Don't Miss This Pro-Inspired Practice Checklist—It Really Works!

It wasn't until I examined—or truly analyzed—the way professionals warm up that I understood how inadequate my own approach had been. The Masters gave me the chance to observe this firsthand.

The 2025 Masters was the first event to track and share every shot each player took throughout the tournament week, making it a boon for golf enthusiasts. You can check out what I've written about this development. here , here , here , and here .

What I gained from stepping back and examining all this information is an admiration for the well-organized nature of professional golfers’ practice routines. It doesn’t always involve specific details like choosing which type of golf balls to use—although occasionally it does—but rather follows a general pattern. Much like a washing cycle, these athletes tend to follow similar phases each time they train. This consistency significantly enhances their performance.

The rest of us can do this as well. To put it simply, here’s a short checklist to help you shape your practice more like the professionals:

1. Straightforward preparation for exercise 💪🏼🏋️♂️

The initial stage of an effective shooting practice involves warming up properly. This activates all essential muscle groups, ensuring they function as needed during the session.

Many professionals tackle this stage at the gym, which might be quite challenging for the rest of us. However, it could still be possible! Regardless, here are some pointers to help you master this step:

If you choose to hit the gym, don’t shy away from lifting weights. Simply follow Rory’s approach: Use the same weight but perform fewer sets than usual.

The main objective is to get your heart rate up, allowing the blood to circulate effectively.

The phrase "dynamic stretching" often comes up in conversations. Simply put, this refers to stretches performed with movement. For example, doing walking lunges or arm circles. As before, these movements increase your heartbeat and circulation.

2. Baby wedges 🏌️‍♂️

You don’t need to go overboard with this; aim for around five to ten golf balls—but virtually every professional begins their practice session with pitch shots. Therefore, you should too.

The most typical initial distance was approximately 60 yards, after which they gradually progressed to roughly 90 yards with just a few shots in between.

This is great for maintaining rhythm, ensuring consistent ball striking, and overall enhancing your initial swings when you first hit the course each day. You might believe you’re already doing this (as I did), yet upon tracking it, you’ll likely realize you’re not dedicating enough time to this aspect.

3. Scrub your teeth 🪥

Tinkering with your swing? This is when you do it. Once you've worked on your wedges, dedicate roughly 30 percent of your practice at the driving range to fundamental techniques. Though monotonous, it’s crucial—Ludvig Aberg's instructor likens this phase to brushing your teeth.

Leisurely tempo swings fit perfectly into this stage. Drills for your golf stroke also belong here. Exaggerate each movement of your swing—you're at the driving range, after all, not on the green. Do not overlook the basics; they remain crucial even when things get monotonous. At this point, you can afford to pay less attention to the position of the golf ball. It’s all about refining your technique now.

4. Hit shots ↖️↗️

Once you have finished brushing your teeth, it’s essential to turn off that portion of your mind. Shift from having a perfect golf swing mentality to adopting a mindset focused on simply playing the game.

Acknowledge that your method will naturally evolve for now; it’s developing gradually but steadily along the correct trajectory. However, simplifying this stage involves selecting an objective, following your complete pre-shot ritual, and then executing a shot towards said objective.

An effective guideline is to switch either the club you’re using or your intended target after each shot, or at most every second shot. Hitting three consecutive shots with the same club or toward the same target should be avoided.

5. Ramp up speed 🏎️

Set aside five to 10 balls at the conclusion of your practice session to increase your tempo using your driver. Consider this as the final activation for your golfing muscles. Using more might lead to fatigue, while fewer may not sufficiently prepare you.

A budget-friendly club or ball speed monitor can be quite helpful. I've started incorporating one into my warm-up routine and have grown fond of using it. Knowing your typical speed allows you to adjust if you find yourself being either quicker or slower than normal on a particular day.

Ways to adapt 🧑‍🍳

Ultimately, although every practice session includes these five elements, they can be adjusted according to necessity. For instance, a pre-competition warm-up might feature a briefer "preparation" stage. In contrast, an extended practice period could allocate less time for the "hitting shots" segment. Meanwhile, a speed-focused training session would devote minimal attention to both preparation and hitting shots stages but emphasize lengthier segments dedicated to warming up and increasing speed.

Nevertheless, the fundamental components remain constant despite variations in quantities from one day to another. It is due to this formula that your workout efforts will become more effective for you.