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The 60 and over Thread

I think we're all going to get a lot of benefit out of this thread. Actually I can see it already has for some of us! It's also interesting seeing the different stages/experiences we're having even in the same age bracket.

I'm 63 and pretty much at the beginning of what so many of you are experiencing. I still have amazing flexibility with the golf swing. Something I get comments on all the time. I haven't experienced a significant drop off in distance, but I attribute that more to flexibility and technique than raw power. With age we all fight a loss of muscle mass. I try to slow that down with weight work in the gym. Where it shows up at this point is trying to power through thick or tall rough or difficulties staying loose in the cold weather.

I'm still very much engaged in the fight against Old Man Time. Workouts, nutrition, practice and improved technique are my weapons. I realize this is delaying the inevitable, but that is exactly what I am trying to do.

At this point I still can and do carry my bag the vast majority of my rounds, even on mountain courses. Want to do that as long as I can too.
 
leftshot said:
I think we're all going to get a lot of benefit out of this thread. Actually I can see it already has for some of us! It's also interesting seeing the different stages/experiences we're having even in the same age bracket.

I'm 63 and pretty much at the beginning of what so many of you are experiencing. I still have amazing flexibility with the golf swing. Something I get comments on all the time. I haven't experienced a significant drop off in distance, but I attribute that more to flexibility and technique than raw power. With age we all fight a loss of muscle mass. I try to slow that down with weight work in the gym. Where it shows up at this point is trying to power through thick or tall rough or difficulties staying loose in the cold weather.

I'm still very much engaged in the fight against Old Man Time. Workouts, nutrition, practice and improved technique are my weapons. I realize this is delaying the inevitable, but that is exactly what I am trying to do.

At this point I still can and do carry my bag the vast majority of my rounds, even on mountain courses. Want to do that as long as I can too.
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I applaud your efforts. I have resorted to an electric push cart, because I have a Very finicky back, with two herniated disks and a surgical repair. Otherwise, you and I are following the same recipe. I walk whenever possible. I think some loss of distance is not due to diminished strength or even flexibility, but the slow down in fast twitch muscle fibers. In my youth, I was extremely quick and it showed up in team sports and in a very short-lived dance with amateur boxing. After about 50, my kids could just pound on me in video games, where I just could not react as quickly as they did. I also noticed it with my acoustic guitar playing, where I just could not move my fingers the way I once could. I don’t know of any fix for it.

The biggest thing for me is that the advancement in equipment has allowed me to keep playing mostly the same way that I could when I was younger. I definitely doen’t have the club speed I once had, but I drive it almost as far.

We’ll keep fighting the good fight, even though we know we won’t win ultimately.
 
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I'm 67 and will turn 68 next month. Yikes! Fortunately I still have flexibility. Unfortunately my back and knees start bothering me after about 14 holes which usually leads to a string of double bogeys for the last four unless I really grit my teeth. I can't take Advil anymore either which used to do the trick. I'm sure Vicodin would work but they don't want to prescribe that for this kind of stuff anymore.

I play from 5600 to 5800 yd tees. If I pushed it I could play from 6000, but why should I push it? I'm old. I have trouble breaking 90 as it is. Golf is hard. I've been playing since 2012. COVID has really messed up my workout routine and physical fitness has gone downhill. I hate cold weather.

To combat the bad back and knees, I went to F9 One Length irons so that I don't have to worry about micro differences in the swings. Everything is a 7 iron from 6i to GW. This did help. I use a standard length 5H which really isn't much longer than the 6i. I also use a 4H. I love my F9 hybrids.

Callaway Mav Max Driver
Cobra F9 3W
Cobra F9 5W
Cobra F9 4H
Cobra F9 5H
Cobra F9 One Length Irons 6i - GW (graphite w/ stingstoppers)
Callaway MD-4 54 10 bounce S-Grind (+1.5")
Cleveland Smart Sole S (58) (+1.5")
Odyssey Tank Versa 40" Two Ball Putter

I don't see buying anything new. If that driver ever dies, I still have a brand new Ping G410 that I played only a couple times.

When I play 9 holes, I walk. When I play 18, I ride. When it's over 85 degrees out, I ride.
 
Tenputt said:
I applaud your efforts. I have resorted to an electric cart, because I have a Very finicky back, with two herniated disks and a surgical repair. Otherwise, you and I are following the same recipe. I think some loss of distance is not due to dismissed strength or even flexibility, but the slow down in fast twitch muscle fibers. In my youth, I was extremely quick and it showed up in team sports and in a very short-lived dance with amateur boxing. After about 50, my kids could just pound on me in video games, where I just could not react as quickly as they did. I also noticed it with my acoustic guitar playing, where I just could not move my fingers the way I once could. I don’t know of any fix for it.

The biggest thing for me is that the advancement in equipment has allowed me to keep playing mostly the same way that I could when I was younger. I definitely doen’t have the club speed I once had, but I drive it almost as far.

We’ll keep fighting the good fight, even though we know we won’t win ultimately.
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Good observation about fast twitch muscles. I used to excel at that. Not so sure about today. Here's to "keep fighting the good fight".
 
CorvetteGuy said:
I will be 74 soon -- still hitting it pretty good with a Ping K15 12 deg driver. Love playing the young guns in match play that drive it 80 yards past me -- but most of the time I am first in the hole and I tell them that's good pick it up. They are very confused when I am up 4 and 4 to go.

the two clubs that score the best is an 11 wood and a Heavenwood from Callaway Epic Flash model.. they are the clubs that help me the most keeping my handicap 5.5
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I too have the Epic Flash Heavenwood and 11-wood. I never cared much for hybrids, and these nicely fit the bill.
 
Sean said:
I too have the Epic Flash Heavenwood and 11-wood. I never cared much for hybrids, and these nicely fit the bill.
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I replaced the shafts with a Elements Chrome... one of my favorite shafts.. and they just keep performing excellently

I ordered a new Mavrik Heavenwood and 3 Wood - I wonder how the Heavenwood will compare.
 
Where did it go? At 73, back fusion, hip replacement and arthritis in my hands, my recreational drug is Meloxicam. Lost 15 yards on each club but if I play with old guys, I still can satisfy my ego. Bought a Swing Caddie 300 launch monitor to measure my swing performance. I wish I had one of these 40 years ago, I could have made the tour. It is a fantastic tool to analyze your swing. I put a net in my basement last winter and with the launch monitor, I can practice off season and keep some additional luck in my skill. 58 years of golf and tens of thousands of dollars in green fees, memberships and equipment and I still strive for perfection. I read the book “Heaven”. It suggests you will go to Heaven with the same skills you had on earth but you will have eternity to practice and get better. So there is hope! But no swearing on the golf course.
 
I'm 61 now and noticed a drop off in distance and swing speed because I quit working out. I've lost muscle mass, so I'm slower now. I still have decent flexibility. I need to make sure I make a full turn to not lose anymore distance. My best drives might go 255 yards now and my 7 iron is around 150 yards. I'm not too worried about the distance I hit shots, but can I hit the green with what ever club I have in my hand. I still play from the white tees. I use hybrid clubs (3,4, and 5) with my longest iron being a 6 iron. I'm scoring better because of experience not length!!
 
I am 63 and play white tees for men's league, (obligatory) and blue tees on W/F. I play with a 93 y.o. who plays white tees and can shoot his age several times a year as well as an 83 year old who plays the white. None of us talks about shafts, but we do talk about getting fitted for new clubs if they have old irons.
 
Tenputt said:
Here is a question for you guys participating in the thread. At what point after the age of 60 did you see a drop off in distance? Was it gradual, or was it at a certain age?

This by no means is meant to sound arrogant, but my club speed has been holding steady for the last 3 years. I do notice that certain days I have it and other days I don’t and if I play three days in a row, the third day my club speed really drops off, but I am still 102 or so mph with driver and 85 or so with 7 iron.
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I started noticing it earlier than that, probably in my mid to late 50's, when I couldn't get my 2 iron airborne anymore! That was when I bought my first hybrid. But. I really noticed it setting in in my early to mid 60's! I was losing distance everywhere!

My buddy watches the Golf Channel religiously, and fancies himself to be quite the instructor! He isn't really, but he does have a good idea now and then. He figured out why I was shanking less than full pitch shots. And he also gave me a partial cure to my loss of distance. I wasn't turning my shoulders! I was just flapping my arms around. I'm still fairly flexible, so this year I dedicated myself to that idea. And you know what? I gained back a significant chunk of yardage, but I also became more accurate!
 
Goose54 said:
I will be 66 in a couple of months. I have a driver swing speed somewhere in the upper 80's and my normal drive is around 215 or so. Lately I have tried using ulta-lightweight driver shafts (45g) in my Ping G30 to try and gain some more distance. I have had disappointing results with that so far, as the senior flex Ping tfc shaft seems to perform best for me . Any advise as far as shafts that you older guys have had success with would be appreciated. I am going to demo a XXIO 11 driver in the next week or so. I'll let you know how that goes.
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Two months ago I went from an Even Flow Blue 5.5(R) to an Even Flow Red 4.5(A) in my 10.5 Rogue. Nicer trajectory and picked up a few yards. Liked it so much, I put the same shaft in my 3W. Laser straight for me. Next month I’ll do the same in my 5W.

The MMT 60A shafts in my 0211 are so easy to hit.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Kropac1 said:
Where did it go? At 73, back fusion, hip replacement and arthritis in my hands, my recreational drug is Meloxicam. Lost 15 yards on each club but if I play with old guys, I still can satisfy my ego. Bought a Swing Caddie 300 launch monitor to measure my swing performance. I wish I had one of these 40 years ago, I could have made the tour. It is a fantastic tool to analyze your swing. I put a net in my basement last winter and with the launch monitor, I can practice off season and keep some additional luck in my skill. 58 years of golf and tens of thousands of dollars in green fees, memberships and equipment and I still strive for perfection. I read the book “Heaven”. It suggests you will go to Heaven with the same skills you had on earth but you will have eternity to practice and get better. So there is hope! But no swearing on the golf course.
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Welcome to THP!
 
Golfgirl83 said:
Hmm...interesting. Is this thread for ladies, too? Or, if not, is there one for ladies that I haven't found? Thanks!
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I'm the guy who started this thread, and I'm also a single guy. If I had my way this thread would be just myself and women, LOL.
Of course you're welcome here! Tell us about yourself, and your golf game...
 
huh oh! sounds like the thread going to a Dating Game.

Beware of a tall 6' Blonde that loves golf - I know from experience. Boy! do I have some crazy BI Polar stories to tell.. I should just write a best seller book.
 
You over 60 people, how long have you been playing? I started when I was 9 or 10. That was over 55 years ago. Do you still have any gear from back when you started?
 
Scott F said:
You over 60 people, how long have you been playing? I started when I was 9 or 10. That was over 55 years ago. Do you still have any gear from back when you started?
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I started playing at 51 due to that crazy Blonde I mention above. - now 74 - dumped the crazy lady but kept the game, thank you very much!
 
Scott F said:
You over 60 people, how long have you been playing? I started when I was 9 or 10. That was over 55 years ago. Do you still have any gear from back when you started?
Click to expand...

I'm 62 and have been playing since 1982.

A great big fat 2nd Class Torpedoman pulled me out of my rack one morning on the boat and told me I was going golfing with him, and I have been addicted ever since.

The only thing I have left from those days is my shag bag still full of the balls from that era.

Acushnet Club Specials (the mushiest ball ever made... I think)
Blue Max
Black Max
Titleist DT 90's and 100's
Titleist Pro Trajectory's
Wilson Blue Ridge
Wilson Staff
Original Top Flite's with the small deep dimples
Rawlings
Kroydon's
 
Scott F said:
You over 60 people, how long have you been playing? I started when I was 9 or 10. That was over 55 years ago. Do you still have any gear from back when you started?
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Today I turned 66 and I've been golfing since I was 32. No gear from my early years.
 
I just started about approximately a year a half ago. I suppose I could say I have saved green fees for many years :cool:
 
MonroeBob1955 said:
Two months ago I went from an Even Flow Blue 5.5(R) to an Even Flow Red 4.5(A) in my 10.5 Rogue. Nicer trajectory and picked up a few yards. Liked it so much, I put the same shaft in my 3W. Laser straight for me. Next month I’ll do the same in my 5W.

The MMT 60A shafts in my 0211 are so easy to hit.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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65 yr old

I bit the bullet and was fitted for a TPT Red shaft. For fairways, I use a Graphite Design AD F Shaft in 55 and 65. In Hybrids, a Mitsu CK Pro Red 70 - For fwys and hybrids, I am all about shaft help to get ball up in the air.
 
Scott F said:
Do you still have any gear from back when you started?
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I will be 61 in a couple of months and have been playing on and off for 45+ years. Still have some old blade irons and a persimmon driver lying around somewhere.

I have a noticed a drop of in swing speed the last two-three years. While I used to have no problem playing from the back tees, unless it is a short course, it would now be a waste of time. That being said I haven't made the leap yet to the senior tees.

I used to carry a a bunch of long irons 2,3,4 but now my longest iron is a 5 iron. Then a 20 degree hybrid, 5 wood and 3 wood.

The biggest thing I noticed is that it takes me longer to loosen up. Like many, I used to be able to go straight to the first tee without a warm up and bang away. If I did that now I would be in traction.
 
smgoldstein said:
The biggest thing I noticed is that it takes me longer to loosen up. Like many, I used to be able to go straight to the first tee without a warm up and bang away. If I did that now I would be in traction.
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I am a bit older - 66 next month and I have noticed that I cannot jump into swinging right away now. I did a couple times not thinking about it and found some muscles that I had forgotten about.

I do have to stretch and get moving some before I go at it. I am even doing stretch band and other exercises during the week to attempt to keep in some sort of reasonable condition but the results are not would I would prefer. It even seems I fatigue more now.

Looking back at it, I never thought I would be here in life. It just wasn't something my mind was ever on much. I was running basketball with high school varsity boys in most of my 50s. Crossed the 60s stage and wow....how life changes in just a short time.
 
Being 62, I've lost some distance, mostly with the driver and long clubs, surprisingly I still hit my irons pretty close to what I always have, and they aren't ridiculously strong lofts. Some of the distance loss really had little to do with age, I had a string of medical issues starting in my mid-50s, I broke my right shoulder racing dirt bikes one year, shattered my left wrist the next year (that pretty much ended my racing), those two injuries limited my range of motion a bit, resulting in a shorter back swing. That was followed by a couple of years of cancer treatments, surgery and radiation (cancer free for five years now), which is pretty much what got me to where I am today. I can still go from the car to the first tee without warming up, and often do since I play as a single so often.
 
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