The Fountain of Youth for Golfers Over the Age of 40

For the longest time golf was seen as a 'past-time' rather than a sport.

A way for old and out of shape white men to spend hours out of the house talking about how they were masters of the universe.

For the onlooker, the fact that many of yester-years top players could earn fortunes, despite barely being able to walk up the stairs without getting out of breath, was a testament to the undeniable truth that golfers were NOT athletes.

And if golfers aren't athletes, surely there was no need to train as if they were?

'Golf-Fitness' was born out of the players of the past only seeing the inside of a gym from a rehab context, a place to do some stretches, pull on some elastic resistance bands, hold different styles of plank and sit on a big blow-up ball.

For many, this still continues to be the belief. Fuelled by countless videos on social media of the 'best stretches for a bigger backswing' or '5 core exercises for more power', amateur golfers are continuing to be taught to waste their (already limited) time focusing on the wrong things.

And if there is one thing I hate seeing people do, it's wasting such a valuable commodity as time.

Why Did I Decide to Write This for Ordinary Guys in Middle Age?

As a trainer of approaching 10 years, and a lover of golf for more than 20, I was amazed that clients I'd worked with were surprised at the enormous impact strength training had on their golf games.

Why wasn't it more obvious that being able to produce more force would have them hitting the ball 20–50 yards further?!

Alongside that they were suffering with less joint pain, fitting in their golf clothes better, and finishing rounds fresher.

The combination of this usually led to better scores and a lower handicap.

As better players began coming to me for support I decided to dive into the research and support for older amateur golfers…

What did I find? Pretty much nothing!

Anything that was related to golfers improving their fitness was geared towards the younger generation, the college golfer, or the elite professional.

Training programs took too long for a normal bloke juggling a family and 9–5, required too much proficiency for those new to training, or were full of high impact exercises that didn't cater for joints that had already suffered some wear and tear.

Anything that was for the older golfer was basically just a bunch of stretches, a mobility workout that wouldn't look out of place being taught in a yoga class.

But when you're a golfer who has dreams of swinging 100+ mph it's not really going to move the needle to just get a little closer to touching your toes when you put your socks on.

The Benefits of Increased Distance to Your Scoring

'Drive for show and putt for dough' is a well known golf phrase, one that has been repeated so often that it's almost recognised as a fact by this stage.

We all know that when you're putting well you can make up for a shortfall in the rest of your game, but we also all know how much pressure it puts on putting when you're driving the ball poorly and struggling to reach par 4's in 2 shots!

The benefits of increased power are now unquestionable, the longest players on both the regular and senior tours are more often than not the biggest hitters. It makes sense: more power equals longer drives and shorter approach shots.

But it's not all just about huge drives. It also means you can play safe with irons yet still be close enough to the green to hit your approach shot close.

Picture this: you step onto a tight 400 yard par 4 at your local club, knowing full well that you can thread a long iron into the fairway and still leave yourself a mid to short iron approach into the green.

It would be pretty awesome to feel that kind of confidence in what your body is able to do.

The amazing news is that 20+ yards extra distance is available to most golfers pretty quickly, not only in the way that they swing but also in the physical capabilities that are able to improve by following the right training approach.

The Benefits of Strength Training on Golfing Longevity

> "I'm getting old so I can't rotate much in my backswing"

> "My joints are sore as I'm just not as young as I used to be"

> "I can't hit the ball very far compared to when I was a youngster"

As a trainer these are phrases I hear on a weekly basis from golfers who come to me for some advice.

They feel stuck in their situation… as if the roots of a few grey hairs burrow deep beneath the skin and suffocate the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons of their life force.

The reality is actually very different. They aren't stuck in their situation, they're just currently lacking the knowledge and application to get out of it.

For the longest time I've referred to strength training as the real 'fountain of youth'. The simplest and most effective anti-aging treatment is actually the simple act of challenging yourself against some resistance. This has been shown time and time again, not only in the research, but anecdotally in the hundreds of golfers I've worked with over the last 10 years.

Understanding Joint Health and Aging

We all know that our joints are the functional unit of our golf swing.

We flex, rotate, extend, and side bend through every single one of them when we take to the golf course and attempt to hit that little white ball in anger.

Without them working effectively in unison we're left with a swing that resembles an unfolding deckchair wearing a pair of Footjoys.

In the golf swing the major movement happens at these joints in particular:

• The Hip Joint
• The Knee Joint
• The T-Spine (mid-back)
• The Shoulder Joint
• The Elbow Joint
• The Wrist Joint

If one of these isn't working as it ideally should, the slack will usually be picked up by the next joint down the list…

Immobile hips create an excessive need for rotation through the lower back, a limited mid-back rotation will increase the need for extra movement through the shoulder, and a frozen shoulder will lead to more stress on the elbow and wrist.

Now, there is certainly a natural slow decline with age due to a combination of factors including decreased muscle mass, reduced flexibility, and the wear and tear on cartilage.

These changes can lead to conditions such as osteoarthritis, which affects nearly 50% of golfers over the age of 65.

And these issues often manifest as stiffness, pain, and a reduced range of motion, all of which can severely impact the quality of your game and the distance you're able to hit the ball.

However, research shows that strength training can play a protective role in maintaining joint health.

By intermittently loading the joints, strength training helps to increase bone density, thicken connective tissue, and improve joint congruency. All of this is particularly important in the golf swing, a complete clusterfuck of a movement that places an incredible amount of torque on most joints.

Benefits of Strength Training for Joint Health

1. Why Does Having More Muscle Help My Joints?

Strength training creates pulling on the ligaments, tendons, and bones. The benefit of all of this is that these things then adapt to deal with the increased stress, providing we do it in a progressive way.

We know that Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia are risk factors as we get older, but luckily something as simple as challenging yourself against resistance even just once per week can help you decrease your risk of these.

Bones get denser, ligaments and tendons get thicker and stiffer, which in this case isn't a bad thing. Alongside that the muscles get bigger, more resilient, and the tissues that encase them also get stronger.

2. How Does Strength Training Enhance Mobility?

A mobile joint is a perfect marriage of many things:

• Where the 2 bones of the joint meet being healthy and congruent
• The muscles on one side contracting more forcefully than the other side
• The muscles on the other side relaxing enough to allow us to extend to a full range
• The brain orchestrating all of this in tandem

This is why static stretching alone typically doesn't achieve much long-term compared to strength training through full ranges of motion based on the research. It only addresses a few of these factors, as opposed to many of them at once.

3. Does Getting Stronger Reduce Joint Pain?

Let's start with some science from the results of 152 trials…

> Exercise has similar effects on pain and function to that of oral NSAIDs and paracetamol. Given its excellent safety profile, exercise should be given more prominence in clinical care, especially in older people with comorbidity or at higher risk of adverse events related to NSAIDs and paracetamol. (Weng et al, 2023)

Now I doubt most people are able to completely remove their joint pain with just ibuprofen or paracetamol, but it's certainly nice to know that exercise can have a similar benefit at decreasing it in a safe way that can avoid as much pill-popping.

Anecdotally I tend to notice that a client's 'pain threshold' tends to increase with progressive strength training. What might have started as a 4 out of 10 pain when performing an exercise will usually become lower until it is no longer even perceptible.

Summary

• Golf-Fitness Misconceptions: 'Golf Fitness' was born out of basic rehab exercises, focusing on stretches and core work, which many still mistakenly believe is sufficient.
• Strength Training Impact: The research clearly shows those who engage in strength training see significant improvements in their golf game, including increased driving distance and reduced joint pain.
• Importance of Power: Increasing power in golf directly benefits performance, as longer drives lead to shorter approach shots and better scoring opportunities.
• Research Gap: There is a lack of fitness programs tailored for older amateur golfers, with most existing ones designed for younger or elite players, and others being too complex or high-impact for older joints.
• Longevity through Strength Training: Strength training is the "fountain of youth," crucial for maintaining joint health, increasing bone density, and improving mobility as we age.
• Joint Health: Strength training helps protect and improve joint function by increasing muscle mass, enhancing mobility, and reducing pain, all critical for sustaining a high-quality golf game over time.

Download GymCaddie to access golf fitness programmes built specifically for golfers who want to get stronger, hit further, and play pain-free, no matter their age.