Thoughts on Distance

[biodarwin]

On 8/4/2019 at 3:01 PM, downbylaw11 said:

well, how far could you hit it back in the 80s?  how limited do you feel when you swing?  do you feel like your bad back, knees, 80 pounds is limiting your flexibility?  

I think flexibility is very important in getting distance on the course and probably the smoking gun here.  I know some large players that can crush the ball, myself included.  I am 6ft 250, largely carry my weight in the belly.  However, I am extremely flexible.  It doesn't prohibit my swing in the slightest.  I'mactively loosing weight for other reasons, as I do want to be healthy and enjoy the game for as long as I can.

[Dunit507]

No matter how old or what your physical condition a lesson could probably help you some. Figure if you just begin making consistent contact on the center of the club face you will increase your distance. Not every golf swing has to be pretty or perfect. You have to make what you have work. I’d do the lesson if you are serious about improving your swing.

[saevel25]

It could also be that the golfer just doesn’t turn correctly. Most people have enough ability to make a full turn.

[MaestroFarceNugget]

You know, I'll be reasonably honest here, elderly men will not hit it as far as they could in youth, especially with health issues. My suggestion would be to start allowing your short game and wedges do the talking. I've seen people over 60 years old shoot 65, it's no joke. But they do these things:

1. The ball is in play. Every time, it's relentless. Stupid accurate.

2. Iron contact is always solid, and they take enough club into greens.

3. Good teebox selection, don't play tips all the time (ever)

4. Their wedge distance control is almost ridiculous, from 75-110 they're always within one-putt range, and they never miss the putt

5. Short putting is always a strength of these players.

If you want more distance maybe get a higher lofted driver, or start drawing the ball. But you can play to a low single figure doing nothing more than stated above.

[Gytaryst]

On 8/9/2019 at 5:54 AM, uitar9 said:

Hey man-I can relate..I'm 66 and still playing with a similar age geezer rock band... I'm gonna keep playing with the guys until Jimi or Ronnie take that guitar out of my cold dead hands...

I never thought my last gig would be my last gig. Kind of a week turned into a month turned into a year turned into two years . . . I enjoyed being on stage performing, and when the audience was into it, hootin' and hollerin' that was a high unlike any other. The behind the scenes crap killed the joy for me. My wife always referred to it as "Band Drama." No matter what the other 3 or 4 members of any band agreed on, there was always one who had to fight it. I played guitar from the time I was 6. I don't remember a period in my life that my guitar wasn't a huge part of. I played in a church group when I was 10. I played for talent shows in school. I was in high school rock bands, thousands of jam sessions over the years, I don't know how many sit-ins and guest appearances with various bands, and countless bands and/or projects. It was literally the biggest part of my life. After one long-time band broke up I was involved in trying to get a three piece classic rock cover band off the ground in 2014. The joy was gone. After about two months of giving up every Saturday afternoon to practice, and still not being any closer to being gig ready, I called it quits. I had such a bad taste in my mouth that I decided to take a break and not just jump into something else. A year later, after having no desire to even take a guitar out of the case in all that time, I sold all my gear. My wife eventually bought me another acoustic guitar a few years ago because it bothered her that I don't play anymore. I've taken it out maybe a handful of times over the years and strum on it for a few minutes... it's just not the passion it once was. Now anytime I start thinking I might miss jamming or performing, I remember the "band drama" and that urge is gone immediately. I've also been drug and tobacco free for years. I traded in music for golf, then traded in golf for brewing beer. After a few years of brewing beer and gaining 50 pounds, I traded that in for golf again. I appreciate good craft beer, but I despise drunk. At the end of the night when I sit down to relax I sip on 1 or 2 quality beers. Whereas I used to slam down Budweiser by the case, I drink 1 or 2 a night and rarely do I drink the same beer twice. my experience in brewing gave me a whole new appreciation for the craft side of it. It appeals to the artistic creative side of me.

[iacas]

19 minutes ago, MaestroFarceNugget said:

1. The ball is in play. Every time, it's relentless. Stupid accurate.

2. Iron contact is always solid, and they take enough club into greens.

Those two things are very, very difficult to do. You're under-rating their value and difficulty.

[MaestroFarceNugget]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

Those two things are very, very difficult to do. You're under-rating their value and difficulty.

Well to be honest I'm a self taught 4 or 5, it came easy to me. But,

1. Hitting drives accurately is more about margin of error, in other words, curving the ball back onto target. If I aim inside left edge of the fairway, I have the entire fairway to bend it right. I'd have to play a stupid shot to be right rough, let alone the trees.

2. Iron contact is more about concept, as 99 percent of people lift the ball. I find if people think ball first-ground second, and accelerate through the ball, after some practice it won't be an issue.

 

To be honest, it came naturally to me. So I don't know, maybe it is way harder than I made it sound. But either way, I hope I clarified.

[saevel25]

42 minutes ago, MaestroFarceNugget said:

1. Hitting drives accurately is more about margin of error, in other words, curving the ball back onto target. If I aim inside left edge of the fairway, I have the entire fairway to bend it right. I'd have to play a stupid shot to be right rough, let alone the trees.

Unless you slightly pull the ball left. Not entirely uncommon for someone who fades the ball. 

44 minutes ago, MaestroFarceNugget said:

2. Iron contact is more about concept, as 99 percent of people lift the ball. I find if people think ball first-ground second, and accelerate through the ball, after some practice it won't be an issue.

Do you are to publish your findings on that 99% of people lift the ball. I find that your statement is not even close to being factual. If you consider that it is a fact that bad golfers actually have very steep angles of attacks, then I highly doubt they are lifting the ball with the club. 

Second, it's not that easy. The reason being, they can't produce the correct mechanics that allows them to hit the ball first. No matter how much you think it, it doesn't mean it will happen.

[downbylaw11]

well, you could still be incredibly steep and scoop the ball could you not?  I somewhat agree with the poster though he may oversimplify things. I've golfed with a lot of casual friends over the years whose minds were kinda blown when i told them the object of hitting irons is hitting down to make the ball go up.  or how in a bunker shot, you are actually not hitting the ball at all when struck correcctly and are using the sand to lift the ball out of the bunker. or the fear of hitting a high flop shot when really it's not that difficult depending on the type of lie you have. it is quite amazing how many hackers don't bother to take 10 minutes to understand certain concepts

[uitar9]

20 hours ago, Gytaryst said:

I never thought my last gig would be my last gig. Kind of a week turned into a month turned into a year turned into two years . . . I enjoyed being on stage performing, and when the audience was into it, hootin' and hollerin' that was a high unlike any other. The behind the scenes crap killed the joy for me. My wife always referred to it as "Band Drama." No matter what the other 3 or 4 members of any band agreed on, there was always one who had to fight it. I played guitar from the time I was 6. I don't remember a period in my life that my guitar wasn't a huge part of. I played in a church group when I was 10. I played for talent shows in school. I was in high school rock bands, thousands of jam sessions over the years, I don't know how many sit-ins and guest appearances with various bands, and countless bands and/or projects. It was literally the biggest part of my life. After one long-time band broke up I was involved in trying to get a three piece classic rock cover band off the ground in 2014. The joy was gone. After about two months of giving up every Saturday afternoon to practice, and still not being any closer to being gig ready, I called it quits. I had such a bad taste in my mouth that I decided to take a break and not just jump into something else. A year later, after having no desire to even take a guitar out of the case in all that time, I sold all my gear. My wife eventually bought me another acoustic guitar a few years ago because it bothered her that I don't play anymore. I've taken it out maybe a handful of times over the years and strum on it for a few minutes... it's just not the passion it once was. Now anytime I start thinking I might miss jamming or performing, I remember the "band drama" and that urge is gone immediately. I've also been drug and tobacco free for years. I traded in music for golf, then traded in golf for brewing beer. After a few years of brewing beer and gaining 50 pounds, I traded that in for golf again. I appreciate good craft beer, but I despise drunk. At the end of the night when I sit down to relax I sip on 1 or 2 quality beers. Whereas I used to slam down Budweiser by the case, I drink 1 or 2 a night and rarely do I drink the same beer twice. my experience in brewing gave me a whole new appreciation for the craft side of it. It appeals to the artistic creative side of me.

Yup. Music is easy. Its the people that kill the joy. I got lucky. Been with the same group of old farts since 2005. We have no band drama. The bass player , practice space and sound owner, is the musical director. We all try to act as hired guns and let him do the heavy lifting...at least for band direction as he is legally blind and has a heart condition....he loves it and we like the drama free atmosphere.

[billchao]

21 hours ago, MaestroFarceNugget said:

To be honest, it came naturally to me. So I don't know, maybe it is way harder than I made it sound.

It is. That's the problem with people who are naturally good at something: they don't have any concept of just how hard it actually is because it's easy to them.

[MaestroFarceNugget]

Getting this back on topic, I do believe that older gentlemen normally benefit from allowing more hip freedom on the backswing, allowing the leading heel to detach from the ground. I do remember the OP saying his physical health was compromised somewhat, so realistically allowing more mobility would not only allow better power and accuracy, but keeping the joints and lower spine from being strained. The free release of the lead knee, the slight extension of the trail knee, and the free raise of the lead heel are hallmarks of a free hip turn.

 

And my mention of the higher lofted driver can be of benefit as well, creating trajectory and higher spin to get the ball to fly.

[colin007]

Hey @Gytaryst man it makes me sad that you've given up guitar ... I've never been in a band type scenario, I'm just a bedroom shredder and I love it. I play along to YouTube backing tracks and have a blast.

[CharlieB]

I’m 75 years old and also a short hitter. I have a Titleist 915 D2 driver with 12* loft, senior flex graphite shaft that is cut to 44”. I hit this driver 170 yards, but I hit it dead straight 90% of the time. I play with two long hitters. After I hit my second shot, I help them find their drives quite often.

I play the gold tee’s and seldom hit the GIR. I carry four wedges and I spend most of my practice time on, or around the green.

I have accepted my lack of distance and put all of my effort into course management. The last two rounds that I played were 47-44 and 44-52. The 47-44 beat the two long hitters.

Play to your strengths!

The woods are full of long drivers. Harvey Penick (paraphrasing)

[CharlieB]

On 8/12/2019 at 3:49 PM, cooke119 said:

Played with an older golfer, Don, who only hit his drives about 180 but his second shot was another ~180. The thing was he hit everything straight, 180 plus 180 = 360 yards meaning he was pitching / chipping on on par 4's. His short game was fantastic and he smoked us. He told us his loss of distance hurt him but he made up for it with his fairway woods/irons and his short game. What I'm saying is while you work on improving your drives, work on the rest of the game to make up for your lack of distance.

While we were in the woods looking for our balls he was always in the middle of the fairway or damn close to or on the green waiting for us, embarrassing. I learned a lot from Don may he rest in peace.

I played golf with an older gentleman named Don. He played exactly as you described your friend. He passed at 84, but I’ll never forget his game. He was a magician around the greens. He was very close to a scratch golfer.