“The older you get the stronger the wind gets -- and it's always in your face.”
-- Jack Nicklaus, winner of 18 Majors
I accept the fact that I am not going to get longer as the years pass by. Perhaps a swing improvement or two may get me a few yards for a while, but the days when I could hit a 5-iron 170 yards are long gone. Time marches on. I realize that. However, as I approach my 73rd birthday, I have decided to keep fighting the good fight. My golf goal now is to keep my handicap at 18 or below from my club’s regular men’s tees (6,234 yards) through 2026 when I turn 75. Currently I am a 17 from those tees, so this is a rather ambitious goal.
To that end, I began looking for both instruction and inspiration. Here is what I have found so far.
“Certainly, the older golfer can’t hit the ball as far as the young, flat-bellied player. But once you reach the fringe of the green, you and the younger player become no worse than equals. And you can have the advantage if you are faithful in practicing your short game.” – Harvey Penick (1904 to 1995), who was the head professional at Austin CC from 1923 to 1993 and was the golf coach at the University of Texas from 1931 to 1963. His book, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons And Teachings From A Lifetime In Golf, which was first published in 1992, is one of the bestselling golf books in publishing history.
“The young player has strength and energy, but envies the experiences of the older player.” -- Gary Player (Born 1935), who won nine Majors (Masters, 1961, 1972 & 1978; U.S. Open 1965; The Open Championship, 1959, 1968 & 1974 and The PGA Championship 1962 & 1972).
To Senior Golfers: “Stop worrying about when you are going to die, but how good you are going to live. Get off your ass and go practice!” -- Canadian “Pipeline Moe” Norman (1929 – 2004), who won 55 professional tournaments.
On scoring: It probably took me until I was 60 to realize that the real key to scoring is knowing how far I really hit the ball. Most of us have a tendency to under club. For years my distances were pretty consistent, but now I find that I need to adjust every year. Eventually I will be hitting a driver on No. 2. I guess that means I just have to be more clever with my short game. – Six-Time Club Champion and Ten-Time Senior Club Champion at The Kansas City Country Bryant Barnes (1938 -2019). (Said in November 2019.)
“Attitude is the one place an older golfer has an advantage. By age 50, a golfer has perspective and wisdom that should give him a formidable mental game.” – Ray Floyd (Born 1942), winner of four Majors -- 1976 Masters; 1986 U.S. Open, and 1969 & 1982 PGA. He won 22 times on the PGA Tour and 14 times on the Champions Tour. Berhard’s Five Tips For Older Golfers -- Bernhard Langer (Born 1957) won the 1985 and 1993 Masters. He has 123 professional wins, including 42 on the European, which is 2nd all-time, and 46 on the Champions Tour, which is 1st all-time. (From Golf Magazine, 2021):
- People think golf may not be a sport, but it is a sport and it’s demanding. As we get older, we lose both strength and flexibility. Every year we lose a percent or two. We may feel top of the world when we’re in our 40s, but when we get into our 60s, we start not feeling so great.
- Just stretch for a few minutes every day, either in the morning or evening. You can do it at home, you can do it in the office.
- The core, the midsection of the body is very, very important. Your body’s biggest muscles are [your glutes] and [your abdominals]. If you use those, you can make a bigger turn.
- A lot of people can’t turn even in their 50s and 60s. They may turn a little bit, but then they collapse their arms and think they’re way back there, when there’s no turn. That’s when trouble sets in. You get a lot of mishits.
- Get a good foundation. Grip, stance, good posture, all that stuff is very important.
“As you get older, you won't be able to hit the ball as far. You're going to need to lean more on your short game.” –Justin Leonard (Born 1972) has 12 career wins on the PGA Tour, including one Major, 1997 Open Championship at Royal Troon.
“There are ways for smaller or older golfers to condition themselves to get more power, even if they don't spend time in the gym. For many, the best training ground is the practice range, the old rock pile. So wear it out. Ben Hogan once said that beating hundreds of balls made him incredibly strong and improved his swing along the way. Get “golf strong” by hitting a lot of balls. Your hands and arms will become more wiry and your body more toned.” – Bubba Watson (Born 1978), the winner of the Masters in 2012 and 2014.
And I will always take these words to heart: “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950).
Play Away,
Allan Stark
Photo Credits
Photo No. 1 – Jack Nicklaus: Columbus Metropolitan Library, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Photo No. 2 – Gary Player: CD123, Depositphotos.
Photo No. 3 – Ray Floyd: ProShooter, Depositphotos.
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