Ready-Set-Play
You know the basics of the game. You've got the right equipment, you &~ know how to access instruction from various sources, and you know your way around different sorts of courses. You've developed a swing that suits your body and soul. You're armed with simple fixes for common problems, and you know how to play in all sorts of weather. At this point, you could probably hit a terrific bunker shot from a buried lie during a tornado!
Well, maybe during a blustery day. I'll save tornado play for a future edition of this book. The point is, you're ready to get out there and put all your learning to the test.
Warminq Up your Body
After you've warmed up your mind, you need to do the same for your body. Warm-ups are important. Not only do a few simple exercises loosen your muscles and help your swing, but they also help you psychologically as well. I like to step onto the first tee knowing that I'm as ready as I can be. Feeling loose rather than tight is reassuring. Besides, golfers, along with the rest of the world, are a lot more aware of physical fitness and diet today than in days gone by. Lee Trevino, a two-time U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA champion and later one of the top players on the senior tour, calls the PGA Tour players "flat-bellies." Which they are, compared to some of the more rotund "round-bellies" on the senior tour. I think this is called progress!
Johnny Bench, the great Cincinnati Reds catcher, showed me the following stretches. He used them when he played baseball, and he's in the Hall of Fame — so who am I to argue?
Holding a club by the head, place the grip end in your armpit so that the shaft runs the length of your arm (use a club that is the same length as your arm for this one, as shown in Figure 13-1). That action in itself stretches your arm and shoulders. Now bend forward until your arm is horizontal. The forward movement stretches your lower back, one of the most important areas in your body when it comes to playing golf. If your back is stiff, making a full turn on the backswing is tough. Hold this position for a few seconds; then switch arms and repeat. Keep doing this stretch until you feel ready to swing.
Another method of loosening up is more traditional. Instead of practicing your swing with one club in your hands, double the load (see Figure 13-2). Swing two clubs. Go slowly, trying to make as full a back-and-through swing as you can. The extra weight soon stretches away any tightness.
This next exercise is one that you'll see many players use on the first tee. Jack Nicklaus has always done it. All you have to do is place a club across your back and hold it in place with your hands or elbows. Then turn back and through as if making a golf swing, as shown in Figure 13-3. Again, this action really stretches your back muscles.
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