Evidence says your club-over-the-head stretch is a complete waste of time. Do this instead

For more than a decade now, study after study on the impact of stretching on athletic performance has concluded that the benefits, at best, are minimal and likely more psychological than physiological. At worst? They could actually hinder athletic performance in the short term, making muscle tissue less elastic.

Despite the findings, if go to any golf course anywhere at any time, this is what you'll likely see on the range:

So what's going on here? Why are golfers so programmed to do long-hold, static stretches before a round? Again, the answer is likely psychological. Stretching typically sends feel-good signals to the brain and/or gives you a sense that you're waking up your normally stiff body. But what's really going on when you reach for the sky with your driver and stretch out your arms is, well, not much:

"Stretching is not an important part of fitness and wellness," says Paul Ingraham, a former certified massage therapist and current science author. "Stretching’s primary goal—flexibility—does not have any clear value to anyone, not even most elite athletes, let alone the average fitness nut. It’s also easily achieved with other kinds of exercise that are more beneficial for fitness in other ways. Strengthening can also improve flexibility [for example]. Most stretching is simply a waste of time, its reputation completely undeserved."

Legendary fitness advocate, the late Jack LaLanne, famously said, "15 minutes to warm up? Does a lion warm up when he's hungry? 'Uh oh, here comes an antelope. Better warm up.' No! He just goes out there and eats the sucker."

Hard to argue with that. But if you want to know more about why static stretching probably isn't going to help you play better or avoid injuries on the course, read this Jonathan Jarry article published by McGill University in Montreal two years ago. It might just have you rethinking how you prepare for a round.

Golf Digest Certified Fitness Trainer Levi Root, who trains players at Definition Fit in Sarasota, Fla., whole-heartedly agrees with those who think long-hold static stretching is a waste of time. Instead, he believes isometric exercises (no muscle contraction) is a much better way to prep your body for golf.

"While traditional stretching can feel good and give golfers a temporary increase in range of motion, it can actually decrease stability in the joint as well as force production for a period of time," Root says. "Isometric exercises actually increase the ability of the muscle to contract and add stability, allowing for more power to be transferred into the golf ball."

Root says you can use a golf cart (or a chair if you prefer to walk) to go through a series of simple isometric moves before you play, and you'll wake up your body much better than doing that overhead golf-club move. Watch his video demonstration of this quick routine below.

Click here for more information on Golf Digest's Fitness Trainer Certification.