When we talk about something being ‘for life’, it sounds like a prison sentence, but when it comes to playing golf, it’s anything but. For most golfers, being able to play golf throughout the entirety of their lifetime is the dream. The good news is, it’s entirely possible to play golf to a ripe old age – here’s how.
Why golf is a great game for life
Golf is the perfect sport to play at any stage of life, from childhood to old age. Unlike many other sports which take a significant toll on the body as you age (think soccer, football, netball, athletics etc.), golf is much easier on the body. It’s a low impact, play at your own pace sport that provides a good workout without putting a lot of stress on the body. As well, it provides fresh air, exercise and time for socialising – all things which are great for the health and wellbeing of older people. Golf is an excellent way for older people to stay both mentally and physically active and maintain their health for as long as possible – and many people find it relaxing and enjoyable.
However, there’s no denying that, like most things, golf gets harder as you get older. Age can diminish both your physical and mental capabilities and make the game progressively harder than it used to be. You may have worsening eyesight, reduced strength and less flexibility – all of which have an impact on your game. So, if you want to play golf for life, try these strategies to keep you out on the course for as long as possible.
Don’t skip the warm-up
If your body doesn’t click into gear until the fifth hole, you might be neglecting warm-up – and that’s a big mistake as you age. A thorough warm-up should be a non-negotiable for older golfers, as it helps prepare your body for the range of motion you’ll put it through, and prevent injuries from occurring. A good warm up should be comprised of:
- Some form of light cardio to get your heart rate up (think brisk walking or a light jog)
- Stretching all the major muscle groups that will be used during your game (including shoulders, back, neck, hips, quads and ankles)
- Basic technique work, such as putting or swinging
A careful warm-up routine will help you start your round feeling looser, more supple and more prepared to play, and will help you hit your game. It will also reduce those post-game aches and pains, and help keep injuries to a minimum.
Keep up your fitness level
As your strength, mobility, fitness and stability naturally decline with age, it’s more important than ever to build a stable fitness base. While golf is one of the most low impact sports around, it can still be taxing on the body. The golf swing generates significant spinal compressive forces, and many regular golfing positions can be tough on an ageing body. So, it’s important to keep yourself in the best shape for golf by maintaining your strength, cardiovascular fitness, mobility and stability so that you can achieve the correct positions with minimal injuries. To play well, golfers need strong leg, hand, wrist, back, arm, trunk, hip and abdominal muscles to produce an efficient swing – and while you’ll develop these muscles to some degree just by playing, it also helps to train them elsewhere. Physical fitness should be a priority if you want to play golf for life, as a reduction in functional fitness can lead to poor performance, as well as niggles and injuries.
Don’t let niggles develop into injuries
Speaking of niggles and injuries … if you develop a niggle, don’t just let it go and hope for the best. That might have worked in your teens and twenties, but it won’t as you get older!
Golf can cause overuse injuries, due to insufficient fitness, poor technique and inadequate warm-up. Those little niggles have the potential to lead to a full-blown injury if left unchecked, so get them checked by an expert before they develop too far. Experienced professionals, such as physiotherapists, chiropractors or exercise scientists, can show you the best way to deal with all those little niggly annoyances, and teach you the best way to prevent such niggles from turning into painful and debilitating injuries.
Click here to read more about how to minimise golf injuries.
Apply some post-game treatment strategies
If you’ve developed some soreness, aches, pains or strains after a round, try some post-game treatments to help deal with them. Apply ice to sore areas, take a warm bath or shower to relax those muscles or take some anti-inflammatories. A little post-round maintenance will go a long way towards keeping your body as fit for golf as possible and helping you feel better the next day.
Adapt your technique
While our levels of physical strength, flexibility, endurance and control may dip as we get older, there are ways to modify your technique so that these changes don’t affect your game too much.
Try adaptations such as:
- Slowing your swing down, to help maintain balance and give you better control
- Changing your grip to a stronger one to allow you to make better contact with the ball (get the crease between your thumb and forefinger to form a ‘V’ shape and point to your back shoulder, rotating your hands slightly to the right)
- Adjusting your stance if you’re swaying in your backswing to compensate for poor hip flexibility – try turning your right foot out in your stance to fix this issue, rather than having it facing forwards
- Placing the ball slightly back from your normal position at set-up to give you greater overspin and allow the ball to travel further
- Try a three-quarter swing to make your swing more compact
- Play off the forward tees
Modify your equipment
Age changes the mechanics of your game, so it’s also important to check if your gear works for your current game. To make things easier for older players, try:
- Switching to senior shafts (which are lighter and more flexible than regular ones)
- Replacing your long irons with easier to hit hybrids
- Replacing your low-lofted 3 woods with high-launch 3 woods, which are more senior friendly
- Changing your grip to a larger size, increasing your power and strength and allowing you to grip the club better
- Trying longer clubs if you find bending over difficult
Modify your expectations
Things will change as you get older – and there’s no point getting agitated about it. You can’t expect to play at 75 as you did at 25, so it does help to modify your expectations about your game. A solid game at your current age will look very different to one from 30 years ago, so reassess what a successful game looks like now and try and meet those expectations, rather than ones from the past.
Use a golf buggy
And finally, one of the best ways you can adapt your game to suit any age is to use a golf buggy. Either a walker or ride on golf buggy (depending on your level of mobility and strength) will allow you to put all your strength and effort into your swing, rather than carting your clubs around the course.
Have a look at Parmaker’s high quality range of walker and ride-on golf buggies for older players here.
