Bill Murray Warm up

Bill Murray Warm up

Golf announcers know some things but they don’t know it all, and they proved it with their comments last weekend on Bill Murray’s baseball swing warm-up before hitting driver. This is not a bad thought process warm up; the baseball swing is a great reminder of weight shift.  Getting weight forward becomes increasingly difficult for senior golfers. Although it may look unusual the move is good. Back foot weight to front foot is important to distance with the clubs. If you would like to use this warm-up it might be a good example to make it look half baseball and half golf. That way the playing partners will not ask what you are doing.

In that same vein, teachers now are saying to do away with the weighted club swing as a way to increase swing speed. Maybe, but it is still a good stretch exercise for senior golfers. I would not suggest that you use it on the course, better to use in the off season. I even swing mine like a baseball bat, you got it, working on weight shift.

Ball Flight

Help the ball doesn’t go where I am aiming! We have all heard someone (never ourselves) say something like this. Here is what the ball will tell you after you hit it.

·        Club head speed determines how far the ball will go – this can be a problem for older golfers, stay fit, work on swing balance and swing the clubs, or at least one every day.

·        Where the clubface points the ball will go – more armatures are prone to closing the face, especially on Irons and opening the face (slice) with the driver  (pulling irons and bending the driver into the right side woods)

·        The path the club travels tells the golf ball where to start out. The club face angle will tell it where to continue.

·        The angle the club takes to approach the ball determines the trajectory (high or low) of the shot.

“What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive.”  Arnold Palmer

 

Senior Golfer - Play the Right Shat and Hit it Deep

 No one wants to hit if farther than the typical senior golfer.

So, lets make it happen.

What shaft should senior golfers play? I believe seniors often, too soon, go for the softer shaft, then slow down their swings and seem satisfied with the down the middle 185 yard drive. Not sure that is the way to go, or best for your game.

Not everyone can have a pro check their swing and measure swing speed but everyone can do the following.

1.     Look at your ball flight-If you are hooking the ball even occasionally, do not go to a softer shaft

2.     If you slice bad and have a decent swing, go to a softer shaft or go to the drill below and help out you game and yourself

3.     If you want to stay with the shaft you are using but age is slowing you down—go to a good exercise program-too lazy to exercise? Try this drill.

-The Stay Young and Hit it Drill-

    Using a full length driver (not over length) take 20 swings a day concentrating on getting the weight on the inside of your back foot – shifting - and finishing with most of you weight on the inside of your front foot.

    Increase swing speed with each repetition until you are swinging faster than normal.

    Make sure you are getting a full turn with each swing

    At the end of the swings do five, eyes closed swings. These will allow you to feel the balance. WARNING—Start with a scaled down swing speed, you will lose your balance on these swing the first few days.

    Add 10 more swings each week until reaching 50 and stay with that.

    This drill can be done on the deck, in the back yard, driveway anywhere you can take a full swing.

    This is a great off season drill to get in shape for golf season.

One more mile-per-hour will add two or three yards. Use this drill five days a week for five weeks and you will see the gain—most senior players from 10-20 yards.

A good walking and stretching program will help get you closer to the 20 yard gain.

*Note-It’s January and I played 18 today, get out when you can!