Bryson interview “the 7ft golfer”

[Dr. Block]

Just now, Frankensteins Monster said:

Saying height is guaranteed to have diminishing returns is as black and white as it gets. It's all individual. That has been my argument since the beginning. Saying limb length is guaranteed to produce a worse ball striker is as black and white as it gets.

Please show me where I used any term as definitive as "guaranteed to produce a worse ball-striker"! You've created that narrative on your own, and that's pretty handy work on your part because it's the only way you can keep telling me my opinions are entirely wrong and yours are above reproach. I've only said I think longer levers and a wider arc increases the likelihood of variance, and that would support the original statement made by the poster who brought it up in the first place, and that statement was "diminishing returns", and I THINK that is accurate.  I've also provided reasonable proof.  All I've gotten from you is that PGA Tour players are really talented and aren't all the same height.  Amazing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Frankensteins Monster]

6 minutes ago, Dr. Block said:

Please show me where I used any term as definitive as "guaranteed to produce a worse ball-striker"! You've created that narrative on your own, and that's pretty handy work on your part because it's the only way you can keep telling me my opinions are entirely wrong and yours are above reproach. I've only said I think longer levers and a wider arc increases the likelihood of variance, and that would support the original statement made by the poster who brought it up in the first place, and that statement was "diminishing returns", and I THINK that is accurate.  I've also provided reasonable proof.  All I've gotten from you is that PGA Tour players are really talented and aren't all the same height.  Amazing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can you think something is "accurate" when all data, players who are taller are better ball strikers than shorter players, shows that it's all individual? This thread is about 7ft player being a professional. There are people in here claiming it's too tall and there are "diminishing returns" the taller one gets. That is, flat out, wrong, as shown by real world data of... there are tall players that are better ball strikers than short players. PGA Tour Professionals are better ball strikers than they were when they were top amateurs in their teens and they were shorter, had shorter limbs, and thus a shorter radius with their swings.

 

I'm gonna focus on watch the Masters now, Doc.

Edited April 8, 2021 by Frankensteins Monster

[Dr. Block]

1 minute ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

How can you think something is "accurate" when all data, players who are taller are better ball strikers than shorter players, shows that it's all individual? This thread is about 7ft player being a professional. There are people in here claiming it's too tall and there are "diminishing returns" the taller one gets. That is, flat out, wrong, as shown by real world data of... there are tall players that are better ball strikers than short players. PGA Tour Professionals are better ball strikers than they were when they were top amateurs in their teens and they were shorter, had shorter limbs, and thus a shorter radius with their swings.

I'm not sure what your golf handicap is, but your strawman logic handicap is a +6.  

[Dr. Block]

13 minutes ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

How can you think something is "accurate" when all data, players who are taller are better ball strikers than shorter players, shows that it's all individual? This thread is about 7ft player being a professional. There are people in here claiming it's too tall and there are "diminishing returns" the taller one gets. That is, flat out, wrong, as shown by real world data of... there are tall players that are better ball strikers than short players. PGA Tour Professionals are better ball strikers than they were when they were top amateurs in their teens and they were shorter, had shorter limbs, and thus a shorter radius with their swings.

 

I'm gonna focus on watch the Masters now, Doc.

I am simply saying longer limbs and a bigger arc theoretically could and should  make accuracy with the golf ball more challenging for a 7ft tall golfer. And my support for that belief is the same reason that using a 48 inch driver makes accuracy with the golf ball more of a challenge - the further you are from your work, the harder timing becomes.  

 

I understand what you're saying and I agree with you. None of it is a rule, and what you are saying is talent is the ultimate decider, and you are right.  If a 7ft tall golfer comes along and accomplishes a major win, it will be for the same reason that 6'4" Ernie Els and 5'4" Ian Woosnam did, because he is supremely talented and he worked his tail off to become the golfer he is.  His body was not the deciding factor, his skill and dedication was. 

 

Enjoy the masters, and thank you for the debate.  I apologize for the comment above, that was unkind and uncalled for. Sipping from the straw is a way of life on here, otherwise we'd never have any fun.  

[Dave230]

It's a nonsense point really, first of all where are all these 7 foot people in the world? There aren't that many, and of the few that are sporting, most of them that are interested in sport will play basketball and will keep playing basketball. There is a clear advantage in basketball in how the game works, in a way that golf will never replicate. 

 

Being that tall brings with it other problems, particularly distance from the ball. If you look at the 6 foot 10 players in tennis, they often have big, menacing serves, but smaller players find a way around them. Is a 7 foot player going to be a great putter, wedge player or ball striker as well? The centre of gravity is a part of the golf swing and golf in general. Low centre of gravity can be an advantage in golf in providing you with a solid base. Look back at golf history and there are more successful small players than tall players. Being tall isn't new in golf history.

 

Even now for all the talk about Bryson's bulk, JT and Morikawa have been just as good and they're thin and small. Small golfers will always contend, don't worry. No matter what Bryson and others try to portray it as, skill and game management still matter.

[Frankensteins Monster]

1 hour ago, Dr. Block said:

I am simply saying longer limbs and a bigger arc theoretically could and should  make accuracy with the golf ball more challenging for a 7ft tall golfer. And my support for that belief is the same reason that using a 48 inch driver makes accuracy with the golf ball more of a challenge - the further you are from your work, the harder timing becomes.  

 

I understand what you're saying and I agree with you. None of it is a rule, and what you are saying is talent is the ultimate decider, and you are right.  If a 7ft tall golfer comes along and accomplishes a major win, it will be for the same reason that 6'4" Ernie Els and 5'4" Ian Woosnam did, because he is supremely talented and he worked his tail off to become the golfer he is.  His body was not the deciding factor, his skill and dedication was. 

 

Enjoy the masters, and thank you for the debate.  I apologize for the comment above, that was unkind and uncalled for. Sipping from the straw is a way of life on here, otherwise we'd never have any fun.  

No reason to apologize. It was innocent and made me laugh. 
 

Let’s go Spieth!

[CW13]

I meant more along the lines of when/if this ever happens or if pros continue to expand on distance do you think they will alter equipment or finally admit they need to hold events at longer courses? 
 

If the PGA cares about the integrity of the game they need to move to new/longer courses. Personally, if a pro scores -10 or below I believe the course has no business holding a pro tournament. (Yes I’m including Augusta, -20 should be an embarrassment to a course which likes to boast how good it is). I wish the PGA treated these venues as other sports do. When they become outdated and irrelevant to the current game they either adapt/rebuild or move somewhere else. 

[CW13]

I meant more along the lines of when/if this ever happens or if pros continue to expand on distance do you think they will alter equipment or finally admit they need to hold events at longer courses? 
 

If the PGA cares about the integrity of the game they need to move to new/longer courses. Personally, if a pro scores -10 or below I believe the course has no business holding a pro tournament. (Yes I’m including Augusta, -20 should be an embarrassment to a course which likes to boast how good it is). I wish the PGA treated these venues as other sports do. When they become outdated and irrelevant to the current game they either adapt/rebuild or move somewhere else. 

[Bad9]

3 minutes ago, CW13 said:

 I wish the PGA treated these venues as other sports do. When they become outdated and irrelevant to the current game they either adapt/rebuild or move somewhere else. 

Like when they made new Yankee Stadium dimensions smaller than old Yankee Stadium so more home runs could be hit.

[smashdn]

55 minutes ago, CW13 said:

I wish the PGA treated these venues as other sports do. When they become outdated and irrelevant to the current game they either adapt/rebuild or move somewhere else. 

 

They do move them.  Go back and look at where some tournaments have been played and where they are played now.  They also tend to move them to TPC courses because the Tour is using their own venue.

 

That has been one of the sticking points brought up in the various "roll back" threads.  Historic courses built by famous and revered architects are falling out of rotation, and thus they are not accessible in the sense that the general public is not getting exposed to those courses via television.

 

The other thing is at what length do these things have to be built to not be "outdated or irrelevant?"  

[forrester_fire]

I think most guys that are 7' will either be too awkward as a kid during his growth spurt and more likely to dedicate his time to basketball instead of golf.

 

There are advantages to being tall but disadvantages to being overly tall.  Golf isn't a new sport and there's plenty of money in it.  If we were going to see a skilled 6'6"+ golfer on tour, I'd think it would have happened by now.

Edited April 9, 2021 by forrester_fire

[MtlJeff]

20 hours ago, forrester_fire said:

I think most guys that are 7' will either be too awkward as a kid during his growth spurt and more likely to dedicate his time to basketball instead of golf.

 

There are advantages to being tall but disadvantages to being overly tall.  Golf isn't a new sport and there's plenty of money in it.  If we were going to see a skilled 6'6"+ golfer on tour, I'd think it would have happened by now.

 

LOL this is what i came here to post and you did it right before me!!!

 

Have you guys seen most kids that are like 6'6 when they are 13 years old? Most of them can barely butter toast without falling over. These kids end up playing basketball because it's the only sport where if they can just run they can be useful grabbing rebounds and blocking shots by accident. 

 

No super tall 12-13yr old kid is gonna take up golf. He'd literally never hit the ball

[RSinSG]

12 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

Most of them can barely butter toast without falling over.

That’s pretty funny. 

[rybo]

Might not be 7', but 6' 9 1/2" Jonathan Thomson plays on the European Tour. 

[FiveSixAce]

On 4/8/2021 at 1:02 AM, Mustard_Tiger said:

I think Byson likes to hear himself talk.

Name me all the golfers taller than 6'4" (193cm) who have won majors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

George Archer is all I could find. 

 

Oosterhuis got close. Winning is tough. 

 

On a side note, Victor Perez is 6'6 and was ranked 66 in driving distance on the European Tour last year. 

 

[RSinSG]

Phil Blackmar won a few PGA Tour events and he’s 6’7”. As was mentioned 6’5” George Archer is the only major winner taller than 6’4”. I watched a Rick Shiels video of him going against a 7’7” golfer. The guy generated impressive club head speed but did not look very athletic. 

[dbleag]

7'4"  320 lbs. and ready to learn the game......

[bscinstnct]

7 foot person going to be too dorky.

 

 

But, you get a guy like MPhelps, 6’4 but with a 6’7 arm span, then you could see some 400 foot drives if the guy got a serious golf move

 

 

[Shankieboink]

I don’t think there is that much advantage to be tall to swing it fast. Especially not 7 feet. Long drives are about fast twitch and technique more than anything. The speed depending on the radius to the golf ball is only about 1-2mph per inch for a driver. Say that you are super tall and have a 5 inch radius advantage that’s at max 10 mph advantage. If you were swinging like Rory McIlroy at an average of 122mph clubhead speed, you’d be swinging at 132mph like Bryson just from height difference. Problem is that you won’t move as fast as Rory if you are that tall. Ever seen a fast giant?

 

There could be some freak, but that guy is probably more around 6’5, short legs and long arms. He gains maybe 2-3 mph because of radius gain, but most because he’s an athlete. There is basicly a guy like that. Tony Finau, and look what he did to his swing? He shortened it to get more control. He’s much better now than when he was swinging it at 130mph. 

[bigred90gt]

On 4/8/2021 at 7:05 AM, Frankensteins Monster said:

No there isn't. That makes absolutely no sense.

It does though. Same way a 44” driver is easier to center than a 46” driver, or a wedge is easier to center than a 3 wood. You’re closer to the ball with the shorter club. Someone 7’ tall will always be further from the ball, therefore elite ball striking will always be more difficult. Not impossible, but certainly more difficult. 

[grm24]

On 4/16/2021 at 9:38 PM, bscinstnct said:

But, you get a guy like MPhelps, 6’4 but with a 6’7 arm span, then you could see some 400 foot drives if the guy got a serious golf move

Yes a 400 foot drive that equates to a 133 YARD drive in real life is awesome and awe inspiring 🙃🙃🙃 to people that have zero golf skill. 

[grm24]

On 4/12/2021 at 7:53 AM, rybo said:

Might not be 7', but 6' 9 1/2" Jonathan Thomson plays on the European Tour. 

He will likely be as unsuccessful on the ET as 6'8 Gordon Sherry was some time back.

 

https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/gordon-sherry-shares-pro-regrets-and-has-advice-for-todays-young-players

[MtlJeff]

On 4/16/2021 at 9:38 PM, bscinstnct said:

7 foot person going to be too dorky.

 

 

But, you get a guy like MPhelps, 6’4 but with a 6’7 arm span, then you could see some 400 foot drives if the guy got a serious golf move

 

 

 

Yeah this would seem fairly realistic. Because a guy who is 6'4 - 6'5 in some cases is gonna have a late growth spurt and actually not be a gangly uncoordinated person in their youth

 

You see this in basketball a lot. There's a Canadian in the NBA named Shai Gilgeous Alexander who is really good, he is like 6'5 but has a 7' foot wingspan. That type of person if they took up golf early in life could probably end up swinging 120+ without even trying . You'd have such a long swing

 

Overall though it's probably still going to be rare. Other sports are just better to go into for people like that...Basketball or Football. There's more readily available high school programs, more scholarships available etc...Plus they are still "cooler" sports

[Christosterone]

Peter Oosterhuis was 6’5”...maybe 6’6”....

he could’ve won a couple of opens and a masters or 2 imho

 

but he was really hindered by the tech of the day...

Though steel, shafts were a bit whippy when u got to his height in those days...

 

It’s remarkable how little he is remembered for his play which was fairly awesome thru the early and mid 70s

 

 

[bscinstnct]

20 minutes ago, MtlJeff said:

 

Yeah this would seem fairly realistic. Because a guy who is 6'4 - 6'5 in some cases is gonna have a late growth spurt and actually not be a gangly uncoordinated person in their youth

 

You see this in basketball a lot. There's a Canadian in the NBA named Shai Gilgeous Alexander who is really good, he is like 6'5 but has a 7' foot wingspan. That type of person if they took up golf early in life could probably end up swinging 120+ without even trying . You'd have such a long swing

 

Overall though it's probably still going to be rare. Other sports are just better to go into for people like that...Basketball or Football. There's more readily available high school programs, more scholarships available etc...Plus they are still "cooler" sports

 

The key, as many have said, it taking up a sport as a kid. 
 

You can have a guy who can do this

 

 

 

But he don’t play golf young, he be like

 

 

 

[oikos1]

Perhaps he's tipping his next big thing:

 

[smashdn]

16 hours ago, oikos1 said:

Perhaps he's tipping his next big thing:

 

 

I wish I could start every morning on this contraption to do some stretching on my back.

[Badshaft]

On 4/8/2021 at 12:02 AM, Mustard_Tiger said:

I think Byson likes to hear himself talk.

Name me all the golfers taller than 6'4" (193cm) who have won majors.

George Archer 6'6" - Masters

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Badshaft