Has golf been your lifelong companion or did you just take it up after retirement? Either way, you probably could benefit from proper flexibility training to improve or master the game.
You may have noticed less accuracy in your backswing shots than before; we know exactly why this is happening! Read on to make sure that you avoid the mistakes that most golfers over the age of 50 are making.
Your Biggest Golfing Mistake
Young golfers are typically able to take full backswings because their bodies are flexible. This flexibility often decreases over time, making it difficult for older golfers to take a proper swing.
Of course you want to take full backswing shots like you did when you were younger, but that’s a big mistake. Here’s the issue: When you try to take a full backswing shot, your body hits its flexibility limit and fails to execute the shot properly, so instead you end up taking a compensation swing. A compensation swing is simply a deformed posture that causes disastrous shots.
Most common swing compensations that occur include collapsing of elbows; your body is probably swaying instead of turning and your head moves way too much to score the perfect shot. Most golfers even straighten up when they fail to maintain the optimal spine angle, which results in your right knee becoming rigid and your shot losing power.
Tackling the Backswing Shot
The easiest and quickest way to deal with this problem is to shorten up your backswings. Contrary to what you may think, this position will not cause you to lose power. You can actually cover more distance with a short, but calculated backswing! A short backswing is always better than a colossal compensation hit.
Another way to fix your full backswing shot is by exercising daily. It will require determination and consistency but it is definitely worth the effort. Exercising will not only improve your game, it will boost your overall health, enabling you to play your favorite game without experiencing shooting pain in your back.
Let’s have a look at an easy yet effective exercise that you can do at home to power up your game.
Resisted Rotations
This simple exercise is great for addressing flexibility as well as strength. Fasten an exercise band at chest height in a doorjamb and place a chair in front of it. The chair should be far enough to provide you with enough room to rotate your arms and torso.
While holding on to the exercise band, keep your arms relatively straight and rotate your arms and torso away from the door. Since you are sitting in the chair, your hips are fixed and all the motion is coming from your spine. It is best to perform 1–3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.
Keep in mind that the key to success is consistency. It may take some time but eventually, you will be back to hitting the star shots. In the meantime, work on adjusting your swing to maximize power and accuracy of the shot until you regain golf flexibility. Happy golfing! Check out this article for more golf tips.
