Golf Tips for Seniors
It’s no surprise that as we get a little older in life our golf performance tends to tail off. Shorter distance off the tee and not quite hitting those mid and long irons as well as you used to can put older golfers at a disadvantage.
However, the good news is that you don’t have to hit it like Bryson DeChambeau to keep up with your younger competitors. In fact, spend some time on our tips below and you might find yourself competing with the young bucks at your club more often than not.
Warm Up Properly
A proper warm up is essential before any round of golf, but even more so for those of us who’ve celebrated more birthdays than others.
Make sure to arrive at the course at least 30 minutes before your tee time and limber up with some basic stretching and swing repetitions.
To help stretch those core muscles, take two long irons, hold them together and outright, and practice slowly rotating around your torso.
A stiff body means your swing will be restricted, and you might even cause yourself an injury, so loosening up is crucial before you even hit a ball.
Away from the course, you might find the occasional home yoga session helpful to maintaining your posture and flexibility.
Sharpen Up Your Short Game
Drive for show, putt for dough. It might be a cliché but it rings especially true for senior golfers.
Focus your practice time on sharpening up your range of shots on and around the green. Get creative with different clubs – ditch the lob wedge for your putter or even consider adding a chipper to your bag.
Accurate bump and run shots, lag putts and reducing the number of three putts taken will see you maintain and even lower your scores.
Play for Accuracy Rather than Distance
Seniors might not be able to hit the ball as far as they once used to, but finding the fairway consistently can put them at a significant advantage. Hitting more fairways in regulation means you’ll more often than not put yourself in a good position to make par and sometimes better.
Play for accuracy rather than distance and work on eliminating penal shots such as a big slice or hook that put you in trouble. There’s nothing that frustrates younger players more than losing a hole to a senior that’s steady down the middle every time! Boring par versus a 300 yard drive bogey wins every time.
Play With the Right Set of Clubs
Swing speed tends to reduce significantly as we get older, so it’s important to ensure you play with the right set of clubs to give you the best chance of success. The blades you played with as a teenager might not be appropriate for someone in their 60s or 70s.
Consider getting a professional club fitting so you’re playing with the clubs that suit you best. Advances in technology such as lightweight graphite shafts mean that you can maximise your swing speed while maintaining a slower tempo.
Furthermore, if you’re struggling to hit mid and long irons as well as you used to, you might want to swap them out for hybrid clubs instead. Hybrids help you get almost the same distance with less speed and power.
Manage Your Expectations
Our greatest limitation is our expectations. To perform at our best we have to leave our ego at home and be realistic about our capabilities.
Golf is about getting the ball in the hole with the least amount of shots. It’s true that there’s no pictures on a scorecard, so don’t aim or expect to play exhibition golf.
Acknowledge limitations of your ability, take strokes at holes where you receive them, and manage your game within yourself to give yourself the best shot at scoring well.
Rest & Recovery
Adequate rest is essential for any golfer and particularly so for senior golfers. Playing too often can lead to injury.
Find a routine that works for you and make sure to allow sufficient time for your body to recover between rounds. Professional golfers prioritise diet, sleep and light exercise, and senior golfers should do the same.