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By Sean Cochran
It happens to all of us, even though we do not want to admit
it. The reality is we all get older. Some of you may already
know what I am talking about, and others may have yet to
experience the phenomenon of aging. Those of you who are
reading this article and are no longer “spring chickens” get
my
drift. Even if you are one of the lucky ones, still young, let
me fill you in on what happens as the body gets a few miles on
it.
Probably the biggest thing that we all dislike when we creep
into our thirties and forties is the extra poundage (i.e.
weight) we tend to put on. (It is also a lot harder to take
off
when we get older.) Unfortunately, because our metabolism
slows
down, we are unable to pound down a burger, fries, and a
couple
of cokes without the bathroom scale hitting “tilt” a few days
later. In my mind, that probably is the most difficult
adjustment we have to make: an adjustment in our nutrition
intake as we age.
The second most noticeable difference as we age, especially
for
the more active individual, is it becomes a little more
difficult to get out of bed. The back is a little sore, the
knees are a little creaky, and, if you workout, the soreness
does not go away as quickly. This is a result of a few things
that happen to our bodies when we get older. Number one is we
lose a percentage of our muscle mass on a yearly basis. After
the age of 25 (don’t quote me on the specifics, but I believe)
about 1% of your muscle mass is lost per year. Makes sense now
why we get a little sorer and getting out of bed is more
difficult. We simply do not have as much muscle to do the
work.
I could go on and on with the depressing facts of aging, but
let us look at just one more before moving on. As you get
older
you become less flexible. It takes you a lot longer to “limber
up” for any sporting activity: golf, tennis, or a pick up game
of basketball. Less flexibility predisposes you to experience
more difficulty with certain movements: touching your toes,
rotating during a golf swing, or even reaching down to pick
something up off the ground. Why does this occur? Our bodies,
as a result of wear and tear, become more “tight” and “wound
up” as we get older.
So there you have it! Some of the great things to look forward
to as you get older (kidding of course). So if you’re in your
twenties and you’re reading this article, “enjoy it while it
lasts,” because the road gets a little more difficult to
travel
as you get older. But, if you’re beyond your twenties, I am
sure
you can relate to the general results of aging in relation to
your golf game. Quite simply, extra pounds decrease your
stamina (and may affect your swing plane). Less muscle equals
less distance off the tee, and decreased flexibility tends to
make the turn in the golf swing much harder to perform. An
unfortunate situation, but the good news is that we can slow
down the aging process and limit the effects of aging on your
golf game.
Slowing Down the Aging Process for the Golf Swing
I have given you a little “carrot of information” that we can
slow down the aging process. How do we do it? It is actually
quite simple and only requires a little time out of each day
(15-20 minutes) and a little discipline. Sounds pretty easy
when you think of all the benefits you stand to gain. What we
are going to do is provide you some answers on how to slow
down
the aging process. Remember we can’t stop the aging process,
but
we can sure slow it down. The benefits of slowing down the
aging
process are evident when you see guys in their 50’s winning
tour
events. It just takes a little time, some knowledge, and
discipline. If you are saying, “I don’t have the time,” let me
ask you one question: How would you like to feel 10 years
younger right now and hit the ball farther then you did in
your
twenties? I imagine the answer to both of those questions
would
be a resounding yes!
Let us start with the first topic that we described when you
get older, the additional pounds. Unfortunately, as you age
your metabolism slows down. For those of you who are
unfamiliar
with the word metabolism, think of it as your own internal
furnace. It is the rate at which you burn fuel (food is fuel
to
the human body). When we are younger we tend have faster
metabolisms, and as we get older they slow down. (I know it is
a bummer.) Well, let me tell you, there are activities to
speed
that metabolism back up. The way to do it is by performing
some
fitness activities. If you are active and participate in some
type of structured activity your body will burn more fuel and
elevate its metabolism during this time. In addition, if these
activities are resistance-training activities (i.e. weights,
tubing, light dumbbells, body weight), then over time you will
build some muscle. The great thing about that is the more
muscle you have the higher your metabolism will be all the
time
(translation: you will burn more fuel all day and night). A
secondary benefit of such activities will be greater stamina
on
the course. So rather than “spraying your shots” around on the
back nine because you’re tired, you can have pinpoint accuracy
going into the 18th.
Moving on to our second point, the loss of muscle mass as you
age, this one is a tough one to swallow. Just think, we
actually LOSE muscle as we age. Pretty depressing. The good
news is it can be limited or stopped. Before I give you the
solution, let’s look at how this affects your golf swing.
Essentially, in the golf swing you create club head speed.
That
club head speed is the result of creating rotational power,
which we define as torque. To create torque, the muscles of
the
body have to be flexible, strong, and powerful. Now guess
what?
If you have less muscle, what do you think is going to happen
to your power outputs and club head speed? The answer is they
will decrease. No wonder they make senior shafts with a lot of
flex. This is the golf manufacturers’ attempt to deal with
this
problem. It helps to a point, but we have a better solution.
How
about putting something in your bag that makes you stronger,
improves your power, and gets back that lost distance? Sounds
good? Well, it can be done if you implement a golf-specific
strength-training program. You can get back that lost muscle
mass, get back that power, and improve your driving distance.
This is what we call the development of “golf strength,” and
it
can be done with a program that takes a total of 15 minutes a
day!
Finally, moving on to the flexibility issue, our bodies lose
flexibility as we age. Flexibility is a must when it comes to
the golf swing. Here is what happens when you do not “work” on
your flexibility. A loss of flexibility in the golf swing
limits the ability of the body to perform the correct actions
to create the proper swing. Essentially, your body won’t allow
you to take the club back and through on the correct swing
path. This leads to miss hits, slices, hooks, and a whole
bunch
of other shots that are very unpleasant. So how do we fix this
problem or not allow it to become a problem? The answer is to
implement a golf-specific flexibility program. This again
requires a daily commitment, but the time frame is very little
(say 5 minutes a day). So again, ask yourself: Is it worth
spending 5 minutes a day on flexibility to have the golf swing
you would like? I bet most of you would answer yes.
The Magic Pill
Well, there you have the pleasures, displeasure, joys, and
sorrows of the aging process. We all get older, but there are
things we can do to prevent the displeasures and sorrows. If
we
take a little time every day and perform the proper exercises
and activities, we can reduce the effects of aging and have a
great swing for as long as we like. That’s the only magic pill
we know of. If you would like more information on this subject
and how to go about improving your golf fitness, take a look
at
our web site at www.bioforcegolf.com.
About The Author: Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized
golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the
PGA
Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He
has
made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing
improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the
website www.bioforcegolf.com. Check out his manual and
DVD, Your Body & Your Swing,
(www.bioforcegolf.com/index.php?option=content&task=vie
w&id=93)
on BioForceGolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at
support@bioforcegolf.com.
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