The continued demonization of golfers and weight training

mr.hicksta

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I saw the latest comment from Chamblee about how many majors Tiger would've won had he not started weight training (https://www.golfchannel.com/article...mblee-lifting-weights-cost-tiger-many-majors/) and it got my wheels turning.

Combined with the multiple threads I've seen about certain swing coaches philosophies resulting in back injuries, I'm wondering...why is weight training considered a negative when golfers are doing it? As far as I'm concerned, the more movement, the better and I fail to see how the weight training these golfers are doing is causing them problems. As a golf junkie who spends quite a bit of time in the gym, I personally find this logic flawed. I'm curious to hear the takes on why this may be. Is it because it involve Tiger? Or is it because the prototypical PGA player is 6ish feet and 160ish pounds soaking wet? Let's discuss! :D
 
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it is a game of speed, not strength

kinetic energy = 0.5 * mass * velocity[SUP]2[/SUP]
 
First I think Brandel is probably talking because he like hearing his gums flap. He’s not the only one by any means, there is a lot useless noise made on golf broadcasts, and if no one is driving their car into a fire hydrant or falling down the stairs they’ve got to fill broadcast times.


I wonder if there’s an element of pandering to the audience, lots of us grew up watching golf when the pros were.....less than athletic, and some of the golf fans are also less than athletic. So saying things about golfers not performing as well if they’re really into weight training sits well with a percentage of the viewers, as it gives them a ready made excuse for not exercising.

Some of it I’m sure is that golf is not a game that adapts to change quickly, and it’s only been 20 odd years since Tiger walked on to a course full of largeish men and stomped on their egos, so this a relatively new phenomenon, by the time scale at which golf moves.
 
Too many pundits that never stepped foot in a gym and a lot of hot takes around the interwebz based on hot takes and blurbs from the so called experts. Some really good players on tour spend plenty of time in the gym and several work with a jacked trainer who understands both the golf swing and workin out.

If it was so bad why have so many looked at some form of weight training since tiger came around and if it’s the cause of injury why hasn’t everyone stopped. If coaches were causing injury why aren’t they being sued
 
My thoughts are most of the people saying these things, Chamblee included don't have a freaking clue about weight training. They all assume everyone who weight trains is trying to be Mr Olympia. Weight/strength training is one of the best things you can do for fitness, weight loss/management and even flexibility. Weight training didn't derail Tiger's major championship goals. He did that with his bad life choices, a golf club to the windshield and the media sh*t storm that followed.
 
As TonyB said, weightlifting does not always equal bulk. It’s just ignorance about fitness. You hear it in old skool rugby guys - back in my day I didn’t weight lift, I just worked the farm.

As we push the boundaries of human performance, sure, we’re gonna bump against thresholds. Individual thresholds may vary, to paraphrase a commercial.

It’s not weightlifting. Done right, it will protect from injury.
 
To me it was a headline grabber, he picked a topic (lots of pro golfers work out), attached Tiger's name to it and referenced failure. Of course it will grab headlines.
 
First off, Chamblee is an idiot.

The only way I see weightlifting having a negative impact is if it starts limiting a person's flexibility. That could cause issues I suppose.

The training that I could see may have hurt tiger was the Seals training. If he was beating the heck out of his body that may have contributed to the wear on his knee and back. But again who really knows.
 
IMO maintaining flexibility is the key. For obvious reasons, if someone just jacks up and becomes less mobile it’d probably going to hinder their performance. But adding strength while maintaining flexibility should provide benefits on course.
 
IMO maintaining flexibility is the key. For obvious reasons, if someone just jacks up and becomes less mobile it’d probably going to hinder their performance. But adding strength while maintaining flexibility should provide benefits on course.
Proper strength training through the maximum range of motion possible definitely won't hurt flexibility.
 
First off, Chamblee is an idiot.

The only way I see weightlifting having a negative impact is if it starts limiting a person's flexibility. That could cause issues I suppose.

The training that I could see may have hurt tiger was the Seals training. If he was beating the heck out of his body that may have contributed to the wear on his knee and back. But again who really knows.

The last thing I think. There is an argument that Tiger went overboard in some ways and that didn't help him.

Saying some basic weight training is bad for golfers is absurd. Especially the ones with weak cores, lower back, and legs. Some moderate deadlifting (and other lower body lifts) does wonders for my clubhead speed and nearly eliminates lower back pain. I haven't gotten back to it since I started golfing again... but this thread is a nice reminder.

I think some of the hostility towards weight training is based on the assumption we are talking upper body stuff like bench presses and bicep curls, stuff that doesn't help as much if at all.
 
Proper strength training through the maximum range of motion possible definitely won't hurt flexibility.

You’ll get no argument from me. My sedentary weight gaining lifestyle isn’t adding any flexibility either haha.
 
Due to his schedule of tournaments worldwide, I think Tiger started weight training to improve his stamina.
In his junior days, collegiate, and early pro years Tiger's physique was thin ; his swing had a beautiful fluidity and smoothness to it, which was harmed once he started adding muscle mass to his body.
More detrimental to his swing and game, though, was the change in instructors away from Butch Harmon. I think Hank Haney and Sean Foley influence were counter productive to Tiger's game.
 
Jealousy is an ugly color to wear. I got sick of hearing it while watching Rory playing. The announcers were constantly saying he was too close to the green leaving a touchy shot in. And maybe if he skipped a day at the gym he’d be in better position. I mean, c’mon dude. They alluded to him taking too much club before the shots. If I hit an 8i over the green from PW distance, it’s not because of the gym it’s because of club selection. But that’s not the hot topic; somehow working out is the new hot topic.

I’m hoping all this the gym is bad and the players hit the ball too far because the ball/club/whatever talk dies away. I wouldn’t be destroyed if Chamblee faded away too.
 
I generally think the comment is nonsense. A more fit person is one more capable and better suited for really any physical endeavor.

Yet there's still so much left up to the individual that there's surely gray areas to be found.

Case in point, me. I've worked out for most of my adult life, but have always had lulls here and there. I've been in fantastic shape, I've been in not so good shape (like, now... a lull!).

When I've been in great shape, everything from a physical standpoint is easier. I'm stronger with great endurance, more flexible and generally feel more athletic as I'm in tune with my body. When out of shape, I'm still capable, but the aforementioned attributes seem a bit hazy.

For me, I've realized that whether training heavy or light with high-reps, I have to pay VERY close attention to the amount of work I give my hamstrings. Too much, and if they happen to tighten on me, it spells disaster for my lower back. The worse for me being two blown discs two days following a mild to moderate leg workout. No soreness, just some mild tightness in my hammies that I couldn't stretch out. Pop went the discs during the golf swing. Not the first time, either.

I know PGA players have access to the best trainers/facilities/nutritional experts out there. But that doesn't mean that they're all in tune to their individual bodies' limits. It took (repeated) injury for me to realize mine just as it takes injury for most to realize theirs.

Sadly, once some injuries take place, they can be reoccurring regardless all future precautions taken.
 
Staying fit and strong has helped me in just about every facet of life. Being in the gym 4-5 times a week has helped my game, not hurt it. I’m pretty sure of that. Then again, my physique is more about strength than bulk.
 
It's also odd to me that the only ones the 'weight lifter' tag is applied too are Tiger and Rory. I have never heard anyone mention Brooks, who is built the exact opposite of some of his peers. Regardless, Miller and Chamblee finding different ways to blame weight lifting for poor performance on the course is a tired act. If these golfers were trying to bulk up then that would be a different situation altogether, but as it stands their weight lifting supports what they're doing on the golf course. How about just acknowledging that this game is f'ing hard and leave it at that?
 
... One of the side effects of todays social world is any attention is good attention. Chamblee is either a complete Little Lord Fauntleroy idiot (my first choice) and the GC lets him be controversial or they encourage him to be a much bigger idiot that he already is. Either way here we are giving him attention on a golf forum so the idiots are winning.
 
I saw the latest comment from Chamblee about how many majors Tiger would've won had he not started weight training (https://www.golfchannel.com/article...mblee-lifting-weights-cost-tiger-many-majors/).

Combined with the multiple threads I've seen about certain swing coaches philosophies resulting in back injuries, I'm wondering...why is weight training considered a negative when golfers are doing it? As far as I'm concerned, the more movement, the better and I fail to see how the weight training these golfers are doing is causing them problems. As a golf junkie who spends quite a bit of time in the gym, I personally find this logic flawed. I'm curious to hear the takes on why this may be. Is it because it involve Tiger? Or is it because the prototypical PGA player is 6ish feet and 160ish pounds soaking wet? Let's discuss! :D

I think it's more about physical fitness than "weight training" as a whole. I know I've bounced around the idea of getting more physically fit without the big weights, but I've always been afraid of how it's going to impact my game overall.
 
... One of the side effects of todays social world is any attention is good attention. Chamblee is either a complete Little Lord Fauntleroy idiot (my first choice) and the GC lets him be controversial or they encourage him to be a much bigger idiot that he already is. Either way here we are giving him attention on a golf forum so the idiots are winning.

Ha, fair enough! He just happened to be the one who went this route again, but I am curious who started beating the drum in the first place. Hell, it probably was Chamblee, but I do think it's an interesting question.
 
it is a game of speed, not strength

kinetic energy = 0.5 * mass * velocity[SUP]2[/SUP]

But that speed comes from muscles.

And in terms of the kinetic energy equation the “m” here is the club head so it’s not relevant to the strength discussion. And if we’re talking conservation of energy stronger muscles will be able to store more potential energy.
 
I think there are times, weight training is code for PEDs when some traditional media are speaking and they are not able to use the discussion because discussions are not allowed anymore. Just emotionally charged pointed outrage. My opinion anyway.
 
I think there are times, weight training is code for PEDs when some traditional media are speaking and they are not able to use the discussion because discussions are not allowed anymore. Just emotionally charged pointed outrage. My opinion anyway.

Yeah I recall hearing whispers that Tiger used PEDs, but that seems to have died down some. I just find it interesting that weight training is automatically associated with 'bulking up' and is often categorized as a negative thing. I suppose in the case of golfers it's the low hanging fruit, but I don't get it.
 
but I've always been afraid of how it's going to impact my game overall.

I’d say give it a shot for 3-6 months and see what happens. I believe moderate weight lifting for strength and stamina has dramatically improved my power, swing, and distances.
 
I had more flexibility, endurance, and power when I was weightlifting consistently. I suppose for some, size or bulk Bower restricts range of motion but overall i think proper strength training can be really helpful for golf

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