Trying to Simplify This Game....With Some Success

[Topper]

I started golfing last year as a middle-aged golfer with some chronic back pain and lower back arthritis.   I took lessons from primarily two instructors, one does playing lessons on the course while the other does video analysis.  I've played sports most of my life, but I was ready to quit after a full year of repeated topping of the golf ball.  When I say topping, I really mean TOPPING...repeatedly. I didn't touch a club from Mid November until Mid April, and during that time I assessed whether the game was really worth the time, effort, and money.

Anyway, I decided to give another go during 2011 but something had to change.  The first was to take more control over my lessons and learning.  No more comparisons to young golf professionals with completely different body types and athletic ability.  I want to know how 6'4", 250+ pound, middle aged (or older) golfers with an athletic build and chronic back pain make consistent contact with the golf ball.

The next, and more important, thing on my list was to simplify my approach to swinging the club.  I was focusing on too many damn swing thoughts on what part of the body is supposed to be in what position at different points during the golf swing to achieve the "PGA-approved" swing.  I needed a "Bubba Watson approach" to golf.  Here's what I came up with.

1.  I will only swing within my physical limits and in a way that does not cause pain or discomfort. (This may sound obvious but previous instructors often insisted that I turn my shoulder or body a certain way despite my comments that it was really uncomfortable.)

2.  I will focus on keeping everything relaxed and will try to avoid swinging in any way that causes tension in my back, shoulders, arms, and (especially) my grip.  That's my only real swing thought at this point and I let the club go where it goes.

I've only been back on the course for a few weeks but I've played five 9-hole rounds and I estimate that I've shaved 20+ strokes off an 18 hole round if I were to play 18 holes instead of my usual 9.  I don't track my handicap, but I guess that I shoot around a 100 for 18 holes which is a big improvement over last year.  I still have a tendency to top the ball, but it's when I let tension creep into my golf swing and don't let my hands and arms move freely through the swing.  My long game is still my biggest leak (especially approach shots with long irons or hybrids) but I'm moving the ball around the course well enough to have fun and that's my primary objective.

Anyway, I hope others who are trying to learn this game can relate.

[BigAl5150]

Topper,

Glad to hear you gave golf another shot. Sounds like you have a good approach to playing fun golf.

Good luck!

[Elvisliveson]

One other tip you might want to try is to raise your left heel slightly in the backswing which  will allow to make a fuller shoulder turn without the tension. Tom Watson advocates this for less flexible players in his new book "The Timeless Swing".

[LankyLefty]

I met a guy on the course the other day who is 65, out of shape and blind in one eye. He takes like 1/2 swing and he may never be even a +20 hcp golfer but he gets around the course just fine and has fun out there. I'm sure thoughts of what body part does what are fairly useless to him as well. Id just take a comfy somewhat shortened swing and let the club do the work. Get your swing speed measured also as if your taking an abbreviated swing extra flex can help your distance.

[JackLee]

There is a way to make the golf swing easy.  It's too bad that most instructors don't teach it.

[Topper]

I'm going to try letting the heal move and see if helps keep tension our of by back swing.  It might be related, but I started flaring my rear foot this year which seem to help reduce tension on the back swing.

I hope others who are learning to golf can appreciate how destructive tension is to the golf swing.  I "knew" it from reading everything I could about golf...including this forum.  But I didn't really "appreciate" how significant tension really is.  I definitely agree that golf instructors (in general) could make this game more simple.  For new golfers, I think I instructors should spend more time on grip, stance, and tension and less time on extensive swing mechanics.  I think swing mechanics are going to be more helpful to established golfers trying to achieve specific objectives rather than new recreational golfers who simply want to make consistent contact and move around the golf course.