DRILL OVERVIEW

Wrist Strengthening Golf Warm-Up Drill: Lift with Control

Branded golfers showing the lowered and raised club positions for a wrist warm-up.

Your drill at a glance

Golf fitnessDrill category
Controlled wrist strengthBenefit
3–5 minutesPractice time
2 / 10Difficulty
Two short ironsEquipment
Wrist warm-up: keep arms by the sides, lift the clubheads from the wrists and lower both clubs slowly

This drill is from the Golf Practice Made Fun App.

Step 1. Watch the wrist lift

The demonstration starts at 2:37. Notice how the arms stay down by the sides as the wrists lift and lower the clubs.

Watch the demonstration on YouTube from 2:37.

Step 2. Lift the clubs without lifting the arms

wrist strengthen golf warmup
Stand tall with a short iron in each hand and your arms by your sides.

Hold both clubs securely with the clubheads pointing down. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your upper arms close to your body.

wrist strengthen golf warmup
Use the wrists to raise the clubheads while your hands and arms stay close to the starting position.

Lift the clubheads slowly from the wrists, keeping the arms down by your sides. Use only a range you can control; you do not need to match the height in the photograph.

Lower the clubheads smoothly back to the starting position. Avoid letting them drop under their own weight. One lift followed by one controlled return is one repetition.

MovementWhat to do
1. Set upStand steadily, arms by your sides, with one short iron in each hand.
2. Lift slowlyMove from the wrists while keeping the upper arms quiet.
3. Lower with controlReturn both clubheads smoothly to the start without dropping them.

What to watch for

What you noticeWhat to try
The elbows bend to helpReduce the lift and return the arms to your sides.
The clubheads drop quicklyMake the movement smaller so you can control the return.
The shoulders lift or tensePause, relax the shoulders and restart with less effort.

If the clubs feel too difficult to control, rehearse the movement without them. Stop if it causes pain, and finish earlier if your wrists become tired.

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 controlled lift-and-lower repetitions. Both clubs lift and return together. That complete cycle counts as one repetition and one tick, rather than a separate tick for each hand.

Use three sets of six, taking a short rest between sets if needed. Keep the same easy movement from the first repetition to the last.

First nine: Complete nine lift-and-lower cycles with both clubs moving together. Keep the rest after six. Second nine: Complete nine more at the same easy pace, resting after twelve overall. Both hands together count as one repetition.
ScoreWhen to award it
1 pointYou complete the shot, routine or movement described above.
0 pointsYou 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.

For me, the return is as useful a cue as the lift. Keep the arms quiet, raise the clubs slowly and lower them with control. Eighteen easy repetitions give you a simple practice task without chasing a score.

Try the Forearm Strengthening Golf Warm-Up Drill for a different wrist-and-forearm movement, or the Hand Stretch Drill. Browse more golf fitness drills.

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