Kiwi Caddy

“Shooting your age” is an almost mythical accomplishment on the links, arguably more impressive than even a hole in one.  After all, the latter can be accomplished with one lucky swing of the club while shooting your age requires years of practice and 18 holes worth of well struck shots.  To be clear, shooting your age occurs when a golfer’s 18 hole score total is equal to or lower than the cumulative sum of the years since one’s birth.  Of course, the average golfer would need to stick around for several lifetimes to have realistic shot at the feat.  Still, some well-conditioned older golfers manage to pull it off from time to time.  While not everybody may not be able to record a round of 76 at age 76, it doesn’t mean your game necessarily has to fall of the deep end as you enter what would be your years on the Senior Tour.  Here are a few tricks for the old dogs out there still willing to learn.

1. Shorten your swing – Increased age leads to decreased flexibility.  By intentionally shortening your swing you play within a controllable range of comfort.  Shortened distance can be easily compensated through improved accuracy.
2. Use longer clubs – To help offset slowing club speeds, a longer shaft will help to breed more power with less force.  Not to mention, less bend in your knees and back will suit the aging body well.  It may require some days at the range to adjust to your new clubs but in the long run it could prove worthwhile. Click here to read more.. »

Unless you have a PGA Tour card, golf is most likely not your livelihood.  While you might play every week and win a couple bets with buddies here and there, golf is just an amusement, not the end all be all of your everyday life.  For most golf enthusiasts, 18 holes are not the only hobby, or even golf-related hobby, with which the week is filled.  Here are some various activities and variations of the game we recommend avoiding if you want to keep that smooth swing and low handicap.

Par 3 Golf Courses – A lot of golfers go into a Par 3 course with the purest of intentions.  At first glance it might seem like a wise endeavor, offering a chance to work on your short game and condensing the time it takes to play a full round, lessening the inevitable headache caused by the significant other at home.  The similarities of Par 3 courses to a standard golf outing can actually have a negative effect.  Teeing off on such short holes places you in situations often uncommon to the typical golf course. The mental effects a shortened course can have on your game are further plagued by a propensity for misleading yardage markers. Click here to read more.. »

Out on the links, whether you are just beginning or playing the final nine in your club championship, golf can be an intensely enjoyable or intensely frustrating experience.  While Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy famously noted golf is one of only two hobbies you don’t have to be good at to enjoy (the other might have earned the movie its R-rating), many golfers agree it’s a lot more fun be competitive on the golf course.  Here are a few tips often forgotten or overlooked from time to time by even the most experienced golfers.

1. Swing within your control – When there’s danger in front of the green and you need to carry it on a fly, don’t try to muscle up on the club you would normally hit for that distance.  Trying to kill the ball will often cause you to role your wrists or jerk up your body, resulting in either a nasty hook or a sculled line drive.  Instead, let the club do the work.  Go back to your bag and grab a lower numbered club.  It’s less difficult to maintain accuracy and swing consistency when easing up on a club than trying to swing harder. Click here to read more.. »