OF CARBON EMISSIONS A WEEK.” 23 POUNDS SAVES APPROXIMATELY “Commuting one day a week by transit Paul Bike Commuter Page 54 August 2015 By Tina Tombs In this golf tip I focus on a warm up routine that I used – as well as many other tour players – to prepare for a round of golf. If you can, allow yourself a half hour to warm up and use this routine. First, allow yourself time to prepare for the golf course at which you are playing. If you are coming from the office and you don’t have time to warm up, stretch first to prevent injury. Stretch your wrists, back and shoulders. Next, hit a few balls while focusing on the mental side of the game. Now, follow the rest of the steps to continue your warm up: Balance – To test and enhance your balance, try hitting a few balls with your eyes closed, on one leg, and with your feet together. Tension levels – See what level of tension you are coming to the course with, and find the tension level at which you can play your best. Experiment with really loose grip pressure to really tight – grit your teeth and smile at the ball. These are just a few examples; you may come up with some of your own. Tempo – Hit two balls with each speed: 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent. Use the same tempo back and through. Doing this allows you to save some strokes with your short game and develop the feel for your golf swing. During my career on tour I started my warm up routine with my short game, as many LPGA and PGA tour players do today. Once you are done with this part of warming up, putt and chip some balls and incorporate some of this warm up routine in the short game. The reason for this is it gives you tempo, balance and you find your tension levels immediately. Also, this is the most important part of the game to score. Keep these fundamental warm up exercises in mind next time you’re out on the range, and you might unlock a new secret to your swing. I believe that every student is unique with his or her own biomechanics. Each has his or her own desires and limitations. I also believe the potential of each student is unlimited. — Tina was the LPGA 2014 Central Section Teacher of the Year and LPGA 2014 National Teacher of the Year. You can contact her at tina@tinatombsgolf.com. Warm up routine GOLF Tips