I too have the 61st birthday coming this summer. Distance loss is inevitable. That said, some things you can do to minimize the problem. Work more on flexibility. Do whatever you need to do to get a bigger shoulder turn, even if that means kicking in that left knee and turning the hips more. Anything to get your back to the target in the backswing. Great example is Tom Watson and Sam Sneed swings. Watch how good they turn. They even lift the left heel in the backswing. Other than that, embrace the fact that we get to enjoy this sport in later years. Move up a tee box and have fun.

Totally agree. Have been working hard on getting more shoulder turn in my backswing. Definitely can feel things getting stretched out. I do get my left heel off the ground on my way back. My swing does feel smoother.

Don't discount what modern equipment can give your game!

Jack lifted his left heel on every drive, didn’t do him any harm.

Jack lifted his left heel on every drive, didn’t do him any harm.

Father Time waits for no one. I'm 65 ( 66 later this year ) and the loss of distance is inevitable. I started the distance decline about 10 years ago. As Dale said, move up a tee and don't worry about what others think.

You should worry - I'm hitting 66 next week!!
I've lost some length but not much - advances in equipment have somewhat offset the issue.
Find my irons are OK and current trends in technique mean that you can maintain distance with a bit of sympathetic coaching. Driver, however, is something else. Increasing shaft lengths on drivers is an issue - I'm not getting any taller, and, though I'm still quite flexible, I have a replacement knee. Again, coaching pays off with developing good technique and finding fairways.
Age is just a number (allegedly)... Just enjoy the game that turns up with you.
JT

Hey ol boys, I'm turning 61 on Easter Sunday. Love the advice once again Dale V. It is what it is. So happy to be playing every chance I get at this young age. The scores matter, but not as much as having fun.
Play Well,
Steve S.

Ah "the golden years!" :-) Strength/distance goes up and down for me. But, yeah, I've slowly lost distance- not much, but then I think the current clubs and balls has helped me maintain or not regress that much. Distance and accuracy are relative (within you) as to how a ball is struck. I'm a firm believer that in my case there are those times I can produce distance with just pure power and then there are timess that I strike the ball with efficiency. No, I don't claim to be a long ball hitter It's just an observation/comparison of myself in the past and current for an answer.

Walking 36 holes was a lot of fun before, but I now ride the second if I go out again. Having said that, I just try and not overdo anything at all. It just works better for me. My body recovery takes longer nowadays. lol

Losing 60 lbs. is a lot if you ask me though it also sounds like a good thing. I have a feeling that you will regain your strength soon while you keep and maintain it. So don't sweat it- you will be back even better soon, young man!

So far.........turning 60 last fall hasn't cost me that much. Maybe a couple of few yards but I haven't started taking 1 club more.....yet. We all know it's inevitable I suppose. Compliments from buddies about them not noticing a decline in my distance, but I think it's one of those snide ones where they really wish I was. I'm not in any kind of Adonis shape believe me. But like Dale said I do try to concentrate on the turn and fundamentals. Did get the pro last Fall though, who was sitting with his wife under a tree on a long par 4, when a drive rolled up to them about 270 off the tee. She told him she thought it was me who hit it, but he said, no way he can't hit if that far anymore! We both collected on that one.

I am in my 50's. I wanted to ward off the loss that is coming. And I've seen it start. So, I started the SuperSpeed golf training program. Take a look. They have swing training for seniors too. It has helped increase my speed, thereby gaining back some distance I'd lost. It's a popular program with many pro's. In particular, Phil Mickelson has gained 5mph of swing speed, and at age 48 that's huge for a pro.

Enjoy,
Paul

Hi Rex
Me too. Turn 58 this year and started playing again after many years off.

First, it took me a while, but I had to accept what I have; we are older and there is not alot we can do to turn back the hands of time. Best thing I ever did was start working out with a trainer. He has increased my flexibility and strength. Have gained about 10% after the first year and hoping to get another 10% distance this year.

Lastly, technology: look at the new drivers that have hotter faces and balls like the AVX that seem to give you a few extra yards as well. If you prefer blades, maybe the AP1 or AP3 with hotter lofts will help as well. Look at shafts that will help as well. Either a lighter steel shaft that will be more flexible to add distance or graphite.

Hope you can still enjoy the game and best of luck!

Sam Snead could also kick the top of a door fame. Never have I been, nor will I ever be as flexible as him.

Congratulations on your weight loss Rex, please send me your secret.
Im 58 and was wondering about senior shafts, Ive a Titleist Thursday booking in a couple of weeks so ill ask the question there. On distance it scares me the distance some of our Junior Team members hit it.

Madhatter

I'm 66 with back and hip problems so distance has diminished. It started for me around 55 and has been a steady decline since. I'm fortunate to have access to equipment as a club builder so I tinker constantly with different shaft and head combos searching the Holy Grail. Your best option would be to hang out at as many demo days as you can to test equipment. If whaat you're using isn't properly fit to your ability level anymore you find some lightning in a bottle. Dale is right on with increasing fitness level with stretching and strength training. It will at least slow the inevitable. Good luck.

I just turned 66 in March and had noticed a loss of distance. I’ve done two things to try and combat it. First I started working out at the senior center where I live and second I got fitted for a new set of irons. Exercise has helped.
Good luck and have fun

I retired 14 mos ago @62, noticed after that. Guess I'm not as flexible as I was when I worked.

Boy, does this hit home... I turn 70 next month... (65 years playing golf)

Add to that, I'm just playing again for 2 months after 16 months being unable to play following carpel tunnel surgery and bone spur surgery on my right shoulder.

The first thing I did when it became obvious I could finally make a swing, was buy some senior flex clubs. (They happened to be Mizunos) Now, still doing physical therapy every day, walking, trying to lose weight and build some muscle, my recent results after 20 minutes in the booth at my favorite store suggest I'm swinging back in the realm of regular flex irons.

That's why I'm back here. The regular flex set I put together are all Titleist products. There will be 3 different deliveries this week and I'll be back at the shop bending things into the shapes I need by this coming weekend.

I guess my point is, as we age, we only have 2 avenues to maintain our games. We can take care of our bodies and we can take advantage of the most advanced equipment available.

Enjoy the weight loss and congrats. That's not an easy thing to do as I'm finding it tough to lose 10 lbs.!

Stopping a loss of distance is darn near impossible as it happens to the best of us but that doesn't mean we can't just swing the next club in the bag to hit the shot we need. It's not how it's how many...

Yes, the weight loss is a pain. I've lost weight in my face, neck, arms, legs and a lot in the butt I never had in the first place, but my gut hasn't gone anywhere. Needless to say, it's gotten harder and harder to lose weight as I've gotten older.

I'm 67 and I certainly have noticed a loss of distance. As mentioned, try to work on flexibility and it certainly is no shame moving up a tee. During the Masters, I thought I heard Jack mention this is the most he has walked in a long time. Gary Player looked like he still has a good swing and would definitely win his age group in a tournament. I'm going to keep swinging until.........

60 lbs likely took some muscle with it. If you can find a TPI instructor, that person can do an evaluation of your body's strengths and weaknesses and tailor an exercise program to gain back some strength and areas to work on for flexibility. At a certain age, yoga can be an important tool to work on balance and flexibility.
While my exercise routine is focused on flexibility for golf, it carries over to the rest of my life. The #1 health issue over 65 is the damage caused by falls, in part due to losing balance. Even if I never played another round, I now know that I need to continue most of what I do just to physically enjoy life into my 80's. At 69 I've gained/recovered mobility and resolved lower back issues than I had at 65.