Warm-up with a sand wedge: the Marchildon method
Do you lose your swing from one round to the next? Charles Marchildon, a PGA of Canada professional, offers a solution that requires no technical changes and works for everyone from beginners to experts: warm up like the pros, using the shortest club and making small, relaxed movements.
To be continued
What the lesson shows
Charles Marchildon notes that almost all the experts—with two exceptions, Tom Watson and Christina Kim—warm up the same way: they take their shortest club, sand wedge or lob wedge, and hit balls “Not fast, not hard, relaxed”, sometimes while talking about something else. They do this for five reasons. First, to regain the overall coordination Of the three elements of the swing—weight transfer, rotation, and the follow-through—when the best players miss, it’s a coordination issue, not a technical one. Next, focus on making solid contact in the middle of the clubface, then gradually increase your swing length and speed.
Third reason: feel the weight of the club as it strikes the ball. Fourth: build up a “database.” On the course, you tell yourself, “Relax, slow down,” but without a reference point, you have nothing to draw on; the expert, who always warms up the same way, has a reference point for his pace and effort level. One last reason, regarding your score: this small gesture produces always the same distance, 60 yards for his sand wedge, give or take a few yards. Using this as a reference point, the body makes an adjustment: a little lower or slower for 50 yards, a little higher or faster for 70.
The Exercise, Step by Step
- Once you get to the driving range, grab your sand wedge or lob wedge.
- Make small movements—not too fast, not too forceful, and relaxed—to feel the coordination of transfer, rotation, and whipping.
- Once you're comfortable, try to hit the ball in the center of the clubface.
- Gradually increase the range of motion and speed of the movement.
- Feel the weight of the club as it strikes the ball.
- Note the distance of this simple warm-up movement—it's always the same.
- On the course, use this as a guide: aim a little lower for a shorter shot, and a little higher or swing a little faster for a longer one.
Key Takeaways
Mistakes to Avoid
- Start your warm-up with a long club and powerful swings.
- Seeking a technical fix when the problem is coordination.
- Accelerate before making contact with the center of the clubface.
- Telling yourself to “relax” on the course without ever having established a benchmark for yourself.
- Change your warm-up routine for each game.
Driving Range Mode
Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.
- Short shots with a sand wedge—not fast, not hard, relaxed
- Contact in the middle of the front face to increase the amplitude
- Measuring the distance of the small reference gesture
- Variations that are slightly shorter and slightly longer around this point
Your Questions
How do professional cyclists warm up before a race?
According to Charles Marchildon, almost all of them do it the same way: using their shortest club—a sand wedge or lob wedge—and hitting the ball slowly, gently, and in a relaxed manner.
Why start with small steps?
To regain overall coordination in the swing. At this speed, you can feel it more clearly in your muscles, and he explains that a missed shot is often a coordination issue rather than a technical one.
How does warming up help you find your stride?
The same small swing always produces the same distance—60 yards with his sand wedge. Once he has established this reference point, his body extrapolates the distances around it—shorter or longer.
Is this method suitable for beginners?
Yes. He presents it as a solution for all skill levels, from beginner to expert, regardless of each person's technique.
Learn More
Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Charles Marchildon). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.