FAQ: How do PGA Tour golfers warm up?

PGA Tour golfers follow a regimented routine before heading to the first tee. Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Through our readers and social media followers here at The Caddie Network, we often receive questions related to the caddie profession. We’ve collected the most frequently asked questions from our readers and followers and tasked actual PGA Tour caddies to serve up the answers based on their experiences. Here are the answers — from PGA Tour caddies — to the questions we most often receive from you.

PGA Tour players are wired differently than most of us. While many recreational golfers will arrive at a golf course 10 minutes before a tee time and hit a couple of putts — if that — before heading to the first tee, that’s not the case for golfers at the highest level of competition.

The best players in the world have very specific routines they follow and rarely break to squeeze in a warm-up with every facet of the game involved before hitting the tee… and it even includes a lot of work without a golf club in hand.

When a reader asked us how PGA Tour players warm up, we turned to Eric Meller, longtime caddie for Jerry Kelly on both the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions for the answer.

How do PGA Tour golfers warm up?

I’m not sure if this question relates more to “exercise warm up” or hitting balls warm up as most players do both.

Most players have a 20-30 minute dynamic stretching and stability routine they use to get their bodies going. Some lift weights (I believe Brooks Koepka is known for this) and, obviously, some get going with cardio on things like treadmills, ellipticals, or stationary bikes. Lots do a combo of these and on Tour there are fitness trailers on site with equipment at a player’s disposal.

Golf-wise, most players will average around an hour of putting, short game chipping/bunker shots, and full swings before a round. They usually start with wedges, then go either odd or even numbered clubs through the bag until hitting woods and driver. Most hit a few more wedges after hitting drivers, putt a bit more, then head to the tee.

Do you have more caddie questions? We have more caddie answers. From “What’s the worst thing a golfer can do while using a caddie?” to “How much free stuff do you get and what’s a random expense that annoys you?,” our pros have you covered with loads of answers to these FAQs – just click here.

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