Take a lesson (or 7) from the best with this list of game-changing practices the pros do to improve their performance
If you’re an amateur golfer with dreams of perfecting your game, what better way than to learn from the pros?
The following seven practices are things that tour-level golfers do to stay in peak condition and outperform the competition.
Whether you’re just looking for pro tips or trying to crawl your way up from a plateau, give one or all of these a shot, stick with it, and your golf game is sure to improve!
So, let’s get started.
To compete at the top and play their best, the pros…
- Never Skip Their Warmups
We know what you’re probably thinking…
“Everyone knows they’re supposed to warm up before they hit the course!”
But be honest with yourself.
How often do you really loosen up, stretch, and perform a full warmup before you play? And by play, we mean anywhere––whether you’re on the course, the driving range, or practicing your swing in the backyard.
Professional golfers understand just how important it is to prepare their bodies and muscles for a session.
It’s not just about getting the blood pumping and reducing the risk of injury. It’s about creating a routine that primes the body and mind, so from that very first swing, the tone is set for the entire practice round, session at the range, or competitive tournament.
So, don’t skimp out on your stretching and dynamic warmups. The pros use them to play their best golf every time they pick up a club, and so should you.
- Hit the Weights Consistently
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a professional golfer that doesn’t hit the gym at least a couple of times a week.
To stay competitive these days, you pretty much have to.
When you’re going up against the best, you need every edge you can get to come out on top. And adding extra yards to your drive is one of the best ways to lower your scores.
That’s why the pros spend several hours a week in the gym. The stronger they get, the harder and faster they can swing a club. This increased clubhead speed boosts their distance, getting them inside those yardages where they can score.
If you want to increase your distance and decrease your scores, take a page out of the pros’ book and hit the gym regularly.**
- Use the Range for More Than Drives
How often do you head to the range and spend most (if not all) of your time with a driver in your hands?
If you’re like most golfers, the answer is probably either very often or all the time. But don’t worry, you’re not alone. And who can blame you?
It’s way more fun to smash the ball hundreds of yards down the range than to pitch eighty-yard shots with a wedge.
But the pros know that if they want to improve their game, they have to attack it from every angle…
And that means hitting just as many shots with a wedge as with a driver.
So, next time you hit the range, mix it up a little…
Pick a club and practice at least 50% of the session with just that club. Wait till you see how comfortable you feel when you hit the links and have to hit that one specific club.
If it works for the best, it can work for you!
- Always Practice With Intention
The professional golfer never sets foot on a course or driving range without a purpose. Every second of their time is devoted to working on a certain concept or aspect of their game.
By setting a concrete goal for each practice session, they can achieve two things:
- They free up the majority of their focus for the one skill they’re working on, and…
- They simulate the same high-stakes scenarios that go on during competition.
If you have several aspects of your golf game that you’d like to improve, try picking one and honing in on it. Devoting several practice sessions to the same skill is a tried and true way to break your game down into manageable pieces and level up your performance.
This means, practice like you play. Go through your routine. Aim at flags. And imagine you’re playing a hole.
Creating that game-time pressure allows you to retrain your muscle memory and prepares you for the real thing.
- Create a Pre-Shot Routine & Stick to it
Just like a basketball player’s free throw routine, every pro golfer has their own pre-shot habit…
And they use it every single time.
Similar to what we said about warmups in tip number one, pre-shot routines help pros prime their bodies and minds for the shot, visualize a successful swing, and ensure precision and consistency.
So, if you don’t have one already, find a pre-swing routine that works for you, and use it before every shot!
This tip is literally game-changing!
- Make Recovery Just as Much of a Priority as Training
Although we usually only see them making magic on the course, professional golfers spend hours upon hours recuperating and taking care of their bodies.
Hitting hundreds and even thousands of balls every week places an enormous amount of stress on the back, hips, shoulders, and neck. Combine that with regular weight lifting and cardio sessions, and you’ve got quite a bit of recovering to do.
The pros are very diligent about their recovery time, to the point where they give it the same level of attention as their training.
Daily stretching, foam rolling, icing, heat therapy, yoga sessions, pilates, massages, the list goes on. A strong foundation of recovery helps elite competitors bounce back faster, prevent injury, and take their game to the next level.
In a recent interview, Mike Weir, Canadian golf icon and Masters Champion, had this to say about recovery:
“I concentrate on areas that are commonly tight on me and most golfers…My hips, back, neck and forearms. I also try to get a massage at least once a week, sometimes twice. Recovery is very important as we get a bit older.”
Take it from Mike, what you do off the course has a massive impact on your performance on the course!
- Recover With BEMER PEMF Therapy
Aside from traditional recovery methods, pros like Mike Weir use BEMER PEMF therapy every day to recharge their bodies and improve their performance on and off the course.*
After a long day of practice or a grueling competition, BEMER energizes their cellular health and increases local blood flow.** Both crucial factors that help their muscles recover faster and meet the harsh demands of their sport.**
This recovery method is also invaluable on the course. Each session only takes eight minutes, so a tour-level golfer can easily activate their muscles for a boost of energy in between games.
But what exactly is BEMER? And what the heck does PEMF mean?
BEMER is a recovery tool that’s gaining widespread popularity with athletes all across the world, and it works a lot like a wireless charger for your body.
During a BEMER session, the device sends out what’s called a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF). This biorhythmic signal stimulates muscle cell activity, increasing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients throughout the muscles.**
Recover Like the Best
With daily use, golfers––whether they’re Masters Champions or weekend warriors––can see increases in strength, energy levels, endurance, performance, and much more.**
Following his big career comeback, Mike was clear about BEMER’s role in his fitness regimen:
“With years of competition and training taking a toll, BEMER has helped elevate my recovery to the next level, while also becoming a critical part of my preventative care routine. For me, there’s nothing quite like it.” *
What’s truly unique about BEMER is that it works as both a warmup and cooldown therapy, whether you’re on the course or at home.
Before you tee up in the morning, a pre-game session can prime your body for a long day out on the links.
In between nines, you can use BEMER while you rest on the golf cart. A quick eight-minute session can re-activate your muscles for extra energy to attack the back nine.
After eighteen or thirty-six hole weekends, recover with BEMER while you relax on the couch at home and give your muscles the fuel they need to recharge and come back stronger the next day.
To recover like the best, all it takes is two eight-minute sessions a day. And when you combine BEMER with the other pro-approved tips on this list, your golf buddies won’t know what hit them.
To learn more about BEMER and what it can do for your golf game, visit the link below:
https://life.bemergroup.com/golf
*Mike Weir is a paid BEMER ambassador. Individual results may vary, and testimonials may not reflect the typical person’s experience and are not intended to represent that anyone will achieve the same results.
**BEMER does not provide any medical advice or services. This device is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. It should not be used for any purpose other than as described in the user manual. Please consult your own healthcare provider prior to starting any new exercise program or if you have any medical issues.