QUESTION: Do you know of any golfing equipment that can help older golfers? My dad, who’s 76, loves to play golf, but arthritis in his hands has made gripping the club challenging, and his fragile lower back makes stooping over to tee-up or retrieve the ball a problem, too. Is there anything out there that can help?
ANSWER: A wide variety of adaptive golf equipment can help older golfers who struggle with injuries, arthritis or loss of mobility. Here are several golfing products that may help with different needs.
Gripping a golf club is a very common problem for seniors with hand arthritis or those who have hand or elbow injuries. To help alleviate this problem, specially designed golf gloves and grips can make a big difference.
Two of my favorite gloves are the Bionic Golf Gloves (BionicGloves.com), which have extra padding in the palm and finger joints to improve grip, and the Power Glove (PowerGlove.com), which has a small strap attached to the glove that loops around the club grip to secure it in your hand. These run between $20 and $30.
Another option is to get oversized grips installed on your dad’s clubs. These can make gripping the club easier and more comfortable and are also very good at absorbing shock. Oversized grips are usually either one-sixteenth-inch or one-eighth-inch larger in diameter than a standard grip, and cost around $10 per grip. You can find these grips and have them installed at your local golf store or pro shop.
