Getting older... Did there come a point for equipment change?

[Deleted member 18121]

Over the last 18 months or so I've said to my mates that I'm convinced I'd lost some speed, as I noticed my distance was down a bit.

Now I notice I'm not getting as much height on my shots with mid irons... Everything is coming in flatter, although I'm still scoring ok.

I was 42 a couple weeks ago... Did you get to the point where you need some help with extra spin etc?

I think it may be time for a session with a pro to see if it's my technique that's on the wonk or if I need a little equipment help, I'm wondering if my stuff shafts may not be so suited to me any more.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I had back surgery years ago and moved to grandad flex in my irons as a result,
We all plateau with age or injury, so worth seeing a decent fitter who will look at options and sort you out ?

 

[CliveW]

I have recently changed my 2009 Titleist AP2s for T300s as my swing was getting slower. My AP2s had a slightly stiffer shaft but the T300s are more forgiving. What I'm finding difficult though is clubbing. The new clubs have between 5 and 6 degrees less loft than the AP2s.so I have to think twice with selection. (I am in my mid 60s)

 

[Crow]

You're still the same player whatever clubs you use, it comes down to whether or not you want your ego massaged by using high CoR/MOI clubs.

The easiest and cheapest way of adjusting to loss of distance is to move up a set of tees, but of course no man would ever dream of doing that.

 

[Orikoru]

42 seems a bit young for all that to be honest. If you're in decent nick you shouldn't already be losing noticeable speed and distance at that age surely? If that's true I'm disappointed that I've only got less than 7 good years left in me. ?

 

[Pin-seeker]

At 42 I hope it’s not an age thing,I’m only 2yr behind you.
Could it be a fitness thing?
No offence intended.

 

[Smiffy]

The only thing that I've purchased that was age related was my electric trolley. My knees were shot to pieces through years of football, so I swapped out about 15 years ago when I hit my 50's and appreciated the immediate "lease of life" it gave me.
I went over to graphite years ago, simply because I preferred them. Nothing to do with distance, dispersion etc. Just preferred the feel of them.
At 42, I was in my prime to be honest.

 

[chrisd]

I started playing golf in my late 40's and at nearly 70 now I still use stiff shafts in all my clubs. I am thinking that regular shafts may be a choice soon, but my average distances, according to Shotscope haven't changed at all.

 

[Smiffy]

my average distances, according to Shotscope haven't changed at all.

Oh I don't know Chris. You left a lot of putts short last Monday...????

 

[chrisd]

Oh I don't know Chris. You left a lot of putts short last Monday...????

I did, my putting was awful on the Monday I couldn't get used to the pace at all, it improved on the Tuesday and back at mine, on Saturday and Sunday my putting was really much much better.

 

[Maninblack4612]

You're still the same player whatever clubs you use, it comes down to whether or not you want your ego massaged by using high CoR/MOI clubs.

The easiest and cheapest way of adjusting to loss of distance is to move up a set of tees, but of course no man would ever dream of doing that.

I take the completely opposite view here. As you get older you need all the help you can get to continue to enjoy the game. To hamper yourself by using unsuitable equipment is, as far as I am concerned, plain daft.

 

[Maninblack4612]

In my 50s I got an electric trolley & the first time I used it I couldn't believe how much less tired I felt. I recently changed to graphite shafts in my irons (yes Crow, along with jacked lofts) & have been using a senior Shaft in my driver for some time. All this enables me to hit it a bit further than I could with standard regular shafts & lofts & increases the amount of enjoyment I get out of the game.

The next change will come when my hips & knees will no longer allow me to walk round. The thought of using a buggy, especially in the winter, horrifies me so I hope that day is a long way off.

To answer the OP, if you've lost even a little bit of speed your "stuff" shafts won't be doing you any favours. For an average player I'm convinced that there is no advantage in using stiff shafts.

 

[Golfnut1957]

As every manufacturer has a different set of parameters for the stiffness of their shafts, I have always thought that stiffness was a fairly moot point. However, weight is a different thing completely and if you are feeling it then while a change in flex may help, it is probably worth looking at going for something lighter, with a flex to suit your swing.

I went from TTDG S300 to KBS $ Taper light, 130gm to 100gm, both stiff but considerably different.

As someone said earlier 42 seems to me to be awfully young to be concerned about this sort of thing.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Age roughly 40 to 47 were my best years, if you look at it one way.
My handicap was at its lowest.

Problem was - I didn't win much in those years apart from two scratch knockout titles at my club.
Even social golf was a problem with giving loads of shots to others.

The years before and since have been more enjoyable in more ways.

Getting to the point of being as good as you can get does bring its own satisfaction, but there will come a time when that has gone.
42 ain't it though!

 

[sunshine]

I've noticed a significant loss of speed and strength in my 40's. Football was where I first noticed it... loss of straight line speed and acceleration, slower reaction times, slower to turn. I always had a burst of speed which enabled me to recover when out of position or take me past defenders, it just disappeared at 40, and then the injuries started to become more frequent (and slower to heal) because my body couldn't do what my brain was asking from it.

In terms of golf, when I was fitted for a driver a couple of years ago I no longer had the strength and speed for the heavier stiff shaft I had been fitted for aged 36.

In terms of scoring - I still feel my best golf years are ahead of me as my kids grow up and I get to play more frequently and therefore consistently. But the flexibility with big shoulder turn and quick hips are long gone.

Bit depressing

 

[Orikoru]

I've noticed a significant loss of speed and strength in my 40's. Football was where I first noticed it... loss of straight line speed and acceleration, slower reaction times, slower to turn. I always had a burst of speed which enabled me to recover when out of position or take me past defenders, it just disappeared at 40, and then the injuries started to become more frequent (and slower to heal) because my body couldn't do what my brain was asking from it.

In terms of golf, when I was fitted for a driver a couple of years ago I no longer had the strength and speed for the heavier stiff shaft I had been fitted for aged 36.

In terms of scoring - I still feel my best golf years are ahead of me as my kids grow up and I get to play more frequently and therefore consistently. But the flexibility with big shoulder turn and quick hips are long gone.

Bit depressing

Football is a bit different, at nearly 36 now I know I'll be sacking off the Sunday League games pretty soon. But in golf terms, luckily I had the foresight to only use a very slow swing with only a half-length backswing in the first place, so hopefully I won't notice any difference.

 

[r0wly86]

when I had my clubs built for me, the club builder said that if you get basic steel shafts that come with the club, the way they are rolled will mean that they age harden. I studied material engineering so can also say that age hardening is thing, just never thought about it in terms of golf clubs.

My 16 year old Pings when I got them were x-stiff, he tested them and they were off the scale in terms of stiffness. This could have happened to your clubs

 

[patricks148]

My switch to G I irons a couple of years ago was probably age related. Had blades with heavy stiff shafts but had lost a few mph of clubhead speed and some 10 yards of carry since I'd been fitted. But was way past your age when I got them and going to be 58 next birthday.