Keeping your golf swing healthy

As readers can plainly observe by glancing at my ugly mug shot, a head that looks like it has worn out at least two bodies, I certainly qualify as a senior citizen like many of my readers.

That makes me like many of you who pay prper attention to stuff like diet and exercise, annual physicals and weight control. But what about the health of your golf swing?

I see many senior players in reasonably good shape on a daily basis, but their golf swing looks like it needs to be in intesive care.

Nearly 25 years ago, when my golf school was located at the Port Royal Golf Club on Hilton Head Island, Dr. Charles Bertrand and his wife Marie came to me for some instruction. Dr. Bertrand, who had a good amateur record, was concerned with his handicap growing higher each year and asked for my adivce. He was an avid student of the game and had been advised by a local pro to make his swing shorter and more compact.

After watching him hit a few balls, I asked him to show me how he used to swing when he played well. He immediately made a beautiful, long and flowing backswing with wonderful timing and struck the ball solid.

I said to him, "You mean you can do that and you don't." We both laughed and that was the end of the lesson.

Spring forward to this past week when out of the blue, I heard from Dr. Bertrand again. He is now 83 years old and recently had heart surgery to repair one of his heart valves. He wanted to regain some distance that he had lost.It was wonderful to see that hie still had that long, flowing backswing. After scolding him for trying to keep his left foot on the ground during his windup (he heard Buth Harmon advise that to Phil Mickelson), he started making a beautiful hip turn and regained much of his lost distance. It was probably the easiest lesson I have given in months.

My point is this, we don't exercise to tighten our muscles or make them ridig as we get older. We exercise our extensor muscles, stretching and loosening our muscles to make them more pliable. So why would we ever fall victim to the adivce of shortening our backswing?

If someone offers you that advice, politely decline by saying age will take care of that very naturally. Hall of famer Henry Picard told me the cardinal sin of golf is a short backswing on the first tee.

The average golfer is afraid of movement. Loosen up and turn your hips fully around while allowing your swing to dip below the parallel if you can. Practice swinging the club until you can see it out of your left eye at the top of the backswing. Practice learning to time your hit from there. You will be amazed at the difference in the flight of the ball and the increased distance and accuracy. The great Sam Snead told me that over the long haul, a swinger will beat a hitter every time.

Keep your body and swing healthy. Make your swing live longer too, long and loose. As my longtime friend Snead was quoted as saying "I like to feel oily."

Chips and Putts

•Oops! -- In last week's column, I mentioned some exciting new membership offers at Dataw Island. Michael Jordan, the promotional agent for the classy resort, called to correct my misprinting their telephone number. I explained to Jordan that while writing that particular column, I was under heavy sniper fire and apolgized for the error. To set the record straight, call silvia LaLinde, director of marketing and membership at 843-838-8261.

•Tiger a wuss? -- Don't know if you caught the response from Canadians regarding Mr. Woods' demeaning comments on the sport of hockey, but Mike Milbury, an outspoken NHL blogger, renamed Woods, Tiger Wuss and called him a meathead.

Milbury chided Woods for taking three months to get over a simple arthroscopic knee surgery when an NHL player has the same procedure and is back on the ice the same day.

Milbury closes by telling Woods to "shut your yap" or he'll "send a couple of our wingmen down there to tidy you up a bit, meathead." Don't call me, call Milbury.

•U.S. Open Preview -- Here is a heads up. Look for some surprisingly high scores at this year's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Rumors are flying that many scores will be in the 80s or maybe even the 90s, and the winning score will certainly be above par. What would be wrong with that?

Keith Marks Sr. is the Director of Instruction at South Carolina NationalClub. He can be reached by phone at 843-983-9505.