The Loop

Weekend Tip: Only 5 minutes till tee time!

August 03, 2012

In the latest issue of Golf Digest (September, with Alvaro Quiros on the cover), Hank Haney offers some quick advice for players who don't leave themselves much time to warm up (sound familiar?). Here's what you should do if you have only five or 10 minutes before you have to tee off.

"You can still be productive," says Haney, a Golf Digest Teaching Professional. "Start by engaging your golf muscles and stretching. Hold a couple of irons together and swing, letting the extra weight help you turn. Then hit a few balls with a wedge, a few with your 7-iron and finish with your driver. You're looking for smooth swings and solid contact, not mechanical fixes.

"Your last stop should be the practice green. Take two balls and roll some 15- to 20-footers, focusing mainly on speed. When you get to the tee, remember to slow yourself down. A quick tempo on the first tee can produce a wild drive--and set a bad tone for the day."

Hank, of course, teaches Mark O'Meara and was Tiger Woods' coach for seven years. He runs the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy, in Hilton Head.

*Roger Schiffman

Managing Editor

Golf Digest

Twitter @RogerSchiffman*