Question: How Come Golf Players Are of Average Build?

[Shantanu]

I've never played golf, so please forgive my ignorance...

Most professional golf players look like they're 150-200llbs (I checked the profiles of many players at a golf website just to be sure). In addition, most golf players don't appear to be very muscular. In a game like golf, wouldn't being really pumped up - or quite possibly, fat - be to one's advantage, in that you'd be able to drive the ball further with more weight behind the club? This is the same principle that applies to cleanup hitters in baseball. So how come golf players are so skinny?

Just wondering

 

[NotoriousJTC]

Maybe having large biceps effects the ability to swing the club? I dunno, shot in the dark. But I have read that Tiger Woods has a pretty good build.

 

[Mikal]

They nervously chase little white balls around parks..... burns calories.

 

[N8Magic]

Flexibility and co-ordination are key fundamentals in golf. That is why most successful players are rather skinny.

More and more however, players on tour are working out. It used to be unheard of for players to actually work out. Hit range balls yes, but rarely work out.

Then Tiger Woods came along. He is EXTREMELY flexible and fit. People saw this as a possible reason for his dominance, and now more people are working out.

There are a few flabby players out there that DO play well. Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els come to mind. On the other side of the coin, you have extremely fit players like Tiger, David Duval and Mike Weir.

 

[LOWDRAG]

FLEXIBILITY

 

[Shantanu]

Yeah, Tiger Woods does seem to have a pretty good build. But he appears to be the exception to the rule, as a number of professional golf players are downright flabby.

Maybe his continued success will eventually transform the game of golf like the Williams sisters and other 'she-males' transformed the game of women's tennis.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Of course on the other hand you have BFA's like John Daly who hits the ball longer than anybody, including Tiger. Have you seen a slo-mo of his swing? He twists so much that he just about dips the club head in his left pants pocket.
Now, if he could just stay sober............