Dave, > "Improve" isn't necessarily the case, if I've read your earlier posts > correctly. It involves CHANGING their DRIVER swing from what worked in > their earlier years. The change is necessitated not by pure length but by > the concomitant swingweight increase. They have to learn to lose the late > release. Going to an earlier release is not an improvement of the swing in > normal terms -- quite the opposite. It is only an improvement in the sense > that you need to do it in order to use the geriatric medicine you've > prescribed.
The improvement in my mind for most seniors is not a S/W adjustment, but a tempo change. Many seniors over 60 begin to have shorter turns and faster tempos...their legs and hips become almost locked and upper body takes over. After a while, the slower, smoother tempo with a long driver gradually works them into a better body turn and a better weight shift with the legs and hips. Many seniors, both slicers and hookers, already have an early release because of the stiffer lower body and early upper body movement...so don't even need to change their release timing. In fact, with the heavier swingweight, this early release often is just about right to create a straighter shot than the slice they'd get with a shorter, low S/W club. > I'm not challenging the assertion that longer drivers help reasonably > skillful seniors regain lost distance. I'm challenging the generalization > that you're making from that. Some of the more skillful players, who already have a smooth swing, good tempo and late release, have the most trouble making the change...because of the late release. I did (was about a 6 handicap at that time), but I certainly did gain distance when I got my release timing right and got the head square. > I have a lot of trouble with this. The trouble is geometry. It's the same > geometry that says a longer club needs a flatter lie. If you go to a longer > club, then the swing plane WILL be different. It may be just as good. It > may be just as consistent. But it WILL be flatter. That's what I was > talking about. The length of the club automatically sets the plane of the swing at address. The plane for a 36" PW is certainly higher than a 45" driver, yet I don't think about making a different swing to hit either club, unless I want to work the ball one way or another, hit a knock-down or some other special shot. The difference from a 45" driver to a 48" driver is only 1/3 that of PW to 45" driver. I don't have to think about flattening my swing with a long driver. That will take care of itself at address. I want to make the same swing moves I'd make with a shorter driver, but at a bit slower tempo through transition to the downswing...almost the same swing differences I'd make from a short iron to a standard length wood. > Also, as I said, I don't need more distance. I need more consistency. I > need to make the best 50% of my swings more like 90% of the time. I don't > need my best swing to be any better. My intention wasn't to convince you to go to a long driver...as you have said before, you probably don't need it if you're hitting the ball 250-260 accurately with a shorter one. We just got to talking about length vs swingweight, etc., in reply to Alans post. And when you start me on that topic, it's hard to shut me up. :-) My observations and experiences with seniors have led me away from many of the old mainstream clubfitting ideas. I believe club length does not cause the "accuracy" problems it gets blamed for so often...that swingweight or total weight which does not work with the player's swing tempo and timing is the actual problem. > I'm much more an engineer than an athlete. I have enough trouble > maintaining just one swing. I have no intention of maintaining two swings > (one for a long, high-swingweight driver and the other for the rest of the > clubs) if I don't absolutely have to. As I told Alan, making some of the > middle clubs longer with no change in swingweight may work for me; it > requires the same swing I currently use for other middle clubs. So I'm > going to try it and see. I think you'll find that a bit more length in your irons won't make any difference in your swing, but a lighter total weight will require a little different timing. Took me about 2 months to get the accuracy I expected with graphite shafted irons coming from steel, even at the same swingweight, because I could really fire my hands through a shot with that lighter weight. I'd cut one, block one, draw one, etc., until the clubs felt more natural in my hands...and eventually I was hitting most shots where I aimed them. Had seven rounds under par in seven months at age 65, the second year with those irons, including two 68s (-4) and two 69s (-3). Also, for the first time in my life, hit every fairway and every green in regulation on one of those 68s. That was three years ago. Haven't done it since, though I did have a 69 on our shorter course (6228 yards) just before I went on dialysis last August. :-( >But I've tried tampering with the extremes, and I > have no intention of going that way again until age catches up with me and > I have to. About age 60 Dave, maybe if you stay in good shape a couple of years more. I was in good shape and sometimes hiking 21 miles a day in the mountains with a day pack, yet I went from 240 yards at age 39 to 220 yards at age 59 with the same 43" steel shafted driver. Legs were very good, but lost upper body muscle somewhere along the way. Sneaks up on you when you least expect it. Right TFlan? The other day was a disaster. After an 81 first time out since my kidney transplant, and a 78 with an even par front side the second time out last Friday, I was hoping for about a 75 Monday at my favorite Toqua layout. Weather was 60 degrees, slight breeze, cloudy...great conditions. Warming up on the range, my back started to tighten up (Prednisone side effect, I think.) and by the time I teed off, I couldn't make a full turn. Shot a nice solid 92 with about 5 three-putt greens (couldn't bend over). Didn't hit one solid or straight iron the whole way around. Gettin' old makes golf interesting, to say the least. Bernie Writeto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
