flexibility

Swingtheclub · February 7, 2008

is the loss of it killing your game

I have a sciatic nerve problem the orthopedic doctor thinks its my arthritis causing it. He X rayed my back just shook his head.

Anyway having already tried the roids taper he sent me to Physical therapy. Hey if you have arthritis and are loosing flexibility I suggest you guys try this.

The first hour was my evaluation and it was funny how my left leg is stronger than my right but my right hip is more flexible than my left which is not flexible at all different muscle groups were different things.

I am now working on stretching program I do twice a day I never knew there was a good way and bad way to stretch.

I just thought it was interesting. Example my balance is shaky he is going to work on that.

Often when I go hard at something my left foot comes off the ground. Now I know it has to because my hip will not rotate I may flair my left foot more. He told me he wanted me to set up a bit more bent at the waist and not in the back.

I am just saying if you suffer you might consider having and evaluation. I have no doubt the excercise program I am on is going to help.

Comments

hbear · February 7, 2008

Read a number of research studies on Golf and Aging during my undergrad...

And all of the ones that studied flexibility had said that flexibility (above any other physical measure) had the most direct correlation with golf "skill" and driving distance. It also has an inverse relationship to handicap. Large sample sizes too.

Basically the more flexible you are, the further you will be able to hit the ball, the better you will be as a golfer, and the lower your handicap will be.

Note: In reference to the aging process, and average amonst them.

Ridgecrest18 · February 7, 2008

My trainer introduced me to EFI's GTS system about 3 years ago and it is without a doubt the best thing I've found for both strength training and creating or maintaining flexibility. I pop down to his gym 5 or 6 nights a week and do a good 30 to 45 minute workout, followed by 10 minutes of streching on the same machine.

Google EFI Sports Medicine and click to GTS. If you can find a local fitness center or personal trainer that has one, it would be well worth your time. An excellent system and workout, especially for us over-50 guys.........

Carolina Golfer 2 · February 8, 2008

I'm turning 50 this year, I've noticed during the last two years, guys I used to outdrive by 20 yards are now hitting it by me routinely. Holes I used to hit a PW or 9 iron into I'm now hitting 8 or 9. Due to a recent shoulder injury I ended up at the Dr. who sent me to Phys. Therp. after the initial visit, she was amazed (not in a good way) at my lack of range of motion. She put together a flexibility and strengthing program. I've only been on it for a week, but in my 3rd vist, the PT'ist said she is shocked already at the increase in my improvement. This has me excited and looking forward to the continuing the rehab and maybe getting back to where I used to be.

I've read and known for years that stetching if nothing else is essential to maintaining a proper and good golf swing, it's too bad it took an injury to get me to do something about it.

teespoon · February 8, 2008

At 68, I find lots of stretching and then only a dozen or so slow swings, with PW and mid irons ,and I am warmed up . Distance won't be coming back, but accuracy with all clubs is what I work on. Short game, and especially putting , are key to the game these days.

.

Swingtheclub · February 8, 2008

well I have just started the process and only had three sessions and from the waist down I am so sore.

Addressing the flexibility issue on my left side today I tried opening or flaring my left foot for some reason it made me steep and over the top

It kills us all to loose distance I played with a guy a little older than me today that I used to smoke forty yds now he is right there with me

I keep trying to put distance out of my head but it does not work LOL

So I will stick with this program and add some more too it

againstthegrain · February 13, 2008

Here is a related thread in swing fitness:

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=141642

leekgolf · February 23, 2008

I'm turning 50 this year, I've noticed during the last two years, guys I used to outdrive by 20 yards are now hitting it by me routinely. Holes I used to hit a PW or 9 iron into I'm now hitting 8 or 9. Due to a recent shoulder injury I ended up at the Dr. who sent me to Phys. Therp. after the initial visit, she was amazed (not in a good way) at my lack of range of motion. She put together a flexibility and strengthing program. I've only been on it for a week, but in my 3rd vist, the PT'ist said she is shocked already at the increase in my improvement. This has me excited and looking forward to the continuing the rehab and maybe getting back to where I used to be.

I've read and known for years that stetching if nothing else is essential to maintaining a proper and good golf swing, it's too bad it took an injury to get me to do something about it.

I resemble that remark. At 49, I was longer than most of the guys I ever played with. At 54 I'm shorter off the tee than most of the guys I play with. Of course, my handicap is half of what it was back then. Now I've started a training regimen with a distance device. It seems to do several things:

increase flexibility

train me to make a stronger pivot

eliminate any cupping of my left wrist at impact or flipping

strengthen my wrists and forearms

make my neck sore!

After three weeks of training, I gained 8-9 mph of clubhead speed. I am excited to see where I max out and how long I can stay there.

Swingtheclub · February 23, 2008

I'm turning 50 this year, I've noticed during the last two years, guys I used to outdrive by 20 yards are now hitting it by me routinely. Holes I used to hit a PW or 9 iron into I'm now hitting 8 or 9. Due to a recent shoulder injury I ended up at the Dr. who sent me to Phys. Therp. after the initial visit, she was amazed (not in a good way) at my lack of range of motion. She put together a flexibility and strengthing program. I've only been on it for a week, but in my 3rd vist, the PT'ist said she is shocked already at the increase in my improvement. This has me excited and looking forward to the continuing the rehab and maybe getting back to where I used to be.

I've read and known for years that stetching if nothing else is essential to maintaining a proper and good golf swing, it's too bad it took an injury to get me to do something about it.

I resemble that remark. At 49, I was longer than most of the guys I ever played with. At 54 I'm shorter off the tee than most of the guys I play with. Of course, my handicap is half of what it was back then. Now I've started a training regimen with a distance device. It seems to do several things:
increase flexibility
train me to make a stronger pivot
eliminate any cupping of my left wrist at impact or flipping
strengthen my wrists and forearms
make my neck sore!

After three weeks of training, I gained 8-9 mph of clubhead speed. I am excited to see where I max out and how long I can stay there.

tell us more about this device

dubbie · March 2, 2008

I have Anklyosing Spondilitis, a degenerative spine condition, that is a relative of rheumatoid arthritis (diagnosed at age 21, 38 years ago). My flexibility is decreasing significantly, which is the only current symptom I have of the disease. Needless to say I am doing nothing to fix the issue.

I think you guys are offering the needed motivation to do something about it. My handicap has gone from an index of 1.4 to 7.7 in the last 3 years and I have noticed a definite decrease in distance with all of my clubs.

There is a local gym 1 1/2 miles from my house that has exceptional equipment and personal trainers available. I will review the website given in a previous post and start to work.

At the same time maybe I can drop some of the 30 extra pounds I've added the last 3 years.

leekgolf · March 2, 2008

Sure Kent. I was tired of hitting the ball short and I'm sure it hurt my game in a number of ways. The biggest was in trying to squeeze a few extra yards out on long holes now and then. I would hit 10-12 fairways and then pop one or two drives OB trying to kill the darn ball.

Five years ago, I carried my driver 250-255 yards and it rolled out a little bit. For the last year or two, it was 225-235. While I actually play a little better, the lost 20 yards does make a difference. My handicap has hovered around 5-6 and I was losing 2-4 strokes per round on these darn OB drives.

I went to Florida over Christmas and got fit for a driver on PGA Village's Taylor Made MAT-T system (this is the high tech system they use to fit the TOUR). My speed had dropped to low to mid 90s. I was pretty disappointed.

I read a thread on Golfwrx started by a guy, idrive400yards who is a Long Drive competitor. He started with some kind of 6lb weighted bar and gained some significant speed. Other posters chimed in with incredible gains as well. Then suddenly there were these posts by the same posters saying they hurt themselves. idrive400yards said the bar really screwed up his swing. One day he posted he found a new device that was really helping and not only was he building clubhead speed, it was helping to improve his fundamentals.

I pm'd him a few times, asked a lot of questions, then bought the device. It's called Swing Speed. I also bought a Radar device to monitor my progress, if I made any.

This thing is about 18" or so long and comes with a golf grip on it. The device comes with adjustable weights, so you can increase or decrease the amount of weight you use for training (1-6 lbs for the long drive version 1-4 for the standard version). It came with a training DVD with some drills. idrive400yards and another long drive competitor Neil from Phoenix Golfworks ( a phenomenal clubfitter and builder too) cautioned me to go slow. I did.

At first I noticed a couple things:

The left arm only swings are better ingraining the feel of the left arm pinned to the chest until release. This is a major power accumulator.

My hips twist (always have pretty much), not slide. What I am seeing is just a sort of explosion. It sequences like this, slightly before reaching the top, weight shifts left, axis tilt increases, wrist angles (and lag increases), then the hips fire- must faster (it feels like explode) left. I also practice several sets with a gripped 57 gram shaft only, then several sets with a real driver. The woosh sound is much later and much much louder.

After three weeks, I went to the range with my Radar device to check my progress. I knew something was up when I was seeing mid-90s with my 6 iron during warmup. I don't what my 6 iron speed was before, but my driver was mid-90s (sometimes low 90s) three weeks earlier.

With the driver, my very first swing measured 104. My clubhead speed stayed in the 101-105 range and the average was about 103 over 25-30 swings. I had gained 8-9 mph in 3 weeks. I was so surprised, I contact the Radar manufacturer to find out if there was something wrong with my radar device! They checked it out and it is accurate :)

I went yesterday to check my progress again. I had been on the program for 5 weeks. I hit about 10 balls trying to take it pretty easy, all were between 104-107. I tried some harder swings, then full out. I could get to 112 for a few swings, but had no control over the ball. Hit the rest at a comfortable 80%ish power level, very straight and consistently 105-107 swing after swing. Interestingly, I also checked tempo, and my typical tempo before starting this regimen was 1.01 seconds from takeaway to impact. It had changed to .87-.92. I did not feel quick, in fact rather lazy.

I plan to continue this program and see where I max out, then continue so I can keep as much clubhead speed as I continue to age.

I sort of developed my own personalized program using the drills that came with the Swingspeed device. I added some drills from professional baseball bat speed training and some additional swing improvement drills to the mix.

idrive400yards has some sort of relationship with the manufacturer and can get golfwrx members a pretty good discount.

Please feel free to ask me any questions. I can tell you this, if my short game stays where it was, and I can reach par 5's in two again. Lookout!!!

hbear · March 2, 2008

Anklyosing Spondilitis

You'll have to really work that core, to build up strength in that area to control your lumbar sheer.

I see that condition (and others like it) a lot in our gymnastics population.

muckyduck · March 9, 2008

same kind of problems as the other posts.

my remedy is a lot easier than work out machines.

i tried pilates and ,oh boy has it helped.

aged 54 and was playing of 4, but a bad back had me rising to 6. started pilates and last year got back to 5 looking at 4 again.

the beauty is that i can do a few simple exercises on the 1st. tee and feel really limber. all the jokes about it being for older women have gone and a few of the other guys are now showing an interest.

give it a try. it cannot do you any harm.