Golf Instructions For Seniors: 7 Rules You Need To Follow
Golf is a game for all ages and that is why we all love it. There aren't many other sports where you can play when you are in your senior years - certainly not basketball or boxing. However, everybody wants to play well no matter what his or her age. With that in mind, here are 7 rules that senior golfers should follow to play better and get more enjoyments from their rounds.
- Stay flexible
- Warm up before your round
- Don't carry your bag
- Get clubs that will help you
- Keep up your short game
- Keep the ball in play
- Find the right pro
The main swing issue for older golfers is flexibility. They can't swing as long as they used to. As you get older, your backswing gets shorter. To alleviate this, make sure you keep up a dedicated stretching routine. If you maintain elasticity, there is no reason you shouldn't have a fluid body motion well into your seventies.
The older you get the more susceptible you are to pulling a muscle so you need to make sure you are warmed up (especially during cold weather). Your pre-round routine can be as little as a few stretches and hit a few wedge swings. Warning: don't hit too many balls when you warm up, just enough to loosen up.
Take advantage of modern technology and get a motor trolley or even a push trolley to avoid strain on your back. If your back goes you won't be able to swing or even pick the ball out of the hole so it's wise to protect it.
Invest in a driver with plenty of loft on it (12 or 13 degrees minimum) so you can get the ball in the air. Get rid of your long irons and get some rescue woods to help you hit the long shots.
Power and distance off the tee will be the first thing to go as you get older so you will need to compensate to keep your scores low. You can make up for a lack of clubhead speed with deadly chipping and putting.
Focus on hitting fairways and don't try to hit the ball too far. Have a stock shot (like a soft fade) that you can rely on to keep the ball in the fairway and keep you out of the rough.
Get lessons from a professional who has experience teaching senior golfers. If a teaching professional has only taught teenagers who have lots of flexibility, he might not be able to give good instruction for your type of swing.