Golf is one of the very few sports that can be played at any age, and is a fantastic way to stay fit, healthy and socially-engaged. However, while you can play golf for most of your lifetime, you won’t be able to play to the same standard as you age. Golf is tough on your body, especially as you get older, and age can diminish some of your facilities and make the game that much harder.
How golf changes as you get older
Here are some of the factors that will change in your game as you age.
You often have worsening eyesight
As you get older, your vision tends to weaken, making golf somewhat more of a challenge than it already was. It’s hard enough to gauge distances and read the greens without factoring in eye problems as well! Worsening eyesight can cause your swings to miss their mark, or you may even find yourself occasionally missing the ball entirely.
You lose strength
As well, the older you get, the more your strength deteriorates (unless you’re specifically training hard for strength gains as well as playing golf). This means that your strokes will lose distance, as you won’t be able to hit the ball as far.
You lose flexibility
The best golfers need to be truly flexible in order to play well. As you age, your joints lose that flexibility that you once had, often resulting in less shoulder turn and an abbreviated follow through. This obviously affects your game and may significantly change your swing.
How to adapt your game as you age
It’s not all bad news though – there are plenty of things you can do to ensure your golf standard doesn’t drop too far. Here are some of them.
Don’t skip your eye checks
If your eyesight is becoming problematic, make sure you have regular optical exams so that you can deal with the problem as much as possible. Always wear your glasses or contacts on the course, and use gadgets such as rangefinders to help you gauge distances if you find it difficult.
Get your clubs fitted
The clubs you’ve used throughout your golfing life may no longer be the best choice for you, so be prepared to let them go. Just because the clubs once fit your game doesn’t mean they will fit it now. Go for a proper club fitting and be prepared for some changes.
Click here to read the seven things you really need to know before getting custom clubs fitted.
Look for senior technology to help
Senior technology is a thing – and it can be incredibly helpful for seniors struggling to stay on top of their game. You can get specialised golf balls made for slower swing speeds to help you keep your distance, clubs with graphite shafts that are more flexible for the older player, new grips that make it easier to hold clubs for arthritis sufferers and many other such adjustments. Have a look at what’s available, and take advantage of it – after all, it’s there to make your game easier.
Spend more time warming up
This will help improve your flexibility and range of motion, resulting in smoother and more fluid swings. If you warm up thoroughly using a combination of light cardio to get your heart rate up, stretching all the major muscle groups and some technique work, you’ll find you start your round feeling much looser, rather than waiting until the eighth hole to really get your body in gear.
Do some maintenance after your round
You’re likely to come home after your round with some aches, pains or strains, so do some post-round maintenance on your body to ensure you stay as injury-free as possible. Hit the hot tub, or at least take a warm bath or shower, take some anti-inflammatories, and apply ice to any sore areas. This will help you feel better the next day, and keep your body as fit for golf as possible.
As well …
Make friends with a physio
The chance of injuries and strains increases with age, so get the name of a good physio and get yourself checked out if something isn’t feeling right. You may think it will just go away with time, but chances are, it won’t, and it’s better to get that niggle treated before it becomes a full-blown injury (speaking from experience here!). Check in with your physio regularly to ensure you keep your injury risk under control, as they can often head off injuries before they occur.
Forget about how you used to play
You can’t expect to play at 65 like you did at 35, so it helps to change your expectations. Forget about how you used to play, and reassess what a solid game looks like at your current age. Then try to meet those expectations, rather than the ones you had in the past.
Maintain your strength and flexibility outside the golf course
Yoga or Pilates are great ways to maintain (or even improve) your flexibility, so look for a class at your local gym, or find some online classes or workouts that you can do in the comfort of your own home. Create a stretching routine as well, that you can perform before you step onto the course, or before you exercise.
And it’s vital that you keep up some form of strength training , and don’t neglect exercise as you age. Lifting weights (or even performing body weight exercises such as squats and push ups) can really help keep the power and speed in your swing for longer. Your game can get a lot of benefit out of weight training, and it’s wonderful for your overall health and longevity too. As above, find some classes at your local gym where you’ll have a trainer to advise you and help keep your form correct, or find some classes or workouts you can do online.
To read more about how to get longevity as a golfer, click here.
Tweak your set-up
Just because you used a certain ball position, posture or grip once upon a time, doesn’t mean you should use that for all time. As we age, we’ll need to make adjustments to our fundamental positions, to accommodate less flexibility and strength, as well as shorter, slower and narrower swings. It often helps to use a slightly wider stance, and to turn your right foot slightly out to make it easier to fully turn your shoulders and get a complete range of motion.
If you’re unsure what you might need to change, book a session with your local pro to get some professional advice and help – it will probably make all the difference to your game.
Make your swing more compact
As well as an adjusted set up, you can compensate for poorer flexibility with a more compact backswing. A full-length backswing can be harder to use as you lose flexibility, so try a three-quarter swing instead. It will also be easier on your lower back as you have a more abbreviated finish to the swing.
Tee it forward
There’s no shame in playing off the forward tees. It’s a fact of life that generally you won’t be able to hit the ball as far as younger players, so there’s no point denying it. And if it gives you a better round, then why not?
Make it fun
Remember that golf is really about having fun, so even if things are as good as they used to be, it can still be fun!
Use a golf buggy
Don’t waste your limited strength and energy on carting your golf clubs around the course. That will probably just lead to back and shoulder strain or injury as you get older. Instead, invest in a golf buggy (they’re not as expensive as you might think) and give your body a break as you play your round. You’ll be able to put all your strength and effort into your swing, rather than walking the course.
Check out Parmaker’s great range of walker or ride on golf buggies for older players here.
