RWC

I switched to a 3 and 5 hybrid this year (from 4w and 7w) and found my contact is more consistent which results in better average distance. My irons are 7-9-PW-SW. At age 70 with a slow swing speed, I've found this setup works well enough for me to maintain a 10 HCP from senior tees.

Couple of thought. First, I normally update my distance chart for each season just like you, but I try to average numbers over two different sessions. This seems to help me get a more realistic number. Secondly, like others, I try to focus on distance control more than absolute distance with PW and SW. So, I've included full and half swing distances for both PW and SW in my distance chart. This seems to help me focus better on club selection.

At 69, I had similar questions and issues with my 45" length G30 driver (12 deg). Luckily I was able to swap out the shaft from my G30 3 wood into the driver. I had to increase the club weight to get resulting swing weight back to D-1. My average distance for the season was within 2 yards of the driver with standard length shaft, but the fairways hit were up 20% with the shorter shaft. For me the 3 wood shaft is a keeper!

Split this season between Ping BECU Eye 2+ and i3 irons. TP Mills #7 putter (from the 80's). Woods were Ping G30 (Driver, 7 w and 5 hybrid). Ended season at 10.4 HCP.

Ping G30 12 deg. with a 3 wood shaft = 43.5 inches. Works great for me.

I've found that chipping with a slightly closed 9i can be more controllable than a 7i when I faced with a pitch shot I expect to run out to the pin. I don't want to admit how bad my chipping is when I open the club.

I've played 15 rounds this season with the Dri-Tac grips and I expect to re-grip them this Fall. Likely be the last Winn grips I purchase.

69 here, added a 7w and 5 hy, irons start at 6i. Like others, I've seen the distances start to shorten. Twice daily stretching has helped along with walking as much as possible. I've been tracking stats for years and now look closely at bad tee shots, flubbed chips and 3 putts. These seem to have big impact on my scoring - plus finally moving up to the senior tees. Handicap slowly going down and fun going up!

Our league has awards for long drive, closest to the pin and longest putt sunk. I'm never in contention for longest drive so I ignore that - for the closest to the pin hole, I play that par-3 from the mens tee (same as everyone else in the league). To me, longest made putt doesn't reflect any tee box, so I just stay with my senior tee box. Honestly I don't think the other awards should be tee box specific but others might disagree.

@iacas do I need to do anything further to earn the breaking 80 badge. Thanks, Bob

Broke 80 today, shot a 79 at Sydney Marovitz Golf Club in Chicago. Smooth 39 on front nine and started leaking a little oil toward the end. Had a 10 foot downhill birdie putt on 18, and I didn't want to be the golfer who babied it to the 18th hole - so I rolled it 4 ft past and lipped out the par putt for an ugly ending 40. Still overall it was a 79 and I'm thrilled!!

I made decision to move up to senior tees for this season of league play (age 69). After 8 rounds, my average score is almost 3 shots better than last year from white tees. What I've found is that forward tees have created different challenges for good scoring as compare to white tees. With the white tees a typical par 4 was driver, 7 wood and then chip for a par/bogey. First putt was typically in the 10-15 foot range. When I moved up to forward tees, my GIR improved dramatically. This move highlighted challenges in my lag putting (typical first putt in the 30 ft range) and ability to hit shorter irons (7-PW) on the mark. I still use the 7 wood on par 5's, long par 3's and 4's so am still using all my clubs. Overall, I am enjoying the move forward more than I expected. handicap is still same (12) due to lower course rating for forward tees but enjoyment factor is definitely up! Bob

I've been playing a short set of clubs for 10 years or so. As I've gotten older (69 now) my swing speed had slowed and as a result the yardage gap between clubs has dropped so that the 10 yard difference between clubs is now maybe 3 yards at most. I mix and match the clubs for each round based on the par 3 holes - I like to avoid a partial club for tee shot on those holes. Another nice benefit of short set is the bag is lighter and easier to carry. Bob

Over the years I've tended to be a fairly straight ball hitter with my miss being a draw. As I gotten older (68 now), I've found my body has become more comfortable with a slightly open stance and using the fade as my go to shot. I can still manage a draw/hook ..... just never when I need it 😡. For me, its stick to one basic shot pattern and learn to work with it.

69 in a few months. Made the decision to move up to senior tees this year - but continue to play some holes from the middle tees. I got tired of Driver, 7 wood and chip on par 4's. Now I find this game continues to be challenging - just from different perspective. Fairway bunkers are back in play and short irons into the greens are placing new challenges on my game. I'm so glad I made the decision. Handicap hasn't really dropped (12) due to course rating but scores have dropped and fun increased exponentially ! Bob

At 68, I've seen the handicap slide from 5 in my late 50's up to 12 at the end of last season. Arthritis has impacted the swing speed. Stretching exercises and PT has helped on flexibility but I'm still limited to a short 3/4 swing. Aim Point has helped keep the putting game decent and lighter swing weights on the irons has helped as well. I've been reluctant to switch tees but it became clear to me in 2020 that with the distance loss, I don't have the desire to play Driver - 4W to many of the par 4's - not to mention long par 5's. Enjoy the time with your father. Sadly I lost my father early in my life and missed out on those rounds of golf.

This is exactly what I found. I moved up to the senior tees to play my hickories in our golf league this year. While my average score dropped about 3.4 strokes, my handicap didn't budge given the lower course rating for the senior tees. I did enjoy the change and actually had my first hole-in-one .... ironically that par 3 hole had the seniors and white tees at the same distance.

@MDM welcome. Im 68 and took about 10 years off during my 50's as my daughter played sports, grew up and attended college. When I took the hiatus I was playing at a 5-6 hcp level. When I returned I pretty quickly jumped to a 15-16 hcp level. For several years it seemed no matter what I did I couldn't get back to my old game - frustrated the hell out of me ( actually still does). Based on great advice from other golfers on this site, I started working on stretching, short game and moving up to the senior tees. Signed up for lessons from a local PGA instructor and he helped me identify some bad habits that crept into my swing during the off period. Net result, gotten my game back to a 12 hcp and really do believe I can get back to a 9-10 hcp next year. Being realistic about impact of age and arthritis has helped with the mental side of the game. Key thought - never give up - keep playing whenever possible and enjoy the fact you are out on the course. Good Luck!!

In Chicago, our golf league finished our season on Wednesday. While my handicap didn't hit my single digit target, I did become a more consistent 12 handicapper. I permanently moved up to the senior tees and found the golf much more enjoyable. Also, I had my first hole in one which certainly put a nice cap on the season. For the off season I hope to work more on keeping flexibility and strength training. At 68 years old, if I don't keep flexible during the off season it becomes really tough to regain it at the start of the new season.

Had a Hole-in-One today (Nov 4, 2020) on hole #3 (130 yards) at the Marovitz Golf Course located in Chicago Park District. Course overlooks Lake Michigan. I was playing my Tad Moore OA Hickory irons and used a Deep Face Mashie. It was my first hole-in-one and we were able to see it hit the green and roll into the hole. Pretty damn exciting - I've only been playing for 62 years 😀

Great question by the OP. I have wondered the same many times. Over the years I've moved from a fade to a draw to a hook to a pull. I'm betting that age and limitations on practicing (life happens) may play a part in the change as well. Looking forward to comments from others.

I played hickories for a number of years and generally had 9-10 clubs in my bag. Switching back to modern clubs, I found that with age and stronger lofts, it took about 6 - 8 degrees of loft change to get a 10-15 yard differential. As a result 8-9 modern clubs seems to cover my spectrum of distances without creating any big distance gap. Also makes for a lighter bag when I walk. 😀

Looking at my scores over the past 2 seasons, walking has given me the best low scores but only if I use my push cart. The push cart has a seat so I can sit and rest as needed. I like to play quickly and riding in a cart tends to get me to the ball too quickly. I tend to take one quick look at the shot and swing. If I am walking, I have time to consider the shot and find I make better judgements. So, all in all, walking with a push cart is better than riding. Riding is better than carrying my clubs once warm weather arrives.

Mackenzie Sunday Walker or Jones players series bag.

I think the book is "Groove your Swing My Way" by Lee Trevino published in 1976. To me its a great book, even if I don't swing like Trevino. It is always one of my golf book reads during winter here in Chicago - always seem to pick up some little point that seems spot on for my swing. You are correct for some reason its not cheap on Ebay or other sites. I have had my copy for 10+ years.