Question From Senior Golfer

presser34 · January 7, 2019

I turn 70 in a couple of weeks. I put the Distanza Ping shaft in all my woods G400's and in my Driver Max 400

I went with the G 700's with Pings Senior shaft, I am really happy the ball has more height and I am hitting my 7 iron about 140 was just over 130. Its whatever makes it easier.

Lancj1 · January 7, 2019

Hello:

I am a 77-year-old who has played golf since I was 10 and was taught by my Dad. I'm a 14 index now @ 6000 Yards. My carry yardage on a Driver is not an inch over 190 yards and I hit my 7 iron 130 yards. So, obviously lost yardage on every club but I'm still as accurate as a Laser Beam and always in play. When you have no length you have to have accuracy! I can hit every club in the bag and hit it well, just not as far as I did in younger days.

I have played Ping G-10 clubs for 10 years, ever since they came out. I thought when I bought them that my playing days were fast coming to an end so I just bought this game improvement set with Graphite shafts, had them fitted by a reliable Club Fitter, from Driver to Lob Wedge and added a Ping Zing Redwood Blade Putter. I had only played Titleist forged clubs prior to these G-10 clubs and with "Hindsight being a perfect science," I probably should have kept the Titleist clubs that I had.

Much to my surprise and my good fortune, I continued to play excellent golf, and I am fit and trim and still weigh what I did in college. I have always been athletic and played Baseball in college and Tennis into my 60s. I had thought that these Pings would be the last clubs that I would own, and they probably will be BUT.....I just wanted to ask, because I'm curious: Is there a better club set that I could perhaps look to buy USED and perhaps gain a few yards and lower a few strokes as long as I'm still playing as well as I am, OR should I just stick with what I have and be done with it? (LOL) I know, I'm probably just being a silly old fool! If I found something that worked better, I'd give my Pings to my Son.

I live in Texas now near my Son, but I was born in NYC and lived on Long Island my entire life and I played at the Bethpage Black 5 course complex on Long Island for over 25 years. I remember back in the day hearing senior players rave about Adams Golf Clubs, but I think they are OOB now. If anybody has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it. I played with a guy who was 87 years old a couple of weeks ago at Texas Star in Euless, and he could still play very well, so I may have a few more years left! :rolleyes:

I'd keep the putter and take the rest of the set to a club fitter, say I want to trade these in for matching clubs (fitted) in G400.

jjfcpa · January 7, 2019

Love reading the "senior" threads on this forum. I'm 70 and started playing golf when I was 67 so I don't have the years of experience that many of the posters have, but I'm in good shape and not afraid to put in the practice time. Even put a hitting bay in my basement so I could continue practicing during the winter months. The only problem is, I hate hitting off mats.

Be that what it is, I have tried a number of clubs looking for more distance. My driver is in the 200 yard range (Rogue Draw) and I can find the fairway about 75% of the time. As my more experienced friend told me, the hole is "made" on your 2nd shot. So I have focused on trying to get more distance from woods, hybrids, and irons.

Currently, I'm playing Rogue woods and hybrids and Ping i500 irons at their standard loft and UST Recoil senior flex shafts. They are about a 1/2 club longer than the Callaway Apex CF16's that I still bag occasionally. I've spent a lot of money experimenting and I feel pretty comfortable with my current bag.

Just like the OP, my short game is in good shape. I just need to get to the green with fewer shots. To that end, as soon as the season ended it was back to the gym and a very strict weight regimen. I think the mistake I've made in the past is during the golf season, I skip the gym. As the season progresses, I can start to have trouble making it through a complete round or my shots start to balloon. I've decided to play less during the season and keep up the gym work.

I do think some new equipment fitted for your swing parameters would help you. That was the mistake that I made for a couple years. I wasn't getting fitted for what worked best for me. I think there is a club from every OEM that would improve your game, you just need to get a fitting and see what feels best to you. Keep swinging and thanks for starting this very interesting thread.

swing thoughts · January 7, 2019

My dad just switched to Titleist AP1 716 irons and loves them. His distances are about on par with yours.

pinestreetgolf · January 7, 2019

Hello:

I am a 77-year-old who has played golf since I was 10 and was taught by my Dad. I'm a 14 index now @ 6000 Yards. My carry yardage on a Driver is not an inch over 190 yards and I hit my 7 iron 130 yards. So, obviously lost yardage on every club but I'm still as accurate as a Laser Beam and always in play. When you have no length you have to have accuracy! I can hit every club in the bag and hit it well, just not as far as I did in younger days.

I have played Ping G-10 clubs for 10 years, ever since they came out. I thought when I bought them that my playing days were fast coming to an end so I just bought this game improvement set with Graphite shafts, had them fitted by a reliable Club Fitter, from Driver to Lob Wedge and added a Ping Zing Redwood Blade Putter. I had only played Titleist forged clubs prior to these G-10 clubs and with "Hindsight being a perfect science," I probably should have kept the Titleist clubs that I had.

Much to my surprise and my good fortune, I continued to play excellent golf, and I am fit and trim and still weigh what I did in college. I have always been athletic and played Baseball in college and Tennis into my 60s. I had thought that these Pings would be the last clubs that I would own, and they probably will be BUT.....I just wanted to ask, because I'm curious: Is there a better club set that I could perhaps look to buy USED and perhaps gain a few yards and lower a few strokes as long as I'm still playing as well as I am, OR should I just stick with what I have and be done with it? (LOL) I know, I'm probably just being a silly old fool! If I found something that worked better, I'd give my Pings to my Son.

I live in Texas now near my Son, but I was born in NYC and lived on Long Island my entire life and I played at the Bethpage Black 5 course complex on Long Island for over 25 years. I remember back in the day hearing senior players rave about Adams Golf Clubs, but I think they are OOB now. If anybody has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it. I played with a guy who was 87 years old a couple of weeks ago at Texas Star in Euless, and he could still play very well, so I may have a few more years left! :rolleyes:

1. You seem like a great guy but its hard to be inaccurate if you only hit it 190 yards. Same with a 130 yard 7 iron. As long as you are making contact and you arn't a hack you'll be "accurate".

2. Clubhead speed is king. Your G10 is about as long as anything out there. Your best bet isn't a new club its working on, well, fighting what you lose when you age. Most age-related decrease in speed is due to three things: 1. decrease in flexibility i.e. ability to turn your shoulders to 90 without popping up, 2. inability to stay in posture while sending all your weight left i.e. a weakening of the glutes and quads and 3. a decrease in quality of eyesight, resulting in off-center strikes.

Grab an old club like a 3 iron with a graphite shaft. Get a can of beans. Literally duct tape the can of beans to the end of the three iron so its pointed out from the face (the weight is in the center of the club face). It'll feel really heavy since its on the end of the light, long shaft.. Every night make 30 or so perfect backswings and through swings with the super-heavy club. As a younger guy you don't have to worry about the stabilizer muscles that prevent you from losing spine angle when you get after it. As we age, it doesn't matter how many squats we do - the little muscles start to go that allow a golfer to stay in a hip hinge while swinging hard.

My dad just turned 76. He has never worn glasses or contacts. He went in and was diagnosed with a slight astigmatism in his left eye that had developed in his old age. He got "golf contacts" (<- his words) and immediately got significantly better, like he used to strike it. The quality of eyesight required to hit a ball square with a golf club is a lot higher than for every day life, so he didn't even notice it until he got checked out.

YMMV.

Germain00 · January 8, 2019

Very interesting post. Keep going!

I have 68. I play golf since 1991. My handicap is 8. My drives are between 210-240. I believe that the swing and speed are the factors responsible of the distance. Fitting and choice of equipment can help for sure. I suggest to invest in swing insruction instead of golf equipment. Better is the swing, better is the distance.