Jimenez Maturing like a fine…
Miguel Angel Jimenez continues to break records on tour
Last week saw another record broken by Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez (aka the mechanic). This win must give a lot of golfers some hope that you don’t have to be 21 to be a great golfer. My main thoughts this week are on preparation and how the longevity of this game can be helped by staying fit.
Its very often that I work with people who say that they have lost distance in the last couple of years and that they struggle to play to their handicap on the championship courses here in the UAE. Besides a couple of technical areas generally, it’s the condition of their body that may have let them loose valid distance. Not focusing on weight but more on the preservation work of their flexibility and range of motion.
If you are of the over 40’s category can you honestly say that you can still make that full backswing and follow through? If yes then well done, if not then a few simple sets of stretches and mobilizations can bring that your full swing back to you with ease.
Thankfully I have a team at my side which take care of keeping our players nimble and injury free but if you don’t have that then don’t be surprised by losing some yards.
Getting back to the mechanic. He is 50 years old, played on tour since 1982 and has won 21 times with 2 of those this season. He has won more tournaments since he turned 40 than he did in the previous 10 years before that. Also, he is in the top 25 players in the world and has probably booked himself a place in the Ryder Cup. Take a leaf out of his book and look into his famous warm-up routine, his free-flowing practice swing which looks more like a baseball swing and you can see that he is all about preservation.
Set yourself a proper warm up, practice swing and deal with your niggles and pains as soon as they arrive as it could mean that you can also improve as you age. Work on your muscle base to reduce the chance of getting injured and also maybe to even access more power to your golf ball. Stretch your ambitions and take on a new challenge.
If he keeps this up who knows how long he will go on for and long may his reign as the super senior continue.
Happy golfing!
Mathew Parker