As we age, our muscles get sore, and we make excuses as to why we can’t (or won’t) do certain things that we used to be able to do. Cue Duke Ellington’s jazz standard Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.
If Patrick Koenig, at age 44, can walk and play 580 rounds of golf in ONE year (2023)—without being sore—you should be able to play three or four times a week at your age (whatever that is) assuming you have the time and wherewithal). Koenig averaged over 10 courses per week and more than one a day. They were all different courses. All were 18-hole rounds, and none were shorter than 6,000 yards (they averaged 6500-6700 yards). His best score was a 67.
On April 14, he played all four courses at Doral (no word as to whether he did his taxes that evening). He walked most of the courses. No injuries were sustained, and he claims that a daily stretching routine worked for him.
My Story
Last year I stopped going to the fitness center, primarily because I didn’t think it was helping me on the golf course. Looking back on it now, I realize that my game went in the tank a month or so afterwards. Try to keep going. It’s hard work, I know. But, if you don’t quit, you win! I call it the “agony of going to the gym and the thrill of having gone.”
The realtor here at our club tells prospective homeowners on their tour of the community that the fitness center is never very busy, so you’ll always have access to the equipment. Oh—he says somewhat tongue-in-cheek—there is one exception: the first week of every year. After that, resolutions take a seat on the sofa. Don’t give up!
I know someone who used to play golf with Clint Eastwood. He told me one of Eastwood’s favorite expressions is “Don’t let the old man in.”
The Pros
Why do you think Brooks Koepka is so cocky? Well, I believe it’s because he trains harder than 99% of the other players on tour—so he feels like he deserves to win. It seems like he has a chip on his shoulder. It’s amazing how confident you feel when you know you’ve outworked your competition. Be careful, however, that you don’t cross the line between confidence and arrogance.
I can’t imagine how difficult Tiger’s rehab was—correction, rehabs (plural) were. He obviously has iron resolve. And then to go on and win the 2019 Masters Tournament after all he’d been through—well, that was obviously no small accomplishment. It remains to be seen how well he’ll perform going forward now that he’s getting close to being eligible for the Senior (Champions) Tour. Perhaps his latest fusion surgery in his foot will allow him to regain his command of the game.
A Couple of Exercise Experts
Pete Egoscue, an anatomical physiologist, is known as the Father of Postural Therapy. He’s written a few books, including Pain-Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain and The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion: Revolutionary Program That Lets You Rediscover the Body’s Power to Rejuvenate Itself. His Integrative Physical Therapy (IPT) exercises are renowned for relieving pain and preventing injury. His methodology, while very different from usual stretches and execises, claims a 94% success rate. If you suffer with pain, check him out.
Another noteworthy guru is Randy Myers. Myers was the director of fitness for the 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup Team (who won for the first time since 2008) and a founding member of the Titleist Performance Institute. A good book by him is Fit for Golf, Fit for Life: The Ultimate Golf Fitness and Flexibility Guide. Its exercises teach you how to use your muscles effectively to hit the ball further and to extend your playing years. As one verified purchaser of the book wrote, “Any golfer of any age or stage will benefit from this book.”
He correctly mentions that your lower back can get sore from practicing chipping and putting. Here he shows you how to stretch your middle back as well as how to elongate your spine and rotate your torso. An interesting video on his website is directed toward recreational golfers with moderate swing speeds.
Get Relief
If the above suggestions aren’t helpful—or you still ache—take ibuprofen or acetaminophen. The former (which goes by the trade name Advil or Motrin) relieves inflammation in addition to pain and fever. The latter (Tylenol is a trade name for acetaminophen) only relieves pain and fever. There are other names for these OTC pills, but these are the main ones. Other members of this drug class include aspirin and naproxen (Aleve). I’m not a doctor so be sure to talk to your primary care physician.
Final Word
Don’t sit around and feel sorry for yourself. Get moving. Try to work out three days a week. If you can’t bring yourself to go into the gym to exercise, do yourself a favor and drive by it a few times. Pretty soon you’ll enter the building. Take it slowly if you haven’t been there in a while. DON’T OVERDO IT!
There are also isometric exercises such as the Charles Atlas method. Yes, it’s true that after you get to a certain age, it’s very difficult to put on muscle. However, you can still take fat off—and get your cardiovascular system in condition to handle things more calmly. If your heart beats normally under pressure, you can execute in the clutch and not get unnerved as easily. Being in good physical shape helps you to breathe efficiently, which is the key to performing when it really counts.
If you didn’t enjoy golf, you wouldn’t have read thus far into this article. So, do yourself a favor and get in shape. I just discovered that the average male weight for men over 20 years old in the U.S, is nearly 200 pounds. Trust me, it won’t be long until we break 200. If we think of it the way we think of golf scores, less (fewer) is better.
About
Frank Felsburg plays golf in the Carolinas and utilizes the Fitness Center at the golf community where he lives.
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