Solheim Cup players can face two demanding sessions in a day. From hydration to tired feet, here’s what everyday golfers can learn about recovering between rounds.
Watch the players during Solheim Cup week and it is easy to focus entirely on the golf. What we see less of is the work that goes into making sure their bodies are ready to do it all again.
Practice rounds, pro-ams and competitive matches can mean several long days on the course, while the format itself can ask players to play twice in one day. Recovery, therefore, is not something saved for when the tournament is over. It starts almost as soon as a round finishes.
Weekend golfers may not have quite the same workload, but the problem is familiar. Play a competition on Saturday and another 18 holes on Sunday and the second round can feel very different from the first – particularly as the miles start to accumulate.
So what can we borrow from the professionals?
Keep moving after you finish
Collapsing into a clubhouse chair can be tempting after 18 holes, but a little movement first can help prevent that familiar post-round stiffness.
Dynamic movements – shoulder rolls, hip circles and gentle trunk rotations – are commonly used as part of a golfer’s preparation because they take the joints through a comfortable range of motion.
If you are playing again later that day, try five minutes before lunch. Ten slow hip circles in each direction, arm circles forwards and backwards and a few controlled torso rotations with a club across your shoulders are enough. The aim is not another workout; it is simply to keep moving.
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty
Hydration becomes increasingly important when one round turns into two, particularly in warm weather.
Rather than trying to make up for it once you have finished, drink regularly throughout the round. If you are playing for several hours in hot conditions and sweating heavily, an electrolyte drink can also help replace sodium lost through sweat.
Headache, unusual fatigue and dark urine can all be signs that you have fallen behind with your fluids. By then, your golf may already be suffering too.
And if round two is the following morning, rehydrating during the evening matters just as much as what you drink on the first tee.
Give your feet some attention
Eighteen holes is already a substantial walk. Add another round and your feet can quickly become the part of your body demanding the most attention.
One of the easiest things to do between rounds is change your socks. Starting the second 18 in a dry pair reduces the moisture and friction that can turn a small sore spot into a blister.
Tired calves can also contribute to that heavy-legged feeling late in a second round. Gentle calf stretches after playing can help, while a foam roller or massage ball can be useful when you get home.
And don’t underestimate your golf shoes. If you regularly play on consecutive days, comfortable, well-fitting footwear is every bit as important as another piece of equipment in the bag.
Make the first ten minutes count
What you do immediately after playing doesn’t need to be elaborate.
Walk for a few minutes rather than stopping abruptly, loosen your shoulders and hips and have something to drink. If you are playing again the same day, eat something containing carbohydrate and protein rather than relying on coffee and a slice of cake to get you through another 18.
The professionals have physios, nutritionists and carefully planned recovery routines around them, but the basic principles are surprisingly transferable.
So next time you have 36 holes in a day, a competition weekend or simply two rounds on consecutive days, think about the second round before the first one has finished. Keep drinking, change those socks, eat something useful and give yourself ten minutes to keep moving before you settle into the clubhouse.
Your legs- and quite possibly your scorecard – may thank you for it.
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