TIPS: A Pre-Swing Checklist for Simulator Golf
A simulator session does not have to begin with a full-speed drive. Whether you are planning a visit to Birdie Golf Center in Metro Vancouver or practising elsewhere, a short warm-up gives you time to check your surroundings and ease into golf movements. Use the sequence below as a practical starting point, keeping every movement comfortable and unhurried.
1. Clear your movement space
Before picking up a club, put bags, drinks and loose items outside your movement area. Check that the mat is stable and your shoes feel secure. Look around and above you for screens, dividers, ceilings and other people. You need clearance for both a normal swing and a club held horizontally across your shoulders; those movements occupy different spaces. Follow the venue’s instructions about where to stand and swing.
2. Begin without a club
Spend roughly a minute making easy movements on the mat. March gently in place, then settle into a balanced stance with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Make a few small shoulder circles and slowly open and close your hands. Add several relaxed side-to-side weight shifts, keeping both feet in contact with the mat. This is not a fitness test: the aim is simply to move before asking your body for a golf swing.
3. Add a gentle standing shoulder turn
Once you have checked clearance, place a golf club horizontally across the back of your shoulders, not against your neck. Hold it lightly with both hands in a comfortable position. If holding the club there feels awkward, set it aside and cross your arms loosely over your chest instead.
- Stand tall with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your knees soft.
- Turn your shoulders slowly a short distance to one side, allowing your hips to follow naturally.
- Return to the centre, then turn gently to the other side.
- Repeat three to five times each way, breathing normally and staying balanced.
Keep the turn small enough to control. Do not pull on the club to force extra rotation, bounce at the end of the movement or try to keep your hips rigidly still. Stop any movement that hurts rather than pushing through it.
4. Rehearse before adding a ball
Put the club into your normal grip and take your address position. With a short iron or wedge, make three or four slow rehearsal swings, starting with a small backswing. Let the motion grow only while it remains comfortable. Finish in balance and pause briefly before resetting. There is no need to brush the mat on every rehearsal; controlled movement matters more than making contact at this stage.
5. Build up through the first few shots
Begin with several short, easy shots using the same club. Progress towards a comfortable half swing, then a longer swing if you feel ready. Save faster swings and longer clubs for later rather than making them your first test. Treat the first simulator readings as observations, not targets: there is no need to chase a distance number while you are still settling in.
The whole sequence can take around five minutes, but the clock is not the goal. If you have been sitting between turns, repeat a few easy movements before hitting again. A useful warm-up leaves you ready to practise, not rushed to prove something with the first ball.
