Does there come a point of diminishing returns?

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I'm 43 yo, a little on the heavy side with a slight muscular build. I'm lifting the heaviest I ever have (bench 225 lbs, squat 265 lbs, deadlift 415 lbs, leg press 900 lbs) for reference.

Last summer I was diagnosed with a slight tear in my right rotator cuff, I had a right elbow issue, I've had some back issues, some neck issues and so on. Last year when I drove home after league play, I was almost in tears from the pain. I've since done 9 months of PT, started lifting weights in January of this year, getting more flexible etc but I'm not seeing any improvements on the course.

I have taken lessons with a PGA Pro and they don't see anything significantly wrong with my swing or swing fundamentals.

Am I just stuck with the swing that I have? Is this it for me? I would say I am about 90-95% pain free now.

I would say the only thing I can think of is that I am afraid to swing faster/harder in case I re-injure myself somehow. I sort of just bunt it down the fairway, keep it in play and rely on my short game.

Thoughts on next steps or other things to try?

Thanks!
 
I am by no means in the camp of "lifting weights is bad for golf," but I do believe there is a difference between lifting for mass and lifting for your golf game.

I've been told your exercise routine should be tailored to helping your game. This will likely include more stretching and flexibility-based movements. As far as the feel aspect of the game, that can only come with practicing the right way and not creating limits for yourself through a weightlifting program.
 
I would see a physical therapist that has golf specific flexibility routines. I have lots of golf buddies that had plenty of flexibility in their early 40's and ten years later, most of them don't have the flexibility to maintain their spine angle during their swing. They have all lost distance. I changed my swing a couple years ago at age 52 by increasing my hip turn to take some pressure off my spine and allow me to still have a big turn.
 
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Honestly, if I had that kind of recent injury history I'd concentrate on finding an exercise routine and if necessary some swing tweaks to ensure you can play pain free for the next couple decades. Once your injuries are rehabbed it shouldn't be necessary to bunt the ball with half-speed swings or anything like that but I'd concentrate on getting back to full swings with basically the existing technique.

You gotta ask yourself if hitting the ball 10 or 20 yards farther is the most important thing or does playing regularly in the long without hurting add more to your quality of life.
 
After having both shoulders repaired as well as my right elbow and being very happy with the results, I would suggest seeing both a physical therapist as well as an Orthopaedic surgeon.
You may need to have some work done. I waited several years and kept going back to different therapists, all of which said they could fix my issues with stretching and rehab.
Once I gave up and saw the orthopaed, he requested ultra sounds and MRI's. Once he got those, he did his work and I couldn't be happier. Needless to say, when I went back to the therapist for rehab after the surgery, he was a bit surprised and a bit embarrassed.

But it's all good now !
 
Some injuries take a long time to heal, especially if you never give it the necessary time. You have had multiple injuries and you aren't twenty any more. I don't know if golf is better with strength or repetition exercise. Most of what I have seen is more repetitions with lighter weights for flexibility. Heavier weights tend to enlarge muscles and reduce flexibility.
 
My workout routine consists of 4 days a week. One heavy lifting, 2 hard cardio, and one plyometric and explosiveness strength day. On all those days I workout for 40 minutes and stretch for 20. Taking stretching seriously is so important just in general, but most people treat it like they do practicing their short game.
 
So where do I go from here? I lift weights mostly to stay in shape and keep up with my 4 year old! My PT is TPI Certified and is pretty good with giving me exercises to do.

I shot a 39 (+3) last night in my league so I still got some game. I just want a little more distance. Is there a training aid I can buy to help with stretching and increasing the length of my swing?

I took a video of my swing tonight which explains a lot but I don't know how to upload it.
 
I think the heavy lifting is fine. Just don’t over do it due to your injuries.

I’ve always lifted big, but didn’t always swing fast. My first THP event I had a driver club head speed of around 105. I now swing 120+. The difference wasn’t more weight lifting. I lift and weigh the same now that I did then. The difference was really learning the golf swing and where club head speed comes from.

I don’t have any issues with golf specific stretches and exercises. I tried the Joey D stuff from “Fix Your Body, Fix Your Swing” and they didn’t make a difference in my club head speed either. But if you have any flexibility limitations they might help you.
 
So where do I go from here? I lift weights mostly to stay in shape and keep up with my 4 year old! My PT is TPI Certified and is pretty good with giving me exercises to do.

I shot a 39 (+3) last night in my league so I still got some game. I just want a little more distance. Is there a training aid I can buy to help with stretching and increasing the length of my swing?

I took a video of my swing tonight which explains a lot but I don't know how to upload it.

I will share my experience, which is that I believe in a really well balanced core and leg strength helps the most. Golf is a dynamic, explosive action that coordinates lots of muscle groups. Exercises that use body weight, emphasize stability, stretching, explosiveness, and coordination of the whole body, balance and posture work best. It sounds strange, but I joined a karate dojo, and the combination of whole body stretching, core work, and the balance required to throw punches and kicks actually crosses over really well to golf, and your whole life. I feel like running/biking or lifting weights is one dimensional fitness gains, whereas martial arts and functional movement type philosophies integrate more aspects. You need speed, balance, flexibility, power all coordinated together.

I picked up about 5-8 mph driver speed over the winter without trying simply because I wanted to join the dojo with my daughter, and improve my health for non-golf reasons. Similar to your first post, I have some prior shoulder injuries and tore my left MCL last summer. I used karate as whole body rehab/strengthening (intelligently, work within your limits) for both bad knee, and bad shoulders. When I started in October, I couldn't kneel on a hardwood floor to start class, and had not been able to for ~12 years. Now, I can easily kneel which amazes me.

Boy was I pleasantly surprised this spring with extra swing speed.
 
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I'm 66. I played a few years when I was a teen then took it up again at 59. I originally had the classic golf swing: full rotation of hips and shoulders, overswing, strong grip + cupped right wrist, lifted left heel on the back swing. Then when I took lessons they told me to keep my feet planted and minimize the rotation of my hips and rotate my shoulders. My back started killing me. So recently I tossed my lessons out the window and went back to the classic swing again. I've actually picked up distance. Back pain minimal. Wrist pain OTH? I've had problems there for years. Classic golf swing... it works for Bubba.
 
So where do I go from here? I lift weights mostly to stay in shape and keep up with my 4 year old! My PT is TPI Certified and is pretty good with giving me exercises to do.

I shot a 39 (+3) last night in my league so I still got some game. I just want a little more distance. Is there a training aid I can buy to help with stretching and increasing the length of my swing?

I took a video of my swing tonight which explains a lot but I don't know how to upload it.

The Orange Whip.
 
I will share my experience, which is that I believe in a really well balanced core and leg strength helps the most. Golf is a dynamic, explosive action that coordinates lots of muscle groups. Exercises that use body weight, emphasize stability, stretching, explosiveness, and coordination of the whole body, balance and posture work best. It sounds strange, but I joined a karate dojo, and the combination of whole body stretching, core work, and the balance required to throw punches and kicks actually crosses over really well to golf, and your whole life. I feel like running/biking or lifting weights is one dimensional fitness gains, whereas martial arts and functional movement type philosophies integrate more aspects. You need speed, balance, flexibility, power all coordinated together.

I picked up about 5-8 mph driver speed over the winter without trying simply because I wanted to join the dojo with my daughter, and improve my health for non-golf reasons. Similar to your first post, I have some prior shoulder injuries and tore my left MCL last summer. I used karate as whole body rehab/strengthening (intelligently, work within your limits) for both bad knee, and bad shoulders. When I started in October, I couldn't kneel on a hardwood floor to start class, and had not been able to for ~12 years. Now, I can easily kneel which amazes me.

Boy was I pleasantly surprised this spring with extra swing speed.

I used to take martial arts a few years ago and I believe that is how I hurt my shoulder and elbow in the first place...the times coincide with each other and I haven't been back in over 4 years. It's a bummer b/c I wasn't that far from my black belt...
 
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