The best way to ease in from the daily stress of life to playing a round of golf is to warm up correctly. If you have time, do a full warm up before you start and then an abbreviated session before you reach the first tee.

IntoTheRough.com recommends that each warm-up session consist of a series of stretches, which may be followed by a vigorous workout if you have the time. The ideal warm up should last at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Why is warming up so important? Well, when you don’t use your muscles for a long period of time, they tend to shorten and get tight. Doing a warm up of stretching helps to get the blood flowing, which warms the muscles, allowing them to become loose.

Now that you know why it’s important to stretch before your golf game, check out these stretching exercises from PGATOUR.com. Do you stretch before playing golf? How long?