(Text on screen): Swing Into Action. 5: Driving range warm up

Simon Holmes, professional golf coach: Tim, you are now about 35 balls away from going onto the golf course. You are physically warmed up. We've stretched out all of those key areas.

And the warm-up that we're gonna do here is really just to go through like a range of the different clubs that you're gonna use.

So, we've got starting off with a wedge, 7-iron, some long irons, a rescue, the driver, and cool it back down again. And you have to find the way that warms you up the best.

So, what I want you to do: take those first five with the wedge there. OK? And now, just a little shot, like a 10-yard shot and then try to play each ball a little bit longer than the last one until you build up to sort of that full wedge feeling.

This isn't a place to become really technical. We're not practicing our golf swing here. We're practicing ready for the different shots that we're gonna have out on the golf course.

Good. Sort of the rhythm and the feeling of your body moving starts to get refreshed, starts to warm up. You find the ball.

If you have a couple of bad shots, just put a couple of balls down on a tee. Make it a little bit easier for you to find that confidence.

OK, so, now we're just gonna have five with that 7-iron. Maybe on the last three, almost do it as if you're out on the golf course. Try to line yourself up with your target. Try to make it sort of more conscious of the shots that you're gonna need once you get out there.

So, when you're this close to teeing off, you need to stay focused on pace, rhythm, find a sequence. You're working on your timing. You're developing the skills that you've got. You're not gonna make a dramatic improvement in between now and that first shot.

So, the next three shots, just take the longest iron that you have in your bag. In your case, Tim, it's a 4-iron. So, three of those 4-irons, try to keep that same pace. Don't let the longer club disturb your rhythm. You're not trying to hit it as hard as you can. You're trying to hit is as well as you can.

OK. Not such a sweet one there. Let's have a couple of these rescues here.

So, again, now, most lofted wood that you've got in your bag.

Again, if it feels a bit funny, you've struck into it, you're ball's striking, don't be afraid just to put it on a little low tee, give yourself a little bit of confidence.

Remember, this is your warm-up. Warm-up, getting ready for that that golf course.

So, that sort of slowly works you through, hitting a few wedges, a few 7-irons, your longest iron, your most lofted club with a wood there, a rescue, in our case.

Now, a couple of drivers. We've got five drivers for you to hit. OK?

So, again, try to sort of make a fairway in your mind of what you're going to be aiming at. Very important. You know, we're not practicing golf now. We're trying to get really target-specific. Hit those shots at the target, give yourself the confidence to take that out onto the golf course.

Yeah, really good.

OK, so now we're starting to cool down so we're just gonna have a couple again with that rescue club.

Again, really target-specific. Zoning into that target.

Not your best there.

But just keep yourself stuck in your routine so a couple of 4-irons there. Again, just cooling down.

Again, target-specific. A couple of practice swings, maybe, just to loosen yourself up there again. Good. And again.

That's it.

Yeah. That's your best there.

So, a couple of those 4-irons were really good there. Now we'll just go through, again, just loosening down now a few 7-irons. So, five little 7-irons.

Find a target in your head.

So, it's very difficult to sort of keep your focus. But that's what's required on the golf course.

You know, we've just designed a little 35-ball drill here, and you can create your own that really suits you and suits your warm-up. If you've got one particular problem club you might want to practice a bit more, or avoid it all together. You have to find the way that peaks you ready for that golf course.

OK. One more little 7-iron.

OK. Now, just wind down with a few little wedges. So, just as you made those wedges at the beginning shorter and then longer, longer, make them now a full one all the way back down to just a little chip shot.

So, the key thing of the warm-up is really to be able to go through the clubs that you're gonna need. Obviously, they're different lengths.

You're starting with a wedge, you're trying to develop that timing and the feel. Then the 7-iron. Then your longest iron. The most lofted wood you have, the key club of the day, is the driver.

And then start to do the opposite. Start to smooth it down again. So, you start to get sort of up to the top of the driver, back down into your wedges. You can see from these little shots here you've calmed down, you haven't got the pace of the driver in your head. You've got the pace of the wedge in your head.

So, I think in that situation that's 35 balls. The smart thing now may be a little bit of pitching, some bunkers if you fancy it, a little bit of putting, and then you are ready for the golf course.

You've done everything you're supposed to do to prepare yourself for that first shot, and in your case, Tim, hopefully have a great day out on the golf course.

Streaming Well, www.streamingwell.com, copyright 2012