This article originally appeared in the March issue of NCGA Golf Magazine
If you’re a recreational golfer who remembers life before WiFi, you’ve probably noticed a few things over the years: the ball doesn’t fly quite as far as it used to, stiffness lingers longer after a round, and small aches can turn into nagging injuries.
The good news? You don’t need to swing harder — you need to train smarter.
Golf fitness is built on three core tenets: mobility and stability, strength and force production, and power and speed. The key isn’t just training all three — it’s knowing which one deserves your focus right now. That’s where a golf performance assessment becomes invaluable to recreational players and weekend warriors.
For golfers over 40 years old, individualized workouts based on assessment is the difference between playing longer and stronger — or fighting through avoidable setbacks.
As we age, we naturally lose joint mobility and muscle elasticity. Hips get tighter, the back stiffens, shoulders lose range of motion. At the same time, balance and core stability can decline. In golf, that combination matters.
A full, efficient swing requires rotation of the hips, torso, shoulders, and neck, good core control, and balance.
When mobility is limited, the body compensates — often by over-rotating the lower back or overusing the arms. For many golfers over 40, this is why low back pain, elbow discomfort, or shoulder irritation becomes common.
But mobility alone isn’t enough. Stability (the ability to control motion) is equally critical. You may have enough hip rotation, but can you control your pelvis through impact? Can you maintain posture throughout the swing?
During a golf performance assessment, we measure pelvic control, balance, single leg strength, your four main rotary centers (neck, shoulders, torso, and hips), even wrist and ankle mobility. This process is critical in determining where to focus your efforts in the gym.
Skipping this step and jumping straight into heavier strength or speed training can increase injury risk. Think of mobility and stability as restoring your movement quality — giving your body permission to rotate safely again.
As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass — a process called sarcopenia. By 60 or 70, that loss can significantly impact how much force you can produce.
In golf, force production is essential. Your swing starts from the ground. You push into the ground with your legs, rotate through your hips and torso, and transfer energy into the club.
If lower body strength declines, you may find your distance drops, balance suffers, fatigue increases more quickly, or your upper body dominates your swing.
Strength training doesn’t mean bodybuilding or “getting too bulky.”. It means developing real world strength in your glutes, hips, legs, core, torso, and shoulders.
When to Prioritize Strength and Force Production
During assessment, we look at: squat and hinge patterns, single leg control, postural endurance, upper body push and pull patterns, and grip strength.
If you move reasonably well but lack force production (you can rotate but don’t generate much power) strength training becomes the emphasis.
This is common among:
Rebuilding strength not only improves performance but also supports joint health and bone density — critical factors as we age.
For most golfers 40, strength training is the most impactful long-term investment.
I’m asked quite frequently and the answer is: yes, you can gain distance as you age.
Power is the ability to produce force quickly. Even small improvements in power and speed can add meaningful yardage.
But power training must be layered appropriately. It can include sprinting, jumping, throwing, slamming, overspeed training, and any of their many variations that allow you to move explosively in a safe way.
For the aging golfer, power training looks different than it does for a 20 something year old bomber. It’s more controlled, strategic, and carefully progressed.
If assessment shows you have good mobility and rotation, adequate strength, no active pain, and a desire to increase swing speed, then power and speed becomes a focal point during training.
However, for many golfers over 40, power is layered on top of strength, not rushed in an effort to chase numbers. The goal is not swinging harder with poor mechanics. It’s improving how efficiently you produce speed.
The biggest mistake recreational golfers make is copying workouts they see online or trying to train like touring professionals. If your game doesn’t pay the bills, you need to rethink how your training program is laid out to maximize your results and return on your time and efforts.
Recognize that your body has a unique history. Past injuries, training history, years of desk work or physical labor, specific goals, etc all affect how you move, train, and perform as you get older.
A comprehensive golf performance assessment allows us to answer three key questions:
For some golfers, the priority is reducing back pain so they can walk 18 comfortably. For others, it’s adding 10–15 yards off the tee. For many, it’s simply staying active and competitive in their regular foursome.
Assessment removes guesswork and ensures you focus on the right tenet first.
For golfers over 40, the objective isn’t to train like that 22 year old online — it’s to train in a way that supports longevity and performance.
The three tenets work together:
The order and emphasis depend entirely on your starting point. With the right assessment and a structured plan, it’s possible to reduce pain and injury risk, add measurable distance, and extend your golfing years.
Train with intention, focus on the right tenet at the right time, and don’t forget to check in with your swing coach. Your best golf years may still be ahead of you.
Bio: Matt Arentz is a golf fitness professional in Napa, California. He is the owner of Arentz Rx Golf and is dedicated to improving the health and physical performance of recreational golfers. Originally from the East coast, Matt is a proud member of the NCGA.