Is pro golf hard on the body physically?

[Shilgy]

Some of these threads are just getting silly….am I the only one that thinks so? We even have a new “can a 4 handicap” thread started.

You cannot compare the hard work of a doctor…or a pipe fitter….or a professional golfer.   They present such completely different demands on the body and mind as to be incomparable.

 

Some doctors it’s literally life and death….other professions are physically taxing…..some are physically and mentally taxing.  
  
That said how can you compare baseball and golf?  The ball player gets a 4 year guaranteed contract, is terrible for 3 years and then has a great season in his 4th contract year.  Reward is a new longer more lucrative guaranteed contract. Golfer is terrible for three years and is off tour….or on the way to Saudi tour.

 

This is a better version of silly😏

 

 
 

Edited June 29, 2022 by Shilgy

[KNOWMOREDOUBLES]

3 hours ago, vbb said:

This is not a LIV topic, but may be somewhat inspired by a constant refrain I've been hearing from pros deciding to join the LIV tour. Consider me naive, but I never viewed golf as a particularly demanding sport from a physical standpoint. As someone who plays recreationally, I've suffered my share of pulled muscles and tendinitis like everyone else, but nothing I've considered serious, thankfully. But I've never come close to the pro level, and maybe don't fully grasp how much of a toll that takes on the body with the practice and sheer amount of repetition it takes to be at the top. 

 

This is not unique to golf. Baseball sees pitchers get pulled because of pitch counts that didn't exist 20 years ago. Basketball players routinely sit out for "load management" when guys like Michael Jordan would never have considered such a thing. Have we also entered the world where a regular pro golf season is too much, so pros are looking for ways to preserve their bodies...or is this just some new justification being trotted out to get paid more for doing less?

A little off topic but your Jordan reference reminds of a Larry Bird story.  Bird was sitting on the bench next to McHale and McHale say to Bird, "man I could use a few days off".  Bird turns to him and says, "What?! I wish we had a game every f$%&*ing night"!

[J_Tizzle]

3 hours ago, vbb said:

This is not a LIV topic, but may be somewhat inspired by a constant refrain I've been hearing from pros deciding to join the LIV tour. Consider me naive, but I never viewed golf as a particularly demanding sport from a physical standpoint. As someone who plays recreationally, I've suffered my share of pulled muscles and tendinitis like everyone else, but nothing I've considered serious, thankfully. But I've never come close to the pro level, and maybe don't fully grasp how much of a toll that takes on the body with the practice and sheer amount of repetition it takes to be at the top. 

 

This is not unique to golf. Baseball sees pitchers get pulled because of pitch counts that didn't exist 20 years ago. Basketball players routinely sit out for "load management" when guys like Michael Jordan would never have considered such a thing. Have we also entered the world where a regular pro golf season is too much, so pros are looking for ways to preserve their bodies...or is this just some new justification being trotted out to get paid more for doing less?

 

While not a pro at all, I played in my 3 day member guest in a cart in 95* midwest heat (index of 107*) and I felt like I was going to die for about a week afterwards.  And it most likely had NOTHING to do with the number of beers consumed.  

[physasst]

1 hour ago, DFS PFD said:

I am fortunate enough to be a young player who can reach 330 occasionally, tried my hand at D1 golf as a walk on, but didn't have the game. Golf was by far the least physically demanding sport I've ever played, and with someone carrying my bag for me I could hardly qualify it as work. I guess we all have different perspectives based on our life experiences. Lots of older professional golfer (ala Champions Tour), not a lot of 40+ MLB, NBA, NFL players. The average blue collar guy volunteering at the PGA events has a more physically demanding job than the guys who are playing. 

Yep, I see a lot of current or former professional athletes in my practice in non operative spine care. Many of these guys, especially the football guys, are trainwrecks in their 40's. Beig a PGA tour pro is no doubt demanding, but it doesn't compare to some other sports. I remember asking an NFL running back years ago about how his week went.

 

His response: "Well, imagine you are in a car crash at roughly 35 mph. Now imagine that happening to you 25-35 times over 3 hours. NFL teams don't even have practice on Monday, you can barely get out of bed. IF you are able to get around, you come in to see the trainers, have an ice bath, rub down..whatever. Tuesday isn't even a practice day because you are still recovering. Tuesday is film review, group meetings, position coaching, and more work with the trainers. Wednesday is a light practice day, sometimes no pads, sometimes light work, again...work with the trainers..Thursday, only full practice day of the week. You are usually starting to feel somewhat normal, but still hurting somewhere. Friday, light practice, game plan day for Sunday, work with coaching...everyone on board for Sunday..Saturday..travel day, light practice with final review...Sunday...game day. Rinse and repeat."

 

I don't think a PGA tour pro is going through anything like that. 

 

When I was younger I never thought of golf as a physically grueling sport. I boxed competitively and did Judo as well. THAT was physically grueling. 

 

As far as the other comment about doctors being lazy.....whatever man. 

 

M

 

[dfeldss]

1 hour ago, DFS PFD said:

I am fortunate enough to be a young player who can reach 330 occasionally, tried my hand at D1 golf as a walk on, but didn't have the game. Golf was by far the least physically demanding sport I've ever played, and with someone carrying my bag for me I could hardly qualify it as work. I guess we all have different perspectives based on our life experiences. Lots of older professional golfer (ala Champions Tour), not a lot of 40+ MLB, NBA, NFL players. The average blue collar guy volunteering at the PGA events has a more physically demanding job than the guys who are playing. 

 

lol Nobody is in here trying to say its more demanding than football, basketball or baseball dude. Although i could see an argument for baseball

 

 

[TiScape]

3 hours ago, BlackDiamondPar5 said:

Probably feeling a lot better than doing this 40+ hours/week...

Here are a couple more below. Doing a physically demanding blue collar job like roofing, hanging drywall, interior/exterior panting, will make one feel like they are 65 at 35.

From a physically demanding standpoint in pro sports. Football, basketball, hockey, soccer and tennis off the top of my head are all far more demanding than golf IMO. Bowling is probably close to golf. But golf definitely has its fair share of sore backs and wrist elbow issues. But compared to those other sports I named… A walk on the beach. 

Edited June 29, 2022 by TiScape

[amace04]

27 minutes ago, dfeldss said:

 

Although i could see an argument for baseball

 

 

 

No argument to be made.

 

When's the last time you've seen a golfer snap their humerus by simply swinging a club?  Baseball is incredibly taxing on your body.   Then add in the sprinting, you've got the best of both worlds - athletic injuries from sprinting/cutting/etc, trauma injuries (hit by pitch, extreme stress on bones/joints/etc) and repetitive stress injuries (swinging/pitching, Tommy John, Obliques, etc. are super common)

 

Golf is nowhere near as taxing on the body as baseball.

 

 

[ShortGolfer]

One data point is Tiger Woods.  After his car crash the hardest thing for him to do isn't driving for distance or putting, but walking the 18 holes.  He has a caddy to carry the bag.

 

As a stroke survivor who had to learn to walk again,  I do consider an accomplishment to walk nine holes and play with just a single golf ball, holing out on every hole.

The score doesn't always matter.  I was very fortunate to have insurance that paid for a whole month in a excellent rehab ward with a top notch staff of nurses and therapists.

[TiScape]

31 minutes ago, amace04 said:

 

No argument to be made.

 

When's the last time you've seen a golfer snap their humerus by simply swinging a club?  Baseball is incredibly taxing on your body.   Then add in the sprinting, you've got the best of both worlds - athletic injuries from sprinting/cutting/etc, trauma injuries (hit by pitch, extreme stress on bones/joints/etc) and repetitive stress injuries (swinging/pitching, Tommy John, Obliques, etc. are super common)

 

Golf is nowhere near as taxing on the body as baseball.

 

 

With baseball it depends on the position. Catcher is definitely more demanding than golf. 1st base… Not so much. Starting pitchers only play once every 5 games and will typically not throw more than 100 pitches. Relievers, typically go days w/o playing and will typically throw ~35-45 pitches when they do play. Lots of rest between game play. Average player on offense gets up 3-4x per game and makes ~6 swings per AB? Most probably practice hitting as much as tour pros hit balls… 🤔 It’s definitely a lot closer than the other sports I mentioned above IMO.

Edited June 29, 2022 by TiScape

[aenemated]

39 minutes ago, TiScape said:

Here are a couple more below. Doing a physically demanding blue collar job like roofing, hanging drywall, interior/exterior panting, will make one feel like they are 65 at 35.

From a physically demanding standpoint in pro sports. Football, basketball, hockey, soccer and tennis off the top of my head are all far more demanding than golf IMO. Bowling is probably close to golf. But golf definitely has its fair share of sore backs and wrist elbow issues. But compared to those other sports I named… A walk on the beach. 

 

My dad was a real estate developer in his last 10 years. The first Monday of summer after 7th grade; he woke me up at 6AM and was like "Get up boy, you're going to work."

 

Every summer through Jr high and high school, I worked on his construction crew. Started off doing menial labor and worked up to finally doing full framing and finishing work. 

 

I dunno what was worse in NC summer heat and humidity; roofing or hanging drywall. 

[nikeblades00]

4 hours ago, Creedo77 said:

You take a week to week on tour with the amount of travel, sleeping in a different bed every week, and then everything that goes into the practice/play and it’s grueling.

 

You then can take that amount of play and multiply it by 6/7/8 weeks in a row and if you don’t do the right things to recover then you can most certainly see and feel your body breaking down. You can then be in a spot where you can’t afford to take any weeks off because either you’re not playing great or are playing well and don’t want to stop. If you’re carrying an injury in either of those cases you’re most likely going to try and play through it 

I've always wondered about the caddies lugging those heavy bags all week. That has to be grueling. Im in pretty good shape and walk alot with my ultralight bag and I stay stiff. How common is low back tightness and hip and knee pain for caddies? I'm assuming alot of stretching and massages.

Edited June 29, 2022 by nikeblades00

[vbb]

I didn't mean that pro golf isn't physically taxing at all...of course it is. I just did not think it had gotten to the point where top competitors were routinely breaking down physically to the point they could no longer perform. An argument could be made that extending the pro football season to 18 games plus all the camps and practices is just too much for the human body to endure, so it should be modified. I was wondering if we're facing something similar with pro golf, because many of the LIV players (like Koepka this week) are claiming the fact that they need more rest from a grueling season as a reason for leaving the PGA Tour. Before I just reflexively call "BS" on that, I figured I'd at least ask, as people on this forum certainly know more about the demands of modern pro golf than I do. 

 

It just seems to me that pro golf is about the least physically taxing sport that one could make millions doing...except maybe competitive video gaming or something like that.

[TiScape]

Just now, aenemated said:

 

My dad was a real estate developer in his last 10 years. The first Monday of summer after 7th grade; he woke me up at 6AM and was like "Get up boy, you're going to work."

 

Every summer through Jr high and high school, I worked on his construction crew. Started off doing menial labor and worked up to finally doing full framing and finishing work. 

 

I dunno what was worse in NC summer heat and humidity; roofing or hanging drywall. 

Oh yeah. I’m sure you figured out fast what either of those two things would do to your body at 40 hours a week for many years… No thanks! 

[amace04]

1 minute ago, TiScape said:

With baseball it depends on the position. Catcher is definitely more demanding than golf. 1st base… Not so much. Starting pitchers only play once every 5 games and will typically not throw more than 100 pitches. Relievers, typically go days w/o playing and will typically throw ~35-45 pitches when they do play. Lots of rest between game play. Average player on offense gets up 3-4x per game and makes ~6 swings per AB? Most probably practice hitting as much as tour pros hit balls… 🤔 

 

Catching is very demanding, absolutely.

 

1st base: You get the same demands from swinging a bat that you do a golf club.  The bat is 34oz and your Driver is 10.  The golf ball also doesn't come at you at 90+mph.  Then you run the bases.  Sprinting, sliding... all demanding on your body.  

Pitching is incredibly hard on your body.  The human body is simply not designed to throw a ball 100mph.  College kids are getting Tommy John surgery early to reinforce important ligaments.  It's not "rest" between games, it's recovery.  

Many relievers play daily or every couple days.  A good reliever plays a lot.  90 relievers last year appeared in 60+ games.   3 relievers pitched 180+ innings.  20 starting pitchers pitched 180+ innings.  Let's not pretend that relievers don't play much.

 

 

There's way more technique and nuance to a golf swing, you need to worry about the face, while the bat is round.  Let's also not pretend that most golf swings are hard.  Let's say a tour average round is 70 for argument sake.  How many of those are hard violent swings?  Not many.   28 putts, another 10ish chip/pitches, 14 drives/long tee shots, and the rest iron/approaches.

[TiScape]

Just now, amace04 said:

 

Catching is very demanding, absolutely.

 

1st base: You get the same demands from swinging a bat that you do a golf club.  The bat is 34oz and your Driver is 10.  The golf ball also doesn't come at you at 90+mph.  Then you run the bases.  Sprinting, sliding... all demanding on your body.  

Pitching is incredibly hard on your body.  The human body is simply not designed to throw a ball 100mph.  College kids are getting Tommy John surgery early to reinforce important ligaments.  It's not "rest" between games, it's recovery.  

Many relievers play daily or every couple days.  A good reliever plays a lot.  90 relievers last year appeared in 60+ games.   3 relievers pitched 180+ innings.  20 starting pitchers pitched 180+ innings.  Let's not pretend that relievers don't play much.

 

 

There's way more technique and nuance to a golf swing, you need to worry about the face, while the bat is round.  Let's also not pretend that most golf swings are hard.  Let's say a tour average round is 70 for argument sake.  How many of those are hard violent swings?  Not many.   28 putts, another 10ish chip/pitches, 14 drives/long tee shots, and the rest iron/approaches.

Fair points. And you can definitely debate it. I’ll just simply say, baseball and golf are much closer than golf and football, hockey, soccer, basketball etc. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[vbb]

1 hour ago, Shilgy said:

Some of these threads are just getting silly….am I the only one that thinks so? 

Well I certainly didn't think it was a silly question to ask. I can't help what the responses are, but my question was valid to me, anyway. As someone that has played a lot of golf, but nowhere near the level of pro golf, I was wondering if there was some major physical risk that exists now that didn't a decade ago based on maybe new swing mechanics, a longer schedule or something else. Again, an argument can be made that other sports have evolved past the point that the human body can keep up for long and we've found the limits of our physical abilities...but golf? I didn't think we were there, or even close to there.

[amace04]

Just now, TiScape said:

Fair points. And you can definitely debate it. I’ll just simply say, baseball and golf are much closer than golf and football, hockey, soccer, basketball etc. 🤷🏼‍♂️

No doubt about that, but I don't think they're particularly close. 

[amace04]

Just now, vbb said:

I was wondering if there was some major physical risk that exists now that didn't a decade ago based on maybe new swing mechanics, a longer schedule or something else. Again, an argument can be made that other sports have evolved past the point that the human body can keep up for long and we've found the limits of our physical abilities...but golf? I didn't think we were there, or even close to there.

 

For some golfers, absolutely.

 

Tiger's body broke down after being one of the longest on tour.  Now Bryson is battling injuries.  There's still a tremendous amount of stress placed on your body as a result of these violent swings, but they're necessary to compete.

[TiScape]

Just now, amace04 said:

No doubt about that, but I don't think they're particularly close. 

I still say it depends a lot on the position. And the baseball swing is less demanding on ones body than the golf swing IMO regardless of the weight of the “weapons”. 

[Yuck]

As a youngster I was a swimmer.  That was far more phycally taxing for me than football (minus the hits) and certainly golf.  I am sure gymnastics is also very taxing and injury ridden.  Any sport where it is hard to be world class beyond age 25 is physically tough.  The tough part about golf is you are the loser more than 95% of the time.  Baseball, Football, Hockey etc, you can expect to be a “winner” at least 20% of the time unless you are on a horrible team.

[vbb]

1 minute ago, amace04 said:

 

For some golfers, absolutely.

 

Tiger's body broke down after being one of the longest on tour.  Now Bryson is battling injuries.  There's still a tremendous amount of stress placed on your body as a result of these violent swings, but they're necessary to compete.

Would Tiger have had the same injuries if he didn't do SEAL-type training? Would Bryson if he wasn't chasing the maximum swing speeds and distance at a rate that had never before been attempted? 

 

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I am suggesting that they may not be the best examples to illustrate the point. They were doing far beyond what the other top tier golfers were and are doing. 

[Barfolomew]

HeII ya..... Walking/Playing 6-7 rounds in one week.  Plus all the practice.  Sleeping in a strange bed.  Eating on the road.  Its friggin exhausting.

 

Throw in all the mental stress of competing... managing part of your game that sucks right now 🐄 

 

Golfers swing with 90% power and hit 1000s of balls.... I'm constantly injured.  Played a hybrid, hit ground my wrist still hurts 4 years later... I can't even walk courses anymore cause foot neuropathy and my knees kill after. 

 

I'm a huge proponent of pros having the choice to use carts.... cause I physically couldn't walk what they do so I know the struggle lol... plus I could give a crap how they got to their ball.... whenever I watch a YouTube vid or challenge thingy the cart doesn't effect the watch.....

 

...so many WRXers get their panties in a bunch about pros and carts lol 🐈

 

Wifey busting your balls cause your kid got kicked out of school for starting a food fight in the cafeteria.... road life no bueno ask Pat Perez 🐫

[TiScape]

5 hours ago, vbb said:

This is not a LIV topic, but may be somewhat inspired by a constant refrain I've been hearing from pros deciding to join the LIV tour. Consider me naive, but I never viewed golf as a particularly demanding sport from a physical standpoint. As someone who plays recreationally, I've suffered my share of pulled muscles and tendinitis like everyone else, but nothing I've considered serious, thankfully. But I've never come close to the pro level, and maybe don't fully grasp how much of a toll that takes on the body with the practice and sheer amount of repetition it takes to be at the top. 

 

This is not unique to golf. Baseball sees pitchers get pulled because of pitch counts that didn't exist 20 years ago. Basketball players routinely sit out for "load management" when guys like Michael Jordan would never have considered such a thing. Have we also entered the world where a regular pro golf season is too much, so pros are looking for ways to preserve their bodies...or is this just some new justification being trotted out to get paid more for doing less?

We can debate sport vs sport, but it’s obvious why you asked. Let’s make it really clear. These XVIII short guys are there for the money and the money only. The “good for the game”, “grow the game”, “let my body rest”…. comments are excuses. I think Bryson came the closest to just calling it what it is when he said it was simply a “business decision”. And it’s absolutely their prerogative to play where they want. Just don’t get the ‘why’ twisted. 

[amace04]

3 minutes ago, vbb said:

Would Tiger have had the same injuries if he didn't do SEAL-type training? Would Bryson if he wasn't chasing the maximum swing speeds and distance at a rate that had never before been attempted? 

 

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I am suggesting that they may not be the best examples to illustrate the point. They were doing far beyond what the other top tier golfers were and are doing. 

 

But isn't that the point?

Tiger advanced the sport.  While the average golfer was an unathletic guy in his 30s, Tiger was in the gym, getting fit, using athletics to become a great golfer.  That's pretty standard now.  There's not many unathletic golfers left.  Look at the transformation Phil made in the last 20 years.

 

Bryson is taking it a step further.  Chasing maximum distance.  Well, guess what, it works, and college kids are doing it also.  The days of being able to compete on tour by just hitting irons and putting are long gone.  You MUST have distance.  

 

You're suggesting that those doing beyond what the other top tier golfers were and are doing isn't an example of the game evolving to the point the human body struggles to keep up, and you couldn't be more wrong.

[Pepperturbo]

Yep, pro golf is too much.  But perhaps it's they can't keep up what's necessary to perform at high levels.  There are such things as youth with natural talent, and then there is developed talent; both can reach the same level, but one has to work at it, while the other doesn't work as much and is more entitled.  Then there is this kernel of truth; a lot of young people playing golf appear to be in shape, but NOT really.  Youth today, more than generations before, spend a great deal of time in fear of this or that, including falling apart physically.  But where they really fail themselves is mentally. 

 

Years back we entered the "poor entitled me" world, that includes golf.  Oh, that hurts, ouch, pain, can't do it, have to though, what else can I do to make a million dollars?  I crapped out and didn't finish college.  Damn, I don't want to practice at home; I'll practice before an event; I know I'll never be another Tiger, don't need to be though with all the various level of comp thrown at players for less than top-level performance.  I got a good excuse, depth of field.  And they call us professionals. [laughing sarcastically]

 

IMO lots of lazy people with entitled mentalities, don't want to put in the work but want money.  Those are the ones that jumped to another [dirty word] tour.  It's prevalent in many professions other than golf too.  They compare golf to other sports, yet it's NOT remotely the same.  The only similarity, the word professional.  Golf is nothing like team based sports where everyone is paid relatively the same for performance in certain positions, and if they can't perform, they are typically cut.

 

It's easy to make a really good living playing golf, and never be in the focus.  Look at the comp on KF tour.  Fact, just because a person turns professional doesn't mean they are guaranteed riches.  But thanks to sponsors and endorsement contracts, many players make a lot more money than playing golf, or more than he/she would make in the golf business or other aspects of business. 

[Chunkitgood]

No.

[TiScape]

2 hours ago, Shilgy said:

Some of these threads are just getting silly….am I the only one that thinks so? We even have a new “can a 4 handicap” thread started.

You cannot compare the hard work of a doctor…or a pipe fitter….or a professional golfer.   They present such completely different demands on the body and mind as to be incomparable.

 

Some doctors it’s literally life and death….other professions are physically taxing…..some are physically and mentally taxing.  
  
That said how can you compare baseball and golf?  The ball player gets a 4 year guaranteed contract, is terrible for 3 years and then has a great season in his 4th contract year.  Reward is a new longer more lucrative guaranteed contract. Golfer is terrible for three years and is off tour….or on the way to Saudi tour.

 

This is a better version of silly😏

 

 
 

Totally agree on no comparison between baseball and golf from a monetary standpoint. OP was just about the physicality aspect though I believe  🤷🏼‍♂️

[Shilgy]

16 minutes ago, TiScape said:

Totally agree on no comparison between baseball and golf from a monetary standpoint. OP was just about the physicality aspect though I believe  🤷🏼‍♂️

I’ll still go with golf being more difficult.  Yes, there is more to baseball than the games…no question.  Especially in the off-season.  But a golfer does not have the option of taking the 3rd round off because of a nagging injury.

If the golfer goes the equivalent of 1-8 in the first two rounds of an event he earns nothing.    In baseball he still gets paid and still players game 3&4 of a series.

In baseball there are 68 all stars each year.  More than the cut line in each golf tournament.  So only the equivalent of the all stars get paid each week.  Guys here on wrx post Rickie is awful because he’s only been a weekly all star(making the cut) 10 of 16 events this year.

 

So yeah, I’m combining  the mental and physical aspects but I believe you need to in a discussion like this.

[SollyinGA]

I played D2 tennis along with Football most of my life. I know when you are young and fit walking 18 doesn’t seem like a big deal, but wait until your body breaks down as you get older.

 

As for the guys on the Champions Tour, there is a reason they are not on the PGA tour anymore. Sure they aren’t as long as they once were, but their distances aren’t that much shorter than the average PGA tour player.

 

I remember when Casey Martin wanted to use a cart during his PGA career due to his condition. There was a huge uproar from other players talking about the advantages he would have over the field. There is obviously something to it.

 

I also don’t care how young and in shape you are, repetitive motions and continuous pounding on the joints have a way of breaking the body down over time. Sure you can walk 18 for a few weeks, but after a while your body will break.

 

As I reread my thoughts, I sound like every older person I’ve ever talked too when growing up. With age comes wisdom.

[TiScape]

Just now, Shilgy said:

I’ll still go with golf being more difficult.  Yes, there is more to baseball than the games…no question.  Especially in the off-season.  But a golfer does not have the option of taking the 3rd round off because of a nagging injury.

If the golfer goes the equivalent of 1-8 in the first two rounds of an event he earns nothing.    In baseball he still gets paid and still players game 3&4 of a series.

In baseball there are 68 all stars each year.  More than the cut line in each golf tournament.  So only the equivalent of the all stars get paid each week.  Guys here on wrx post Rickie is awful because he’s only been a weekly all star(making the cut) 10 of 16 events this year.

 

So yeah, I’m combining  the mental and physical aspects but I believe you need to in a discussion like this.

Fair on the mental/physical component. 
I made the point earlier that the golf swing is physically more demanding on the body than a baseball swing. I view the mechanics of the golf swing with the flexion, extension and side bending as less “natural” for the body than a baseball swing.