How Long To Keep Trying

[NiftyNiblick]

As some of you are aware, a couple or so years ago, I was forced to walk away from golf, a game that I'd played for decades, due to degenerative back issues aggravated by a further back injury. 

 

As a young man, I was a very average hitter, length wise. But my lengths never changed much.  As a senior, I was a long hitter relative to my golf buddies.

 

Even without the flexibility I would have liked, I was a fairly strong former boxer, and while I had no shortage of shortcomings as a recreational player, strength wasn't one of them.

 

I can't say how long a hitter I was against the field at large because I was no longer playing against the field of seniors at large. I was playing almost exclusively with "my guys."

 

These were my GPS estimated distances before I got hurt.

 

 

 

These past couple of weeks, when I've been physically up to it, I've been hitting balls.  It went well at first, and then I started getting pretty sore.  That aside, I looked to be at least two clubs shorter, maybe even three,  in distance as I was when I last played.

 

And there is the issue. Assuming I can manage to play with a back brace, how far does one have to hit the ball not to be an obstacle on the course? 

 

How far does one have to hit the ball to still have fun and not feel like a clown?

 

These are subjective opinions, of course, but I'd genuinely appreciating hearing opinions from the great folks on this forum.

[null]

Are those your current distances?  If so you would have no problem playing from the standard tees for just about any course under 6500 yards or so.

 

Heck, you're still far above the average amateur golfer

 

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/how-far-do-average-golfers-really-hit-it-new-distance-data-will-surprise-you

 

I know you posted some things about the clubs being important to you, but it sounds like just enjoying playing and playing well would make you enjoy playing more.

 

Go get fitted into a nice set of irons that maximizes what you are working with in terms of a swing.  Talk to the fitter about your issues and limitations and they will fit you into a set that maximizes each club.

 

They won't be butter knives with 5* loft increments, but they'll help you play better golf and allow you to continue playing much longer than you thought you'd physically be capable 

[revkev]

You could easily be a plus handicap with those yardages. Way above the average driving distance for an adult male.

 

 

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[NiftyNiblick]

No, those were the yardages BEFORE I got hurt.

 

I look to be at least two clubs shorter, now.

Even three with the longer clubs.

 

If these are my new yardages, do you think I can still play well enough to have fun...say, bogey golf?

[null]

No, those were the yardages BEFORE I got hurt.

 

I look to be at least two clubs shorter, now.

Even three with the longer clubs.

 

If these are my new yardages, do you think I can still play well enough to have fun...say, bogey golf?

Absolutely. Just play from the correct set of tees.

 

And again, I know you're playing some older equipment and enjoy the traditional equipment - but if playing golf is that important to you you then I highly suggest you look into getting fit for some modern equipment. I think you'd be surprised at how much of that lost distance you get back.

[00sportsman]

I don't see why not. I got grouped with the women's champion on base at Cherry Point many years ago. She was 70 if she was a day, and played a great game. Everything was straight down the middle. 150 - 175 off the tee, 125 second shot, wedge to the green and a lot of one putts. She kicked the crap out of me.

 

Seems like a matter of perspective to me. I can't remember not having fun, no matter how badly I played, so as long as I can make contact I'll be playing and enjoying it.

 

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[GB13]

Abosolutly you can keep playing. There was a group of 4 behind me last week that hit it 140 off the tee and then hit 3 shots up to the green. They played in under 3 hours! If you enjoy it keeps playing. And if you are slow, be considerate to others.

[Shankster]

Keep at it. I've been talking with a Gentleman named Howard at the course for the past few weeks. He is a Vietnam vet, we just stand there and BS. He had some 1970's achusnet irons that are so small I can barely see them.

 

He carry's no woods, and has the Original version of the Ping Anser.

 

I told him next time I am on the range when he is there I'm going to make him hit my 8 iron. It's a “Players iron” by today's standards but a SGI compared to what he is hitting.

 

His bag is a 1-PW and a square strike. Trying to get him going with some technology, but he too is a traditionalist, and just seems to like whacking a bucket of range balls.

 

He's taken a liking to what I've said and he is looking at the Cleveland smart soles.

 

Hopefully I can get him to bite off on something to help him out. He has a decent swing, just can't get the ball off the ground.

 

I think we can fix that.

 

I enjoy having you around here Nifty, and it sounds like you love the game. So hell yes, stick with it. Play from the fairway if you need to, make your own tees. This is the best dang game ever invented.

[djahubes]

As long as you have no forced carry holes, then I don't see any yardage constraints.

 

 

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[Reesedw]

Are those your current distances?  If so you would have no problem playing from the standard tees for just about any course under 6500 yards or so.

 

Heck, you're still far above the average amateur golfer

 

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/how-far-do-average-golfers-really-hit-it-new-distance-data-will-surprise-you

 

 

 

Ok You just made me happy and pretty bummed all at the same time.. 

 

I just went and checked Arccos My driving avg, is 247.. setting me right in the 5-10 hdcp range.. Yeah.. then it sinks in, s*** I really suck... I can hit the ball with good distance and still ruin my game.. It all has to be the New Cobra F8's that I am using during the Cobra connect challege.. 

 

 

[GB13]

Ok You just made me happy and pretty bummed all at the same time..

 

I just went and checked Arccos My driving avg, is 247.. setting me right in the 5-10 hdcp range.. Yeah.. then it sinks in, s*** I really suck... I can hit the ball with good distance and still ruin my game.. It all has to be the New Cobra F8's that I am using during the Cobra connect challege..

 

 

Don't feel so bad. I can move the ball 280 and find about 20% of my fairways. The rest of my game needs more work than yours.

[PMookie]

Totally agree with Joe. Play the correct tees, get the new irons that really put the ball out there, and you'll have fun!!!

 

 

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[McaseyM]

Based on length of holes, if you can get your tee shot out there 190 -200 yards, you can still shoot very well, especially from the correct tees.

Even a 500 yard par 5: 190-200 off the tee, 140-160 club for the 2nd and 140-160 club to the green. I know there's a lotta differences that can happen, but accuracy and precision are more important that flat distance. I can hit my driver around 300, but guess what... still a 20+ handicap. Distance is only part of the equation. I'd rather play an executive or shorter course weekly versus a standard course only monthly.

Sounds like the most important thing is getting to play with your buddies and I'm guessing they'd rather play with you on a set up you can play versus not having you out there.

 

 

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[yungkory]

If you're having fun, keep going for it! As others said, play the tee boxes that allow you a decent chance at par and you'll be golden. Don't let your ego get in the way of ruining your game -- I'm speaking from experience right there

[Wedgie]

You're a senior with back problems and you still hit it farther than I do but we are very close. That being said I shot the round of my life on a course that was just over 6500 yards about a month ago with a 76. Any farther than that I struggle to be honest. If your back holds up go have fun.

 

 

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[pulledabill]

I play twiloght occasionally with an 82 year old msn who is sporting similar #s to what you are today. He waa a low single digit then age caught up and it was hard for him to go from blues to white. He just moved from white to the next box up and he is having fun with golf again.

 

Play a different box and enjoy yourself.

[TheNighwatchman]

I've a similar issue, degenerative disc disease in my lumber reason and though never been a great golfer had to give up a game I love. After a year or so out, I visited a specialist golf physio whilst travelling with work. So told me to read J F Tamayo book (available on Amazon 2nd hand for pennies) and focus on twisting from the upper thoracic as opposed to the lumber. Very easy once your conscious of it. The result is I'm still a poor golfer overall, but managed to play 18 holes 4 days consecutive this year where previously the best I could manage was 9 holes per week. Appreciate it won't work for everyone, but certainly worth a 5 minute read.

 

 

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[BIG STU]

Keep at it. I've been talking with a Gentleman named Howard at the course for the past few weeks. He is a Vietnam vet, we just stand there and BS. He had some 1970's achusnet irons that are so small I can barely see them.

 

He carry's no woods, and has the Original version of the Ping Anser.

 

I told him next time I am on the range when he is there I'm going to make him hit my 8 iron. It's a “Players iron” by today's standards but a SGI compared to what he is hitting.

 

His bag is a 1-PW and a square strike. Trying to get him going with some technology, but he too is a traditionalist, and just seems to like whacking a bucket of range balls.

 

He's taken a liking to what I've said and he is looking at the Cleveland smart soles.

 

Hopefully I can get him to bite off on something to help him out. He has a decent swing, just can't get the ball off the ground.

 

I think we can fix that.

 

I enjoy having you around here Nifty, and it sounds like you love the game. So hell yes, stick with it. Play from the fairway if you need to, make your own tees. This is the best dang game ever invented.

Now there is another aspect that can be done in his case if he likes playing his classic irons. So bear with me a minute

Now his vintage Titleist irons more than likely have heavier stiffer shafts. Pull those shafts and put more modern lighter shafts in soft tipped. Now with the weight savings put about 4 grams of lead tape low in the back. Set them up properly and the combo of lighter shafts bottom end kick and weight down low he can get them airborne. Look at my signature set yep they are tricked and tuned up.Those Hogan #2 shafts are a senior flex steel shaft. I have them tuned too those shafts are from 3 different sets of Hogan Irons the short irons are soft tipped and the 3 thru 5 are a little hard tipped for ball flight reasons. If I really have to hit a high floater long shot that is what that little Adams Hybrid is for. It does not matter to me if I hit my 1982 Macgregor blade 6 iron where someone else hit their newer 8 iron. MGSer John Smalls can confirm that. On our 17th hole which is a long par 3 over water plays about 185 from the mid tees and the ocean wind is always in your face. We were playing with another young guy who was a good player. I think he hit a 6 or 7 iron. I hit the old 3 iron and did jerk it a bit but was about 30 feet out. Took my par and ran to the cart. BTW  John I duplicated that shot the next week in the scramble and the pin was back there got it to 6 feet. --- In a nutshell one can make older equipment play as good as new stuff with the right tuner.

[BIG STU]

Nifty I can relate to you on the vintage side probably more than anyone else on here. Not cutting anyone down at all but I can relate. I have had to go to softer shafts due to age and my back conditions lately. I have never really injured my back per say but I am having back issues now. I think part of my problems are due to driving trucks on and off all my life and banging around in dirt track race cars. Also hard tailed Harleys have never did me any favors either. I can still hit S-300s because at 61 I am still strong but I can not hit them for long. If I play a round with S-300s you might think well you hit those fine. Well wait 2 hours later I can not move until I put some Bio Freeze or the heating pad on. I really did not want to believe it and refused to. One of the reasons I set my signature set up as I previously described. I can play them just as well and I do not hurt afterwards. Back in the day I was a long hitter even with persimmon and balata and sometimes I do not deal with reality well but I have came to that.

 

Last year the reality came to fruition. My wife and I take vacation together and she plays some with me that week. I traditionally play all vintage that week with my old mans Mac 4000s and my beloved Penna driver and persimmon H&B 4 wood. I usually play strictly vintage golf from 6100 or so. This one par 5 I cranked that old Penna driver and was in a spot I knew well. I got to where it was at and reality wafted in. I realized my limitations and darn near cried no joke. I told her 16 years ago I hit this same driver from the tips here and carried this same 4 wood on that green and made eagle. She said well hit the 4 wood now and it was in all innocence. I told her I could not carry my modern Adams Super S 3 wood that far now. I could barely cut across the point of the lake for a layup with that 4 wood. Just for kicks and giggles I tried a second ball and no I aint gonna lie I came no where near carrying that lake with the persimmon 4 wood. That was around the time the back problems crept in. I played those heavy shafted Macs 3 days and got sore and stiff. But vintage golf has helped my game overall. I have learned to do something I never ever did before and that is plod and plot my way around the course. I have reverted back to some stuff I did in my Jr days. I played a lot of Am tournaments against the adults and I depended on my short game . 

 

I know a lot of guys have suggested going to more modern stuff. I will say this was well intended but I understand. I know the feeling of a well struck vintage blade or older metal or persimmon wood as you very well do. I do not play comp or big money matches anymore. I do not really care about score anymore. For you on your diminished distance move up to the tees where you can play to enjoy the game and relish the sound and feel of a well struck vintage club. Maybe I can be of help of the complicated thing of setting up vintage clubs for the vintage golfer. Hey I can comment like that because I fall into that category. Like someone else suggested make you own tees or heck make your own par. Think of it like this and trust me I do it all the time " lets see if this antique vintage beat up golfer can get this rusty antique club to point A" If I do good if I don't well lets see what I can do now. But do not give up ever you love the game too much. Just adapt and have fun and by all means do not push the back too much. Anything I can do to help you do not hesitate to ask either on open forumor via PM 

[BIG STU]

My Dad played until he couldn't reach most par 4's in two strokes from the shortest tees, played until he was almost 90 years old. But whatever you're comfortable with if you enjoy the game, the camaraderie and competition is half the fun to me.

 

I play in a senior league with some guys who don't have the length to GIR on most holes. Probably 125 yards with a driver. But they still enjoy playing, and they're fast enough because they hit straight and almost never lose balls and they play smart/organized. Again, if you enjoy yourself and you can move along with the same pace as others, you should keep playing no matter what club you need from any given distance IMO.

When we ran the golf shop I had a real good customer whose Dad was getting old. The gentleman was in his 80s but pretty well spry and in good shape physically. Well he was loosing distance and getting fed up. I ended up building him a non conforming Intregra driver with a super soft flex "A" graphite shaft. the shaft was super soft to begin with and I never tipped it. I also sold him some non conforming Bandit balls. With that combo he gained about 10 yards off the tee. I ended up building him some Infiniti irons which that model were super GI with the big sole and all the weight down low. I also soft tipped some Intregra senior graphite shafts for those. He continued to play and enjoy the game with his son until he passed at 95 from natural causes. In fact he played that morning with his son and passed in his sleep that night. For me that is what the game is all about not the USGA or what they say. I played with them a few times and that old man was funny as heck. He putted with an original Reuters Bulls Eye putter which he had had since the 50s. He would wink and crack at me "You build some pretty good golf clubs but you ain't touching this putter" He would also state to his son "I was on hold #16 at such and such course and had this putter in hand when the assistant pro rode up and told me that your mother was on the way to the hospital in labor with you. I told him well I am -2 on this side and she will have to wait." He claimed he canned 2 birdie putts on the next 2 holes and had his best round ever. Then he cracked " he rushed to the hospital with spikes and all on and got there before he was born." Made me happy I was blessed with the skills to keep him and his son playing literally to his last day. Every time I find a Bulls Eye putter I think about that old fart and it cracks me up.

[Mr. 82]

Well, your numbers are pretty good, even adding 2 or 3 more clubs for that distance.

 

Let me tell you about my 83 year old Dad, who has every sort of physical ailment now that severely limits his golf game. By his own admission he hits his drives about 125, and then proceeds to play the average par 4 (from the senior tees) with at least two more full 3-woods, and then a wedge chip and then putting. Honestly it's painful to watch, because this is a man I never beat in straight up stroke play until he was 70 years old, and I am a 4 handicap now. My Dad just physically struggles to even walk to his ball from the cart, and now only plays 9 holes once a week. When I visited him a couple of weeks ago he admits the game is very tough for him and that he's had 3 doctors tell him to stop playing. But golf is his life, so that's like telling Harrison Ford or Clint Eastwood that they can't act anymore.

 

The one thing I suggested to my Dad was to create his own tees on the course and maybe tee it up in the fairway, where he has a distance where he can actually reach par 4s in regulation, etc. But I think his pride won't allow him to do that.

 

I'm actually thankful that me and my brothers were able to get together a year ago and play 18 holes with him. I took pictures at the end of the round and told my brothers I did so, because that might be the last time we ever play golf with him.

 

My advice to you would be the same as to my Dad. Play a distance that allows you to reach par 4s with a mid iron in two and where you don't struggle to reach par 3s at all. Doesn't matter if you keep score, but just have fun and thank God for every opportunity you've been given to keep playing the game.

 

I'll leave you with an experience from today's round with my regular foresome. One of the men I play with is probably in his mid-70's. Maybe older. Hard to tell. But he's severely obese and puts a handicap flag on his cart so he can drive the cart right up to his ball anywhere on the course. Today, we were on the 6th hole and this guy went to reach down for his ball while sitting in the cart and simply fell out of the cart and needed help in order to be able to get up and back in the cart. I suggested to my group that perhaps this guy needs to hang up his golf clubs permanently. So I'll just say that if you get to the point where you are falling out of the cart and can't get back up, that is when you know it's time to quit the game for good.

 

 

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[NiftyNiblick]

My quote function isn't working, but I appreciate the encouragement.

 

Missing a couple of seasons made me realize how much I enjoyed playing.

 

The distance thing is hard to swallow. I wasn't a young bomber, but my length held up to make me a senior bomber.

 

Now that I'm trying to hit balls again, that ain't happening anymore.  But I should be right there with the other geriatrics.  They're not immune to aging and breaking down a little bit either.

 

I was always around an eight in my prime, and saw that go to a thirteen just before I stopped playing.

 

(That 13 was index.  My nine hole league handicap on our track was six.)  Single digit indexes, even highish ones like 8, require practice.  Seniors use what they have left to play, not practice.

 

 

I was still having fun.  If I can get back to even bogey golf now, that wouldn't be bad at all.   

 

I just have to  learn how to minimize the strain.  Hurting spoils the fun more than needing a few extra swings to get home.

[Kanoito]

Definitely. I play with a 70 year old guy regularly (damn he's fast).

 

My 3W outdrives his driver by 50 yards every hole and he still beats the crap out of me around the green. Bogey golf is definitely not a problem. Hell... the guy putts one-handed...

[Big money]

I can't wait getting back out there.Almost ten years without swinging a club is brutal. Just about every ailment has kept me away from this great game

[NiftyNiblick]

Well, let's hope for good luck for both of us, twofer.

[Sluggo42]

Play until you're on the other side of the grass...

I would only suggest that if you find yourself slowing down considerably, don't make a point to be the early bird first off the tee like some slowpokes like to do...

[NiftyNiblick]

Today I hit a few balls and the gentleman who sold me the GX7 was there.  He asked me how I liked it.

 

I admitted that it was an impulse buy, and that in all likelihood, I'd never get to use it.

 

He said that he'd had second thoughts about selling it and would I like to sell it back?  

 

So that was the story with the GX7.  Not a bad club at all, though, infomercial stigma or not.

 

 

The hitting balls didn't go particularly well.  Once again, I couldn't finish my bucket.

 

I'm not optimistic anymore.  This comeback thing is beginning to look like a pipe dream.

I've got an appointment with my back guy tomorrow and will keep you, my linkster brethren,  in the loop.

[NiftyNiblick]

Easier to paste than to enter directly:

[NiftyNiblick]

How is everybody doing with this pandemic thing?

I'm only allowed out of the house to walk the dog.  

The humans maintain "social distancing," but the dogs still sniff noses to say hello to one another.

Being in the center of the high risk group, I'm playing it safe, but so far, so good.

Our supermarket opens three days a week, 5AM to 7AM, just for seniors to reduce our exposure.  A cop is actually at the door to enforce that, my wife says.  She won't even let me do that.

I've been dieting and lifting weights, to whatever extent a man my age can lift weights, so while I may be on the precipice of finding peace in a brass urn, I'm actually looking better than I have in a while.  The club is closed...can't even go there for breakfast or lunch, even if my wife let me out...so I'm not missing golf quite as much.

Hope everybody is ok, and my best wishes for those under the weather.

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by NiftyNiblick