When I turned 50, I noticed that I had actually starting gaining distance. It wasn’t because I was getting stronger with age. It was more that I started playing better, making better contact with the ball, hitting it square on the face rather than striking at it with an out-of-control backswing similar to the old John Daly. No, I began to focus more on my grip, balance, takeaway, and flexibility. Plus, I started playing more back then, mostly due to free golf thanks to working part time at a golf course. As I approached my late 50s, however, all that great discipline I learned and depended on began to wane. At first, I got frustrated and started re-tweaking my swing, reading up on golf tips to do this and do that, and desperately looking for that new high-tech club or swing I thought would regain what I once had in length. I started swinging harder! The result was a loss of distance and accuracy.
It happens to all of us at some point, some sooner than others. It’s probably due to how healthy we keep our bodies as we continue to stretch and exercise. Even if it’s just playing golf at least once a week, it’s going to help. Forget going to the gym. It’s overrated when it comes to maintaining a good golf swing, in my opinion. Pain does not equal gain in golf. Stretching and flexibility are by far more important to maintaining your golf swing. Yoga makes much more sense. That plus playing more and playing within your current physical condition. Aging is part of that condition. You can’t expect to maintain over 300 yards forever or hit a 9-iron 150 yards anymore. Professional players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson should learn from past major league baseball players, quarterbacks, hockey players, you name it. They all start to lose that incredible power as they age. Most have to give it up after a few good seasons and settle for early retirement. Golf, however, is the longest-running athletic sport in the world that allows players to compete long after they’re 40 years old. So why is it that we get so upset with ourselves when we can’t perform like we once did in the “good old days?”
A few articles ago, I wrote that I was playing the best golf of my life at age 63. I still continue to amaze myself and my playing partners with consistent mid-70 scores on a wide variety of course conditions. I’m still playing from the blue tees most of the time, and it’s not like I’m playing the same course over and over again. As we all know, playing the same course usually means consistent low scores compared to playing a wide variety of unfamiliar courses. I may have lost 20 to 30 yards off the tee, but I’m much better at trusting my swing and selecting the correct club within my ability. I no longer try to catch up to my younger opponents’ over 300-yard drive or 150-yard 9-iron. I rarely ask someone like that what they hit. Why? It isn’t my length with that club, but I can still learn from it. My 9-iron will typically travel 110 to 125 yards. So if he hits his 9-iron 150 yards, I know I’ll need my 7 or 6-iron to reach that same distance. Who cares if I hit two extra clubs if I consistently give this long-ball hitter a run for his money? There’s justice for all, even as we age, if we learn to use the power we have with the knowledge we’ve gained over the years. As a side note, play from the forward tees if you can’t reach the greens in regulation. You’ve earned it, after all.
Take this year’s “Player of the Year,” 22-year-old Jordan Spieth. What an incredible year this man has had! His average length off the tee is at least 30-40 yards short of Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, and Bubba Watson. Yet he’s player of the year and most certainly will maintain a top 10 position for years to come. More than likely, he’ll also avoid back injury and the like as he ages. Tiger, Freddy, Phil, and several others have endured back surgeries and shoulder, hip, and wrist problems from trying to keep up with the younger guns and the redesigned 7,400-yard venues. They should be focusing on their short games and long irons and taking full advantage of their years of experience in difficult situations. I contend we should as well! Our bodies are like a piece of fruit. We develop and peak, but then we over-ripen and age. Isn’t most fruit sweeter when it’s a bit over-ripe? Before you fall from the tree, golf life can be sweeter as we age. Utilize all that you’ve learned, and swing within your range. Take a longer club, and don’t sweat the long stuff. You’ll still be approaching the green in regulation but with a longer club than your younger opponent. Don’t fire your hips through impact or over-swing your shoulders. That causes injury and will not only seriously impact your ability to compete but will also shorten your ability to play golf well into your 80s.
If I could give every player one piece of advice for all levels, it would be to have your abilities assessed by a well-trained professional who can identify your key areas of weakness and develop an effective exercise and stretching regimen. It’s no guarantee that you’ll remain injury-free because golf puts an incredible repetitive strain on a set of muscles that can place your body at risk, but let’s not talk negatively here. It’s just more fun to play well and without pain, so take the necessary precautions. Play long and prosper rather than hit it longer with less consistency and potential long-term injury. See ya on the links.
