Observations of an aging golfer

gllama · 2022-04-18T01:46:41+00:00

I used to be a very long hitter in my 40s and 50s. Driver 280 to 300 and 7 iron 160 to 170. Now at age 66, Father Time and a hip replacement two years ago an...

Rickochet

I am 72 and I am a geezer. "Hello, Geezer."
Over the past 20 years I damaged both knees and required surgery. I still have reduced strength in both knees and it really has taken some distance off of the driver. Irons were still ok distance wise. Two years ago after the normal winter layoff from Oct. - April I bought a set of Ping 410 (?) irons from CPO. When I started playing I noticed that I was hitting the Pings two clubs shorter than my other ones. So, I sent them back. Then I noticed when playing my other old 4 or so sets I was also two clubs shorter with all of them as well. I fought for about a year to find out what the issue was and finally sucked it up and decided father time was knocking on my door. I then just lived with it and adjusted my distances accordingly, dropped some longer irons and added in some hybrids.

Last August I broke my left arm just below the joint and aggravated and old shoulder separation. After six months the bone has just started healing but I still have little strength in that arm and condition of the shoulder is unknown at this time but it snaps and pops a lot so me thinks all is not well. The range of motion is greatly reduced as well.

So where does this take my golf game? Unknown. I haven't tried swinging a club yet but the doc said there was no reason not to give it a go if there is no pain and it might actually help my recovery. I have a set of Acer React hybrids I have had in the bin thinking they might come in handy "when I get old." I guess now is the time. I am going to shaft them up with either some MCS 75 A flex graphites Or FST 115's starting with the 6,8, PW, SW. I will start with some light chipping and pitching and take it from there. If I can graduate to a reduced backswing and abbreviated follow through and get a reasonable distance to make the game fun I think I can live with that. If not it might be time to clean out the golf closet. I bought a lightweight Sunday stand bag that can hold 6 - 8 clubs and I plan to limit play with those and quit dragging around that heavy monster bag I have. Film at 11:00... 🤞

An older bud has always told me that getting old ain't for sissies.

DonM

I have read that after fifty you lose two yards per year. I think technology has delayed that a little but it’s a good estimate.

@garyt1957 I think we’ve all gone through those periods of bad depressing golf. What worked for me was to read some good mental game stuff, and simplify the game. A great thing I read: When you’re too old to golf any more, what advice about golf would you like to go back and give to the younger you?

That’s from Extraordinary Golf, which is a small book that I got a lot out of.

fatshot

DonM I have read that after fifty you lose two yards per year. I think technology has delayed that a little but it’s a good estimate.

OMG Don.....at age 76, pretty soon I'll be in NEGATIVE numbers....🤣

Walterjn

fatshot aim the other way on all your shots then.🤣

KCee

I'm always impressed by some of the older golfers at my course. No matter their age or handicap, they are forced to play the white tees in most tournaments and we have a # of doglegs you need to hit it over 210 just to get a look. These guys work it around the course so well to get in position to save par.

Rickochet

KCee I'm always impressed by some of the older golfers at my course. No matter their age or handicap, they are forced to play the white tees in most tournaments and we have a # of doglegs you need to hit it over 210 just to get a look. These guys work it around the course so well to get in position to save par.

Some are a "sturdier" breed. I played with two brothers up to last year. The older at 89 finally had to give it up last year. Covid really hit him hard and he no longer had the stamina. Up until that time he was often still out driving me and almost always shot his age and he was very mentally sharp as well. His "baby brother" at 85 almost always out drove me with his 7° Nemesis. In his late 70's he entered the county fair arm wresting contest and won his division. He also entered the "Unlimited" division and took the other guy down in the finals but got dq's for lifting his elbow. The other buy took him down on the second try. The crown was yelling, "Go old man." 🤣

johnnydoom

59 here. I’ve lost 20 yards across the board in the past 10 years except for the occasional day where things loosen up and I get closer to the old numbers. Never a long hitter to begin with, my average drives are about 220, 4 wood about 175, 5i - PW about 160 - 100. Anxious to see how I am now. Haven’t played in 6 months and I’m 35 pounds less and a bit more flexible since then. Work and family have been too much to get away from and the weather hasn’t cooperated when the time was right.

bogeypro

When I was younger (currently 71), I was long enough off the tee & usually crooked so I was always in the rough or hitting it through doglegs. Once I lost 3 balls on the first hole because the course was covered in clover & anything off the fairway / through the green was impossible to find ..... gonna be a long round. I always made sure to have plenty of "ammo" in the bag and I'd hit anything I may have found, got as a gift, or bought on sale 'cause it didn't seem to matter. Back then I'd hit driver 260+, 3w 225, 7i 155 - 160, and PW 115

Zap forward to the present & I may keep 6 - 8 balls in the bag, usually finish the round with the ball I started with because I can't hit it far enough to make it to any trouble. I keep the ball in the fairway with regularity so I play what I prefer which is usually a Callaway SuperSoft. Now I hit driver about 210- 220, 3w about 180 - 190, 7i about 135 - 140, and PW about 100 and that's carry + roll on a good day.

Par4QC

CallMeAl It's embarrassing when I play the Senior Scramble on Mondays and get out drove by 70 and 80 year olds....

But, what does the card say, when you add up the 'out' & 'in'???? It's all that matters.
I play with my grandson, and he can hit well over 300, off the tee. 8i to 225. If we played for money, he'd be paying up! 😉
I hit MY shots. I let others hit theirs.

MartinD

I'm one of the younger ones here (45), but have lost a fair bit of distance over the last 20 years or so - 150 yards with a 35° 7-iron was pretty standard in my mid-20s, now it's 135 with a 33° 7-iron, and driver swing-speed has gone from high 90s to high 80s. My equipment has also changed along with my swing - lighter and softer shafts through the set, hybrids instead of long irons (5-iron is the longest iron in my bag, with 18° and 21° hybrids). My scores are better and more consistent now, though, as my ball-striking is more consistent and my short game and putting have improved - it's not about how far you hit the ball, but how many times you hit it.

DonM

If nothing else, we're all making @gllama feel a lot better!
🙂

Par4QC

DonM Gotta be feeling like a stud today!! 😁

scotts33

DonM If nothing else, we're all making @gllama feel a lot better!

But then again we are G'Buzzers and report actual carry/roll yardage unlike wrx'ers! 😄

gllama

Par4QC Tell that to my wife. Remember the old Muddy Walters song “60 Minute Man”? Now days I’m the “60 Second Man”… if I’m lucky 😪

LBlack14

It's been so long, I have no idea what to expect.

mikeintopeka

Yes, at 68 I can join geezers under this Me Too movement. Adapting to changes while moving toward the golden years is overrated.

accufitgolf

In my Senior's Golf Group (50 and older), our 65 and older members play from the Black Tees (next to shortest length) and at age 80 and over they play from the Red Tees (the shortest length). Seems to be an age balancer.

Eguller

accufitgolf In my Senior's Golf Group (50 and older), our 65 and older members play from the Black Tees (next to shortest length) and at age 80 and over they play from the Red Tees (the shortest length). Seems to be an age balancer.

In our open, mostly senior group, you can play from any tee you want - you just have to accept the handicap from that tee. We have 5 sets of tees ( 7 counting combo tees ). Most have found the tee that makes sense to them to
have fun and still be competitive. If you play the tips, you'd better be prepared to be eaten alive by the senior
sharks. 😈🦈

Par4QC

gllama 😅A shorter 'backswing' will do that sometimes!

fatshot

gllama Tell that to my wife. Remember the old Muddy Walters song “60 Minute Man”? Now days I’m the “60 Second Man”… if I’m lucky 😪

Reminds me of a true story.....Several years ago we went to a college football game with a bunch of couples. One of the teams was Boston Univ.....not Boston College. While the teams were warming up, one of the wives asked "What's Boston U's nickname?" Somebody replied that they were called the "Minutemen." The wife says to her husband, "Oh, YOU could play for them, honey!!" 🤣

Sneakylong

fatshot

Funny story.😂 But UMass grads would take umbrage with BU (Terriers) being called Minutemen. 😉

azgreg

My body makes moving noises when I'm sitting still.

Rickochet

azgreg My body makes moving noises when I'm sitting still.

Mine does too and my "noises" have a bit of an aroma. 🤣

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