Question for Age 40+ Players

[Bamm]

I'm 41 but i'm also not on the best shape (could stand to lose a pound or seventy) =-) I can still get in 2 rounds easily on back to back days and have no problem with one big day. We played the Blockhouse a week or so ago and I played a tiki round to warm up, Sunnyside, Darkside, Sunnyside front 9 and then 3 full rounds of Tiki. Awesome day. The game changes though when I go somewhere like Golden Hills..........jerry

 

[skybird]

He is more of an exception to the rule, but my dad is 60 and plays close to a dozen rounds every week. His game is getting better all the time. Whenever i start getting tired, I think about the fact that he is 60 and keeping up with us "young uns" and it gives me a second wind.

 

[yangs1]

I'm 42 soon to be 43 in a month. I played my first round when I was 25 and played regular for a year and then off and on until the last few years. I had no idea what I was doing nor did I work to improve my game. There obviously wasn't the wealth of info there is now and of course the internet. The last 3 years I have become an addict and my game has improved by leaps and bounds. Alot of it thanks to info from folks on this site. I'm in the best shape I've been in 10+ years. I try to play 6-8 rounds a week during the Spring and Summer and then 2-3 rounds during the Fall/Winter. I never feel too much fatique unless I play all day on hilly courses and even then I find I can always pony up for another round. While I know I'll never crush a 500' drive my goal is to make it to 400' and consitently hit 350'. Seems feasible for an old man!

 

[bayouace]

2 rounds a day for two days would be about it for me. I am 65.

 

[chrishysell]

I'll turn 49 in a few months. I could play every day if I had daylight and desire. My problem isn't endurance, it's the fact that I have so many other things that take up my disc golf time.

 

[araytx]

He is more of an exception to the rule, but my dad is 60 and plays close to a dozen rounds every week. His game is getting better all the time. Whenever i start getting tired, I think about the fact that he is 60 and keeping up with us "young uns" and it gives me a second wind.

Is he retired ?

 

[araytx]

He is more of an exception to the rule, but my dad is 60 and plays close to a dozen rounds every week. His game is getting better all the time. Whenever i start getting tired, I think about the fact that he is 60 and keeping up with us "young uns" and it gives me a second wind.

Is he retired ?

I'm about to be 51 and still work about 40-45 hour weeks ...

 

[Razor]

I'll be 49 in July and I find myself giving up a little midway thru the 2nd rd. I just don't have the energy to hang with all the younger guys I play with regularly. they range in age from 24-35. Sometimes i beat them and sometime they beat me, we have a blast however it turns out.

 

[Brall]

im only 34 but i'll chime in.

i'm good for two days, 12 hours+ a day. after that i need a rest because by then i hurt all over.

 

[harr0140]

I know this isn't completely pertinent . .. but I am 36 and out of shape. and I am going on 41 days in a row today of at least 18 holes . . .and it is winter (well almost yesterday was my first snow round actually).

I am hoping to get in better shape because as I approach 40 I know it is only going to get harder. i just want to remain competitive in the masters division

 

[harr0140]

Martin,
U and I must be rare birds because we can play all day everyday. You played with this old timer "%!" or 51 whichever way you want to add it up on the 'puter.

When I'm on the road i've played as many different DGcourses as I can. I have always felt that DG is my make me feel good energy and the more I play the better I feel. I just wish I didn't work the shift I work on as I would be able to play more despite my age and abilities. As when you get my age... it's not about crushing the field in a tournament, but more just having fun playing with friends or playing new DGcourses and seeing the world on the cheap.

Sure I got my bumps and bruises and usually obtain more with more playing, so I would suggest...picking your spot in which your ready to play and pace yourself in the manner you'll be comfortable with. and deal with your aches and pains later that night if possible.

Where RU these days?

I'm there with you as is mashnut (although he is still in his 20's) I am sure . . .if I could get away every weekend i would to play another couple dozen courses. Seeing new holes gives me energy and I can go all day. Its the end of the day where I break down a bit, but a hot hot shower and some rest and maybe a rum and coke and I am back up and at it the next day. I am so looking forward to my trip back to Florida this winter. Lots of killer courses to be played on the way down and the way back.

 

[chrishysell]

I'll be 49 in July and I find myself giving up a little midway thru the 2nd rd. I just don't have the energy to hang with all the younger guys I play with regularly. they range in age from 24-35. Sometimes i beat them and sometime they beat me, we have a blast however it turns out.

you have to let them young guys know who is the boss

 

[Dthunderchicken]

How many days in a row can you play 2 rounds each day before become so fatigued that your skills deteriorate significantly?

It ain't the years, it's the miles.

Without reading the other posts, for me it's pain not fatigue. After eighteen holes on a long course my body starts protesting. (One reason I don't play tournaments.) Over the years I've broken my right shoulder and elbow. I also herniated a disc in my back and have some bulging.

 

[Jay Dub]

If they're tournament rounds then 3 days. That's 2 rounds of practice on Friday and 2 each Sat and Sun. That's not just physical fatigue but also mental.

If I went on a week long disc golf vacation I could play 2 rounds a day all week as long as they were not long, very hilly courses and my score wasn't that important.

 

[The dude on the bike]

36 holes a day? Even with my shoulder messed up I have no issue with fatigue but I'm only 47. My collarbone is separated from where it should be and has been since I was 25 and it has come back to plague me recently but I still play. I never have fatigue issues but I have always been in shape and more cool than anyone else in the world.

 

[Rob Martin]

To answer the question:

I'm 41, 42 in 3 months. For me it depends on how long the drives are. If I'm playing long open holes, I start tapering about hole #30. If it is mildly hilly and wooded (where you don't want to drive as hard), I can easily do 36 and then another 18+ the next day. It's the next day or 2 after playing that my legs are messed up. For me, it doesn't seem to be quantity as much as it is the pain when the days after. I can be sore the next day after only 18 if it is Blue Valley (10,000+ ft course).

I'm posting because of what I'm experiencing lately, is ITBS - Iliotibial band syndrome. The main symptom was knee pain, but there is significant pain to the outside of my thigh towards my knee. I recently purchased a Pro Tec IT Band. I've only used it for 1 day of 36 holes so far, but it helped quite a bit.

Long drives requires a stronger cross step, pulling it more with your body and legs ,which is where the ITBS started.

I also do have plantar fasciitis but that is more aggrevated with standing on concrete. Playing DG doesn't seem to be too bad.

Stretching is very important. Not just before you play, but every day if you can. I stretch whether I'm playing or not, but especially when my legs are sore.

 

[simpletwist]

I'm 58 and I must admit I do start to get fatigued during a 2nd round. But a lot depends on weather, the course, and how much I might party before, during or after each round. I've played multiple rounds 2 or more days in a row. And with a good night's sleep I'm pretty much back to square one. That said it also depends on how smart I play. Pacing myself for the long haul helps a lot.

 

[Mr Mirth]

Last time I had such an outing was Oct. '10 when we took a four day tour of Flyboy and the IDGC, which needless to say are some very long courses. I wasn't yet 40 but I recall feeling the effects afterwards, not during, or to the detriment of my game. Maybe it was adrenaline.
Then again, my game can be erratic, and for no apparent reason, so I can't blame it on fatigue.

 

[Goon13]

I don't think it's being over 40 is what is limiting the amount of disc golfing you can do. It's how well you take care of your body. I am 46 and have played more than 36 holes per day for 10+ days straight without issues (combination of a vacation and a boondoggle for work). But I firmly believe in a daily routine that incorporates strength training and flexibility. I have found that Yoga and Pilates has helped eliviate most of my issues with soreness or tightness that can be attributed to disc golf. Look at some of the great elder athletes and their lifestyle that allowed them to compete with the younger bucks well into their late 40's and even 50's.

 

[thrembo]

I guess I've been more fortunate than others. I'm 48, have never boken any bones, other than my nose, and have had no major medical problems. Alot of endurance has to do with the length/dificulty of the course, and the weather conditions. I could on average probably go for about 2 days of two rounds, before serious notable fatigue sets in. I have noticed on the days that I do throw two rounds, on the same course, that the best parts of the two rounds (score wise) are the back nine on the 1st round and the front nine on the 2nd round. I therefore need about nine holes for a good pre tournament warm up!