(Editor's Note: The illustrations and text in this package are excerpted from the book, "Dr. Divot's Guide to Golf Injuries" by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Larry Foster. These excerpts appear with the permission of Dr. Foster and Doctor Divot Publishing, Inc., and may not be reproduced without the permission of same.)

In an optimum golf warmup routine, stretching follows a quick aerobic "sweat breaker" and precedes progressive swinging (making practice or driving range swings with shorter clubs first, working your way up to woods).

I prefer a "head-to-toe" approach to stretching, because it provides a way for me to remember to include all the major muscle groups in sequence. Hold each stretch for fifteen to twenty seconds. Avoid stretching beyond the point of pain, and never bounce to stretch. Stretch one side of the body, then the other. Repeat the stretches three or four times for each side.

On the following pages we'll look at some stretches you can use as part of a proper golf warmup.