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The 60 and over Thread

Desmond said:
My son's instructor is teaching him a hands/arms driven swing. It's much more than this video. I took a couple of lessons from him just to see what it was like over a couple of months- it was powerful, but if you close that chest too soon, you're dead left. You must allow the body to support the arms. You've got to be supple and relaxed so the lower body supports the arms/hands.

And hint - do not use the arms-driven swing on swings less than 70-100 yds or you will dig to Chinya. It's more of a lower body rotation shot. I made that mistake once on the course. After digging, I asked his insructor. He said, "yes, there are two swings. - the short game is more of a body rotation."

My instructor teaches a body-driven, kind of a Dr. Kwon type swing. So after figuring out what my son was supposed to do, I went back to my swing.
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You and I have been posting on the same boards for many years, and I love to read your posts. You’re a very technical player, and have always enjoyed working with different teachers and experimenting with different techniques. I can’t remember a time you weren’t in the midst of a lesson program.
You love the “journey”, I never did, lol. I have a great practice area and two ranges in my development. When I show up to hit a small bucket, guys are shocked to see me, and after 10 minutes I’m bored.
I’m a little different in that I look for simple, repeatable “keys”. My game took a nice step forward this year. I simplified my backswing, but most importantly I finally took the time to ingrain the correct impact position. Once I did the latter, a lot of other things fell in place. My balance, contact and distance improved. Most importantly my mental game did also. Instead of going up to a shot and going through a checklist of swing thoughts, I simply thought about the type shot I wanted to hit.
My game completely turned around. I had creeped up to a 14, and I’m now a 10.6 and tracking down. Chipping and pitching off tight Bermuda lies remain a bugaboo however. Fixing that is the next hurdle I need to clear. Whether I’m actually willing to put in the work remains to be seen.
 
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SC LEFTY said:
You and I have been posting on the same boards for many years, and I love to read your posts. You’re a very technical player, and have always enjoyed working with different teachers and experimenting with different techniques. I can’t remember a time you weren’t in the midst of a lesson program.
You love the “journey”, I never did, lol. I have a great practice area and two ranges in my development. When I show up to hit a small bucket, guys are shocked to see me, and after 10 minutes I’m bored.
I’m a little different in that I look for simple, repeatable “keys”. My game took a nice step forward this year. I simplified my backswing, but most importantly I finally took the time to ingrain the correct impact position. Once I did the latter, a lot of other things fell in place. My balance, contact and distance improved. Most importantly my mental game did also. Instead of going up to a shot and going through a checklist of swing thoughts, I simply thought about the type shot I wanted to hit.
My game completely turned around. I had creeped up to a 14, and I’m now a 10.6 and tracking down. Chipping and pitching off tight Bermuda lies remain a bugaboo however. Fixing that is the next hurdle I need to clear. Whether I’m actually willing to put in the work remains to be seen.
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Thx. I am trying to get to one swing - I think it's coming and will result in more scoring in the 70's.

Tight Lies? I play in Texas and Oklahoma - hard ground and tight. You can improve your chipping and pitching with just one move. Lean the upper body more towards the target at address - no right side bend, and one more BIG hint -- come in shallow - let go of all lag - it's a no lag swing. Just rotate and take you time at the top, don't rush, then make a quick strike with your body not your hands.
 


I use the baseball grip very similar to the overlap grip. But my left thumb is straight down on the shaft. I'm right-handed. I also will hold the club in my fingers with both hands off the tee. Will experiment once weather allows. I believe the grip is your most important mechanic of your swing. 68 years old and glad of it.

Old School Golfer
 
JonMA1 said:
I think we do the most with what we have. At 61, I haven't yet lost that much. But that time is coming. While I do a lot of stretching even when lounging around, there will be a point where I'm going to start losing flexibility and strength, when the little bit of arthritis I currently have turns into something that will severely limit what I can and cannot do.

In the next several years, I believe there will be some improvement in my golf game through better technique and a better mental approach. At some point, however, the natural aging process will counter those gains. As that occurs, I'd rather play golf with a modified swing than not play golf at all.

The exercise that comes with walking the course is an important aspect of my golf. Now I'm starting to experience an issue from that much walking. The idea of slowing down doesn't bother me as much as the prospect of simply ceasing an enjoyable activity altogether.
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Really well said!
 
bruceh1943 said:
I simply can't walk the course anymore, tried about 3 years ago. Had to give it up, I do strech and work on rotation. I have ordered a senoir flex shaft and an adapter that fits my driver. Want to see if that helps me get some distance back. As someone said getting old isn't for sissies.
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It surely isn’t. Something I’ve seen others do is walk the front 9, then ride the back 9. Most courses seem to accommodate this and it isn’t something I would have thought of. Another alternative that is becoming more popular are electric push/pull carts. Both provide something in between pushing a cart and riding.

As we go through this part of life, we need options!
 
Desmond said:
I just turned 67, have gained 8 mph over last 4 months to 98 mph, workout most mornings - row for 20 min, treadmill for 20 min, lift a few weights, stretch before all of this, do Stack 3X week.

It took me time to find a routine. I tried afternoons, pm, but work interferes, so when I get up during the week, it's 2 glasses of water, and start the stretch.

While I've been working on my long game, I devote much practice to the short game - chips, pitches, flops, bunkers, finding the chinks in my armor, getting wedges and a putter that fits and studying techniques that keep me athletic and relaxed.

Over the last 3 yrs, I've gone from SGI, GI, to Players Distance irons and now Mizuno Pro 223. I'm getting better as I get older. Wish I knew as much as I know now 20 yr ago. But accept the present.

If you want to accept age, whether because of time or injury, I understand. If you don't have those challenges, there is no reason to accept age.
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You and me are on the same track. But what is “Stack”?
 
leftshot said:
You and me are on the same track. But what is “Stack”?
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The Stack System

www.thestacksystem.com

The Stack System

Golf speed training system used to biohack your clubhead speed. The Stack System unlocks precision speed training from golf's leading biomechanist, Dr. Sasho MacKenzie that was previously reserved for Tour players.
www.thestacksystem.com www.thestacksystem.com
 
bruceh1943 said:
I simply can't walk the course anymore, tried about 3 years ago. Had to give it up, I do strech and work on rotation. I have ordered a senoir flex shaft and an adapter that fits my driver. Want to see if that helps me get some distance back. As someone said getting old isn't for sissies.
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If you are needing a senior shaft you should try one of the lightweight drivers like Titleist TS1, Callaway Epic Max Star or XXIO. They will give most slower swingers more distance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Desmond said:
Thx. I am trying to get to one swing - I think it's coming and will result in more scoring in the 70's.

Tight Lies? I play in Texas and Oklahoma - hard ground and tight. You can improve your chipping and pitching with just one move. Lean the upper body more towards the target at address - no right side bend, and one more BIG hint -- come in shallow - let go of all lag - it's a no lag swing. Just rotate and take you time at the top, don't rush, then make a quick strike with your body not your hands.
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I will add on the downswing move your chest before your arms so that lead arm is connected to the chest

@SC LEFTY
 
I am on a tight budget, can't afford to buy drivers. I can find shafts and use an adapter with the same head. A lot cheaper and hopefuly that will work,to try different flexes.
 
bruceh1943 said:
I am on a tight budget, can't afford to buy drivers. I can find shafts and use an adapter with the same head. A lot cheaper and hopefuly that will work,to try different flexes.
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You say it's a lot cheaper. Exactly how does that work? Are you being given these shafts or are you paying for them? If so, how many shafts are you trying? Are you then selling off the shafts you don't want to a secondary market like eBay to recoup some of the cost?
 
The shaft I am buying are usually on sale, I pay between 20 to 30 for them. Adapter is from golf works for the Tommy Armour TA-1 driver. It cost me 52 and change for this shaft and adapter, so not that much invested. I can sell them or just leave them in storage. I only try one at a time, like I said on a tight bodget for golf equiptment.
 
 
bruceh1943 said:
I am on a tight budget, can't afford to buy drivers. I can find shafts and use an adapter with the same head. A lot cheaper and hopefuly that will work,to try different flexes.
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I did this last year. I re-shafted my driver and woods. Callaway Pre-owned was having a sale on shafts last January, so it was a bit of a no brainer. Went with lighter shafts in Senior flex. Worked out very well.
 
I'm hoping it works for me as well, I haven't tried senior shafts before.
 
Yes that's what I'm doing with the driver, if I can't hit it well. I still have the regular shaft with adapter on it, jusy put it backon and good to go.
 
bruceh1943 said:
Yes that's what I'm doing with the driver, if I can't hit it well. I still have the regular shaft with adapter on it, jusy put it backon and good to go.
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cool a driver is a little easier to work with, not so much with irons.
 
Once upon a time I could play this game pretty well, playing 4 years of high school golf and one on my jr. college team before transferring to Georgia Southern and trying to walk on as a sophomore (the coach dismissed my effort saying he recruited his team and was going with it). So from 19-24 I barely picked up a club, but got bit by the bug again then and played an awful lot up to age 59, peaking at a +1 handicap, winning 11 club championships, and competing in many amateur events. My driver carry was 270 on regular swings with a little extra in reserve, and could pretty much hit any iron within a yard of the needed yardage; I was never a great one-putter overall but I had my days, and rarely 3 putted.

At 59 my right hip went bad and my distance shrank dramatically - I could still score somewhat because I knew how far I was hitting it, but finally the hip was bad enough that golf was no fun because of the difficulty I had walking on uneven ground. I dropped out for 2 years then finally got the hip replacement. The distance came back immediately, but I was no longer in a financial position to play a lot. Three years passed and the left hip went bad, but I pretty quickly got that one replaced. This time everything felt like the old days but distance shrunk - driver carry more like 230 and my irons pretty much 2 clubs shorter. I attribute it to ever increasing age and loss of leg strength while each hip was compromised. And throw in infrequent play - maybe 8 times a year from 61 to now at 68.

Last time out was last May - I shot 44/38-82 on the 6500 or so white tees, and after a rough start hit 8 of the last 10 greens, so some game is still in me, I feel. A few weeks ago a windstorm came through and made a real mess of my back yard. It took a week to clean it up after work each day, but I did something to my right hip area in the process. It has a couple of real tender spots in the muscle and doesn't like sudden weight shifts to it, or stairs. I was wondering if this might affect golf - I am finally again in a position to play more and hope to when weather co-operates, but this new pain looks like it could be problematic - I absolutely don't want to get out and hit it even shorter and struggle to negotiate the terrain. Golf has been a life long love, and I am not at all ready to give it up. Even though I know par or better golf is no longer within reach, the atmosphere and camaraderie is as good as ever.
 
Senior shaft on hold until I get some shafting epoxy, went to put it together and part A was hard as a brick. Playing golf tomorrow, with regular shaft.
 
SC LEFTY said:
I'm 66 years old, and playing to a 12.8 handicap. I'm currently playing white tees, but I know there are quite a few courses where I should move up a tee. Any course over 6200 is a long haul for me now. I'd love it if this thread becomes a place for others like me to get together and talk golf.
It gets very tiring reading on golf forums about guys hitting 270 yard 3 woods and 160 yard nine irons. Don't even get me started with their driving distances. I realize most of it is nothing more than "internet golfers" looking to impress people they don't know. That stuff doesn't do a thing for me, and even when true, it is nothing I can relate to.
I'm guessing most of you who are 60 and older feel the same way, and have checked that part of your ego at the door years ago. I'm hoping you would like a place where you can talk about your game amongst peers. You still play well, or aspire to, and want to keep improving and talk to others like yourself about your round.
I also think most of you would like a thread where you can talk to players you can relate to about equipment you are using and or looking for, without someone telling you about their 14* 130 gram X-flex steel shafted driving iron they hit 260 on "short" par fours.
Have you tried a 5 hybrid? Play a 7 wood? What's your bag set up? Wondering about a certain shaft? Maybe you're thinking about changing shaft flex? Do you play in leagues with others, if so how did you do this week?
These are the type of things we can talk about.
Hope some of you other gents feel the same way... feel free to talk about whatever interests you.
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I'm 75 and play the new Hybrid MD Pro-Play Ball. Has rejuvenated my game to a higher level of play (currently a 5 Hdcp) and has given me a new appreciation for shorter courses.
I regularly play 64-68 par courses walking in 2 -3 1/2 hrs. carrying minimal club set from up tees.
 
I get to play golf today, it's going to ne a nice day according to weather man.!!!
 
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