Shoulder Stretch Golf Warm-Up Drill | Golf Practice Made Fun

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DRILL OVERVIEW

Shoulder Stretch Golf Warm-Up Drill: Close and Open Gently

Branded stick golfers showing open and closer elbow positions with hands beside the head.

Your drill at a glance

Golf fitnessDrill category

Shoulder stretchBenefit

3–5 minutesPractice time

1 / 10Difficulty

No equipmentWhat to bring

This drill is from the Golf Practice Made Fun App.

Step 1. Watch the elbow movement

The demonstration starts at 1:17. Notice the hands staying beside the head while the elbows move forwards together.

Watch the demonstration on YouTube from 1:17.

Step 2. Close and reopen the elbows

shoulder stretch golf warmup — Stand tall with your hands lightly beside your ears and elbows open.

Stand with your feet comfortably apart. Bring your hands beside your ears, using light contact rather than gripping or pulling your head. Let the elbows open to a comfortable starting position.

Move both elbows forwards and towards each other slowly. Keep your head upright and avoid rounding your whole body to make the elbows meet.

Reopen the elbows smoothly to the comfortable starting position. Keep the hands light and your breathing easy. One closing movement followed by one controlled reopening is one repetition.

Movement	What to do
1. Set up lightly	Stand tall with the hands beside the ears and elbows comfortably open.
2. Close gently	Bring the elbows forwards towards each other, keeping the head upright.
3. Reopen smoothly	Return to your easy starting position without forcing the elbows backwards.

What to watch for

What you notice	What to try
Pulling on the head	Lighten the hands and keep the neck relaxed.
Rounding forwards to make the elbows touch	Make the movement smaller. Touching is not the goal.
Arching backwards as the elbows open	Stop at a comfortable opening range and keep the torso steady.

Avoid bouncing or forcing either end of the movement. Stop if it causes pain or the hands-beside-head position is uncomfortable.

Step 3. Complete your round

Branded stick figure in a blue polo beside eighteen ticked practice boxes. One repetition. One tick.

What to do

Complete 18 gentle close-and-open repetitions. Move both elbows together, then reopen them. That complete cycle counts as one repetition and one tick, rather than a separate tick for each elbow.

Use three sets of six, lowering the arms for a short rest between sets if needed. Keep the same comfortable range throughout.

First nine: Complete nine gentle close-and-open cycles with both elbows moving together. Lower the arms to rest after six. Second nine: Complete nine more at the same comfortable range, resting after twelve overall. Count each whole close-and-open cycle once.

Score	When to award it
1 point	You complete the shot, routine or movement described above.
0 points	You do not complete the attempt.

Add your completed attempts for a total out of eighteen.

George’s Conclusion

George, scratch golfer and mad inventor of the Golf Practice Made Fun App, holding a phone at the range.

I like the simplicity of this movement: light hands, a steady head and elbows that close and reopen comfortably. Keep the range easy and give each of the 18 repetitions the same attention.

Try the Triceps Stretch Golf Warm-Up Drill or the Side Stretch Drill for another movement to explore. Browse more golf fitness drills.

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