Tiger Woods

[FanIn80]

Golf is the ultimate representation of man's greatest battle...

Man vs Himself.

[JohnnyFlame]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Do you golf much? Have you ever played 18 holes 4 days in a row? Carrying your own equipment or with a golf cart? If you have you would know that your body doens't feel like it just went for a "leisurely walk" but feels like every muscle and joint was under stress for 4 hours stiraght.

His condition is the reason he gets better as tournaments go on...I could gaurantee your rounds would get worse and wild as the days went on in the hot sun.

Maybe golf isn't as demanding as being a hockey player or football player but it is still very demanding on the body.

Not really a valid comparison though is it? Of course I get tired after even 18 but I'm old, fat and lazy. But hey even with me as the golf season goes on I get better and better both with my game and my endurance.

If I was doing it every week and had all the advantages of my own personal trainer etc. I'm thinking it would affect me a whole lot less. That and I would plan out my sked like Tiger does with plenty of rest. There would be as in any time you use your muscles the chance of aches or injury but qualifying it as an athletic activity to me is on the edge.

That it helps to be in good solid physical condition though is obvious. I always play better when I'm in good shape(what qualifies as good shape for me which ain't much). I also feel better mentally when in better shape.

Tiger has that mental edge no doubt over guys that are pumping back the beers, carrying lots of extra pounds, born with silver spoons in their mouths to begin with and take the whole thing as a bit of a lark in the park.

But is he a great athletic wonder -- I don't think so.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Do you golf much? Have you ever played 18 holes 4 days in a row? Carrying your own equipment or with a golf cart? If you have you would know that your body doens't feel like it just went for a "leisurely walk" but feels like every muscle and joint was under stress for 4 hours stiraght.

Maybe golf isn't as demanding as being a hockey player or football player but it is still very demanding on the body.

Give me a break - are we talking about WALKING? I walk a lot farther in a day of flyfishing than a golfer does. I don't consider that an athletic challenge.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

A golf swing is an athletic skill. Couldn't a sport be defined as a contest of athletic skills?

Is throwing a dart an athletic skill? Not much different than swinging a golf club. Golf involves about 72 strokes in a day (only 18 drives, mostly putts)- about 72 seconds of action.

I think the ESPN study was right - golf is towards the lower end of the athletic spectrum.

Don't get me wrong - I am a big Tiger fan, and I marvel at what he is doing. I just don't think he is an athlete to the extent that Michael Jordan is.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by troutman

Is throwing a dart an atheltic skill? Not much different than swinging a golf club. Golf involves about 72 strokes in a day (only 18 drives, mostly putts)- about 72 seconds of action.

I would say there is a huge difference between throwing a dart and swinging a golf club. I play darts once a month at the Legion and never had a problem learning how to properly throw a dart. On the other hand, the golf swing is a much harder skill to learn. I've been golfing for close to 15 years now and still struggle to break 90. There are countless other golfers like me who struggle with the golf swing.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Dion

I would say there is a huge difference between throwing a dart and swinging a golf club. I play darts once a month at the Legion and never had a problem learning how to properly throw a dart. On the other hand, the golf swing is a much harder skill to learn. I've been golfing for close to 15 years now and still struggle to break 90. There are countless other golfers like me who struggle with the golf swing.

True, but how is that different than billiards?

Billiards is also a game that requires excellent muscle control in order to be good, but I don't think anyone will call those people athletes.

[habernac]

just from the gym work he does, Woods is every bit of the athlete Michael Jordan et al are.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by habernac

just from the gym work he does, Woods is every bit of the athlete Michael Jordan et al are.

I don't think Tiger's athleticism is being questioned. Golf seems to me to be a game of muscle control and mental toughness.

We've all seem big, athletic guys get out-driven by smaller guys. And especially in golf, it isn't just who can hit it the farthest, but who has the best control over their shot.

How is that different than billiards? Is snooker a sport?


I'm more than willing to be convinced.

[FanIn80]

Personally, I love golf. I love playing it, and I love watching it.

I have a hard time seriously calling it a sport though. I think of it more like a competitive pastime, if that makes any sense.

Having said that, I do think Tiger Woods is more of an athlete than 99.9% of professional baseball players.


(The "99.9%" is a purposeful exaggeration, not a scientifically proven calculation... for all you literal readers out there )

[gonzo29]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

And xactly how does his being in tremendous shape help his golf game? The only aspect in which it might make the slightest distance is driving distance. But, accuracy is much more important in golf. Accuracy isn't affected by how much muscles you have.

As a professional golfer, I need to ask you RIGHT NOW to please stop posting on this subject, as you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. The most important thing a golfer can have in a physical sense to help control the ball is an incredibly strong core.

As for Tiger, ya, the guy is insanely good. Anybody here played the Glencoe Forest course? Pretty tough track, eh? Woods would average in the 50's, easily. This may sound pompous, but even most golfers have no clue how good he really is. His skill is sickening.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by troutman

Why does motivation make you an athlete? You could be motivated to be the best doctor, father, butcher, or chef.

Because medicine, child-rearing, meat-cutting, and culinary arts are most definately not a sport or game. Someone with the degree of motivation Tiger Woods has in any of these given fields would mean they rise to the top of their profession, just like Tiger has in Golf.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by gonzo29

As a professional golfer, I need to ask you RIGHT NOW to please stop posting on this subject, as you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. The most important thing a golfer can have in a physical sense to help control the ball is an incredibly strong core.

Welcome to the thread - finally an expert.

Do Phil and Vijay have "incredibly strong cores"? I bet they couldn't do 10 sit-ups. John Daly?

Angel smoked a carton during his major victory last year.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Because medicine, child-rearing, meat-cutting, and culinary arts are most definately not a sport or game. Someone with the degree of motivation Tiger Woods has in any of these given fields would mean they rise to the top of their profession, just like Tiger has in Golf.

You really haven't answered my question.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

I don't think Tiger's athleticism is being questioned. Golf seems to me to be a game of muscle control and mental toughness.

We've all seem big, athletic guys get out-driven by smaller guys. And especially in golf, it isn't just who can hit it the farthest, but who has the best control over their shot.

How is that different than billiards? Is snooker a sport?


I'm more than willing to be convinced.

It's more about skill and talent. A lot of people play golf, baseball, hockey etc. Not everyone has the skill and talent to play at a professional level. If it was just about muscle control and mental toughness i'd be on the PGA tour at this moment. I'm not there because i don't have the skill or the talent, and it's not from a lack of trying or lessons for that matter.

[gonzo29]

Originally Posted by troutman

Welcome to the thread - finally an expert.

Do Phil and Vijay have "incredibly strong cores"? I bet they couldn't do 10 sit-ups. John Daly?

Angel smoked a carton during his major victory last year.

Look, I'm not going to act like golf is the equivalent of an Olympic decathlon or anything, but the fact is two of those guys have very strong cores, and Vijay is known to be second only to Tiger in his fitness training, so he would have "an incredibly strong core". How do I know this? Quite simply they wouldn't be playing the PGA Tour if they didn't.

Daly may be a fat slob, but he is a strong fat slob. He's a very rare case though of someone with that body type who has crafted a golf swing that works very well.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by troutman

You really haven't answered my question.

Sorry, let me have one more try.

Tiger's level of motivation makes him an athlete because his motivation is directed at an athletic pursuit, and so I consider him an athlete based on his motivation wether golf is technically a sport or not. It is most certainly an "athletic pursuit".

The other occupations listed are not by definition athletic pursuits.

The point I was trying to make though is that a motivation level like his in ANY pursuit will bring world class success. Not limited to athletic pursuits.

Better?

[iggypop]

Originally Posted by troutman

Give me a break - are we talking about WALKING? I walk a lot farther in a day of flyfishing than a golfer does. I don't consider that an athletic challenge.

Haha, no you don't. You mean to say you walk a lot further than 15 km everytime you fly fish. Nice try.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by iggypop

Haha, no you don't. You mean to say you walk a lot further than 15 km everytime you fly fish. Nice try.

Yes. Some days. The further you go from the road, the better the fishing is. Some hikes up to a lake are steep climbs up a mountain.

You don't walk 15 km in 18 holes do you? Let' see, what is an average hole, 400 yards? That's about 7 km. Nice try.

[iggypop]

Originally Posted by troutman

Yes. Some days. The further you go from the road, the better the fishing is. Some hikes up to a lake are steep climbs up a mountain.

You don't walk 15 km in 18 holes do you? Let' see, what is an average hole, 400 yards? That's about 7 km. Nice try.

You really think you walk dead straight from tee to green on every hole? Not even close. In the woods, around the green, towards other peoples ball, between holes, yes it would be around 15 km I'd say.


This is all really a mute point though. I agree, how far you walk, clearly does not determine whether your an athlete.

I really don't understand how golfer's are less of athletes than your average outfielder. Let's assume you get 2 doubles per game, your still only running 360 feet. Otherwise your mostly standing around in the outfield, or sitting on the bench.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by troutman

Give me a break - are we talking about WALKING? I walk a lot farther in a day of flyfishing than a golfer does. I don't consider that an athletic challenge.

LOL, remember these course are over 7200 yards. That is assuming he walked in a straight line of course....