When I first learned to play golf back in the 1960s on a sand-greens golf course in a small town in western Kansas, I had the marvelous opportunity to share many rounds of golf with the local senior golfers. Many of these gentlemen took me under their wing and shared a few well-meant pointers.
There were many hot days on the links with the local senior talents and as I like look back, those days are cherished memories. I was just a kid who wanted to learn to play good golf and these seniors shared their time and wisdom. For this, I am extremely grateful. I am thankful for their tips on golf as well as their tips on life. Isn't it amazing how similar they both are?
With two decades of experience teaching seniors, I would like to share a few helpful hints to those for whom Tom Brokaw entitled his book The Greatest Generation. I hope these tips make your next round of golf more enjoyable.
More often than not, seniors have repeated the same mistake for some time; consequently, they have attempted to repeat the same manipulation to correct the mistake for some time. Therefore, change needs to be subtle. A correction that can produce the greatest results with the littlest amount of change is needed. The following are few helpful hints that are simple to do and can be very effective.
Equipment:
-- Make sure the shaft is flexible; most golfers play with shafts that are too stiff.
-- Exchange the 2- and 3-irons for variety of fairway woods like 5, 7 & 9, etc.
-- Try a driver that is 44/45 inches long if you need more distance off the tee.
-- Use a sole-weighted fairway wood to help get the ball in the air from tight lies.
-- Check your grip size; if arthritis is a consideration, larger grips may help.
-- Choose a driver that has more loft and a shallow face.
-- Choose irons that have a perimeter weight design, preferably with low center of gravity heads.
The Long Game:
Distance is usually the first concern, or the loss of it. Maintain flexibility at address and during the swing. The "urge to help" creates tension and impedes the speed of the club. Here are a couple of drills to assist in flexibility and increasing the fullness of the backswing. First, grip the club and rest the club shaft on your right shoulder. Let you arms and shoulders be passive. Maintain that freedom at address and during the swing. Second, try this longer backswing drill. Practice swing the club from the finish of the swing to the end of the backswing, stretching the shoulder and back muscles. The backswing has a tendency to get shorter as we get older. This drill can help stretch the muscles and free up the backswing.
One of most helpful swing concepts, especially in the long game, is to interpret the golf swing as one continuous motion. This will allow you to maintain rhythm and diminish the "urge to help." Remember that the club can only travel as fast as you can swing it. Any interference breaks down the swing motion. Therefore, the speed and accuracy of contact is reduced.
Iron Game:
A very old concept of moving the ball back and forward in the stance relative to the club is still often used. May I suggest playing shots with the clubhead in the middle of your stance. Do this for two reasons; first, the swing bottoms out at the same point with all clubs and second, getting the ball in the air is often a problem. When the ball is moved back in the stance, the club's loft is decreased which makes it much more difficult to get the ball in the air.
Take a practice swing brushing the grass very close to the ball. Then address the ball without much hesitation, swing away and brush the grass beneath the ball. Brushing the grass assists in achieving flexibility in the golf swing and allows you to feel a sense of timing and rhythm in your golf swing. I highly recommend this procedure; it has proven to be quite affective. This exercise and execution allows you to get in sync with the club when you respond to the momentum of the club.
Short Game:
More often than not, most golfers use too much loft in playing short shots around the green. Here is a good rule of thumb of when to use what club. If the cup and fringe are the same distance or greater as is the fringe to the ball, use your lofted clubs, 9, pitching wedge and sand wedge clubs. If the distance is less, use your running clubs, 6, 7 and 8. Make every effort to play your shots close to the ground; the results will be much better.
When playing a small shot make small swings. Don't over complicate the application. This is important. Make sure you swing the WHOLE club back and forth. When the swing starts, the handle and head start at the same time; therefore, the club is being swung not levered.
For bunker shots, play the shots with a square clubface or even perhaps a pitching wedge or nine iron. With a more lofted club, you need a larger swing or greater speed; less loft makes the application much easier. Remember to swing the club so the momentum of the club is horizontal to the ground or under the lip of the bunker. You have plenty of loft with each of these club under most conditions.
Never up, Never in: 100% of all putts that are short don't go in. Speed is key ingredient to being a good putter. To have the right speed, keep the cup in your mind's eye. Visualize the line, sense the distance, retain that mental image and go. Your first perception will usually be the right one.
"The free and easy golf swing also produces the best results, and that comes only when you remove from your mind those cluttering details which make for PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS."
Copyright 2004 by PGA.com. All rights reserved.
Editor's Note: PGA Master Professional Danny Harvanek is the director of instruction at The Golf at Bear Dance in Larkspur, Colo. The 2003 Colorado PGA Teacher of the Year, Harvanek can be reached by visiting www.pgamasterteacher.com.
