A Guide for Golfers over 60 in Picking the Right Gear

The mechanics and movements of the modern swing are far more physically demanding than in days past. These are difficult, if not impossible, with a stiff back, sore knees, and old battle wounds. As you get older your physique and body change, which requires you to change your swing as well as other things, including your equipment.

It is important to pinpoint areas where you feel decline compared to your peak years. Doing so will help you become aware of your weaknesses and how to improve them going along. Once you identify those you can find the right clubs, you’ll have a far better experience every time you step on the green. Here are a few things to consider when picking gear and more importantly why these things are important.

Things To Consider When Looking At Gear

Weight

You should look for shafts with a weight offewers than 60 grams. Your club head should also be relatively light. Lighter shafts can aid in improving your swing speed and timing and are also more comfortable to handle.

Shaft Design and Flexibility

The overall design of the shaft can make a massive difference in your game. You need to consider the weight distribution and overall length. A shaft that is longer can help with swing speed, power, and width, one that is heavier towards the grip side can improve your accuracy.

Shaft flexibility specifically helps with your swing. The more flexible the shaft is, the easier it is to build up power. If you find yourself struggling especially with swing speed and power, look for a more flexible shaft.

Loft Angle

The loft angle of the clubhead will affect the ball’s trajectory. Many senior golfers struggle to gain enough lift. The higher the loft angle, the higher the ball’s flight trajectory will be, so you should make the choice based on your needs and difficulties. Look for loft angles of up to 15 degrees for improvements. If you hit more than 100 mph, go with 9-11 degrees of loft angle for improvements.

Club Face and Head 

You should look for something more forgiving in your clubface and head. Many approaches in design and technology have been taken to achieve more forgiveness in equipment. For example, a bigger face will translate to a bigger sweet spot. Movable weight can also aid forgiveness. As a senior golfer, you will want something with more forgiveness to aid with a decline in both swing speed and accuracy.

Hybrids

Not only are these much easier to hit with, but they also have so many more uses. The professionals behind at HonestGolfers.com explain that these uses include things such as playing out of the semi-rough, chipping, and even long bunker shots. You need only look at images of classic 3-irons next to the latest hybrids to see why, for so many seniors, retired, and over 60 golfers, hybrids have replaced heavy long irons.

Why Do Seniors Benefit from Specific Club Sets?

There are three major issues commonly faced by senior golfers. Understanding these issues and how to compensate for them is really important when choosing equipment. We will go into them in a little more detail.

Swing Speed

With age, many if not most senior golfers experience a decrease in swing speeds. The decrease can be gradual or it can happen very quickly, forcing the senior golfer to change their playstyle completely.

Stamina, Strength, and Fitness

Besides affecting one’s swing speed, with age one will experience a decrease in overall strength and fitness. As such, senior golfers may have difficulty wielding heavier clubs.

Ball Trajectory

Due to the decrease in swing speed and strength, one might not only have issues with distance but also with lift. Senior-grade golf clubs are specifically built to tackle such issues. There tend to be lighter clubs to help with issues of strength. Most of them have a more flexible graphite shaft to aid both accuracy and distance and are also designed for more forgiveness with bigger sweet spots. There is also an extra loft to aid with flight trajectory.

The beauty of golf is that it’s a lifetime sport. You don’t need to stop playing purely because you have aged. You can keep it fun and casual. Why not do something like shoot your age when you pay? You might be able to do that in tennis, or bowling, but you can't do that in baseball or football or even basketball. In following and applying the tips stated above, you can greatly improve your overall experience as a golfer by using the right kind of equipment.