-up position during this adjustment.

Once in position slowly rotate to the top of your back swing while maintaining a set spine angle. Pause for one second at the top of your backswing, return to the starting position of the exercise, and repeat for 10-15 repetitions. Focus on creating a full shoulder turn during the entire drill.

The entire physical warm-up of your body should take no longer than 5-8 minutes. Once complete, move to the range, short game, or putting green to begin the process of preparing your golf swing.

Having observed TOUR players week in and week out, it's obvious that they spend this time on a series of putts, short game shots, and full swings. The full swings begin with wedges, progresses to short irons, long irons, and finish with driver. Short game preparation and putts can be a variety of different shots/putts to get a "feel" for the greens as well as how the ball is going to react. Again, the goal is to prepare the swing for the upcoming round.

Mental preparation for the round can coincide with the first two phases of pre-round preparation or can be a separate entity. My point is, though, that the mind as well as the golf swing and body must be ready for the upcoming round. Leaving this process out of the equation can cause difficulties during your round.

A complete and concise pre-round preparation plan for the amateur can be completed in a time frame of 20-25 minutes. Part of this time (5-8 minutes) is spent preparing the body, 15-20 minutes are spent on the swing, and mental preparation is performed while on the range. Again, such a plan can pay huge dividends during your round of golf and have you walking into the clubhouse with a lower score rather than a higher one.