According to one leading US golf teaching professional, “Less is More” when it comes to senior golf flexibility. That means you can still produce the same distance and accuracy but with less in your swing.
Top 50 LPGA Teaching Professional Lynn Bernadett says loss of flexibility is a major concern for anyone in the 40 and above age bracket.
“In golf, flexibility is a major factor in creating an effortless swing,” Lynn says. “Whether male or female, you will lose a good percentage of your flexibility as the years go by.
“If you are in this category, the majority of swing flaws that occur could be from a, “trying to do, like I used to do”, syndrome. You can do like you used to do, but it may be a scaled-down model.
“This means that you will be able to produce the same distance and the same accuracy with less in your swing. No matter what level your swing is at, less is more in golf.
Lyn says that unlike most other sports activities, golf is a game that you can play for the rest of your life.
“Involve yourself in some sort of regular exercise in order to maintain a healthy mind and body,” she says. “The older you get, the more important it will be that exercise becomes a part of your everyday life. In golf, do not expect to increase your mobility without involving yourself in some sort of extracurricular exercise.
“Swinging within yourself” is to swing within the natural boundaries of ones own sense of balance. The speed at which you chose to start your swing will only increase as you continue your motion. Flexibility and balance cannot be achieved if your swing speed is too fast. You need to find a rate of speed that keeps you on your feet, and in balance, through to your finish position. You want to create a “low and slow” takeaway as you start your club back. “Low and slow” benefits the stability throughout your swing and definitely maintains flexibility, and a steady balance check.
“At the top (or end) of your backswing, turning your shoulders to a 90-degree angle to the target line (or your back completely to the target), may no longer be your goal. Since you have lost some of your flexibility, your ability to turn will now end somewhere short of that 90-degree mark. Once you have found the maximum potential of your coil, a simple readjustment in rhythm, tempo, and timing has to be made in your swing. You would be keeping the same dynamics and principals of the golf swing but, it will be a more condensed version – Less Is More.”
“Neither age nor physical disability should restrict a person from enjoying this great game of golf. The majority of my students are in their senior years of golf, and I wish to thank them all for bettering my understanding of “I CAN”! “
A gentle reminder: Disability is only in the mind, and the golf ball does not discriminate.
Lynn Bernadett is an LPGA Golf Professional at The Pines Golf Club in Tucson, AZ.
Seven Minutes to a Better Swing
One way to maintain or improve flexibility is by regular stretching.
Golf fitness guru Mike Pedersen has just released a new Golf Stretching DVD that will help you begin a regular stretching program at home.
The DVD contains a number of golf stretching routines that will take just seven minutes a day and will, according to Mike:
- Release those tight, golf-specific muscles (resulting in a tension-free golf swing).
- Give you a full backswing (for maximum power and distance) for 18 holes.
- Remove stiffness in all the major joints of the body (eliminating aches and pains).
“This unique golf stretching video incorporates several sequences of stretches utilizing the entire body, similiar to your golf swing. This is a “plug-n-play”, no fluff stretching dvd you will find enjoyable,” Mike says.
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