For those of us who now find ourselves in our senior years, the game of golf may be still one of the most competitive activities we engage in. For many of us, it is one of those things we believe has helped ensure our longevity. It is an incentive many of us employ to maintain our health during our later years.
Golf’s new technology has allowed us older players to still enjoy the game at a reasonably high satisfaction level.
Like speed in athletics, distance in the game of golf is a fundamental skill most players of all ages seek to build in their golf game. As we age, it is inevitable we will lose strength and distance. Without distance, our performance on the golf course is diminished.
At all levels, accomplished golfers are chasing club head speed to improve their distance off the tee. We spend large amounts of money in the major sports stores and online to purchase equipment to improve this part of our game.
Of course, other major factors, such as health and nutrition, control the quality and enjoyment of the game for everyone. For seniors who have learned to manage these and can still play a round with little physical limitation or pain, it is still a game where improvement is still a goal.
Most seniors I play with have accepted the fact we are now older and may not have the physical strength and stamina we had in our youth. Though many of us have moved from the regular to the forward tees, we are still working to improve our game.
Though my swing has limitations, and will probably never be mistaken for a professional golf swing, it is so much better than it was in my youth.
Aging has allowed me to understand the limitations of my swing. I have improved my swing skills over the last few years. As I deal with aging, I have sought to maintain my playing consistency in a few significant ways:
- Exercise and nutrition,
- Moving to the forward tees,
- Improving my swing,
- Adjusting my equipment to compliment my swing tendencies.
These have all played a part in my quest to maintain a respectable level of golf and find improvement in my game.
This tale relates my efforts to address item number 4 on this list.
I picked up the game as a Navy enlisted man. I am mostly self-taught, but I learned the basics of the game from my older neighbor, who was a Chief Petty Officer who encouraged me to learn and taught me the fundamentals of golf when I was 25. He taught me grip, posture, stance, and swing. I spent time on the range and read golf magazines. I enjoyed the game and played whenever the opportunity presented itself.
After the military, I worked full time and could only play on weekends or on some holidays. I did not play regularly until I moved to Florida in the late eighties. I joined an African American golfing group that played weekly on Orlando area courses. There was always friendly competition in the group and that encouraged me to improve my game.
I have only taken formal lessons (where I paid) once in my life. Though I feel it was worth the price, that lesson did not seem to make a significant improvement in my game.
Books and videos helped me refine my game. I have occasionally video recorded my swing to help find and correct my swing flaws. Within the last few years, YouTube and instruction videos have been a good source of information. I have used these to make, what I feel, were needed improvements.
Playing shorter courses helps older players score since not as much premium is placed on distance from the tee. A major purpose of senior tees is to allow older players the opportunity to still enjoy the game.
Recently, I had the itch to purchase a new driver. I felt if I could get a little more distance and control off the tee, that would help my scoring. After some thinking, I decided I would get a club fitting before I purchased a new high-priced driver.
Based on that decision, I signed up for a Driver club fitting for the first time. I went to one of the leading club fitting vendors and was quite pleased with the outcome. They captured my swing metrics and analyzed my current equipment. Based on my performance on their swing monitor, they recommended specific driver and shaft combinations that would allow me to make my best swing based on their analysis of my numbers.
The club fitter also analyzed my current driver and showed me its limitations for my swing. They recommended a vendor-specific club and shaft weight, length, and grip. I only wish I had used their services a few years back.
My current driver is actually serviceable. Rather than purchase a new driver, I decided to use the shaft recommendation the fitter provided and replace my old shaft with a new shaft.
The cost of pursuing this option was obviously much less than buying a new club. I replaced the original shaft in my driver with a senior shaft, which weighed 10 grams less. I have played with the new shaft for a few rounds and have noticed a noticeable improvement in my distance and control off the tee.
I do not suggest anyone implement similar changes but I would, however, suggest club fitting for any golfer who is seeking to improve.
During my years as a golfer, I have gained satisfaction in my quest to improve my game. For me, golf is the perfect sport for those who desire a lifetime challenge to body, mind and spirit. Aging introduces yet another variable to contend with.
I will evaluate my new driver shaft over time and possibility implement some of the other suggestions and recommendations my club fitter provided. This is a message of encouragement for all the seniors still chasing the dream of a bogey-free round, like me, “Keep at it and happy golfing.”
Otis Windham is a freelance golf writer and author with over 30 years of experience in the golfing industry. He has organized national and international golf travel for various golfing groups, is past president, travel and events coordinator for two major African American golfing organizations, and, is a member of the African American Golfer’s Digest Advisory Board.
