posted Aug 22, 2007

Attn Mike the pro:
How much does strength influence club face control and shot power? and how much does stamina affect it in later holes?

Regarding the mental aspect, speaking from another technical sport (Judo) a lot of judo technique works despite nerves & negative thought because you have no time to think and therefore rely on instinct, its when contestanst think too much they often foul up a technique. 'Use the force luke' was not as silly as it sounds.

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posted Aug 22, 2007

Calling golf 95% mental is a crass, cliched generalisation that demeans the technical difficulty of the sport. Surely this 'mental' aspect is true of all sports? What makes some footballers choke on a penalty and why are some tennis players capable of turning a two sets deficit around but not others?
The nature of golf, with the time for contemplation between shots and the fact that the golfer plays against himself and no specific opponent attracts this attitude that its all in your head. Yes, the mental side of the game is very important in golf, arguably moreso than in many other sports...and yes, the great players have unbelievable levels of focus and concentration. But how could anyone suggest that all the other elements of golf can be neatly bundled into the remaining 5% is beyond me. We are talking about one of the most complicated motions in sport. A golf swing can break down for all number of reasons and ANOTHER reason why Tiger has become so masterful is that he has the rare ability to "fix" his swing midway through his round. Tiger's goal is to have a complete understanding of his swing, an achievement that he himself claims only two players in history ever had: Moe Norman and Ben Hogan. Woods acknowledges that he doesn't yet 'own' his swing, but he is better than anyone else at understanding where his faults occur and making TECHNICAL corrections during tournament play.
In conclusion: Golf is not 95% mental!!

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posted Aug 22, 2007

I agree that being fit may help but it is not necessary. I have been playing golf for 16 years and I would be the first to admit that I am very unfit. I still manage to play a round sometimes two in a day while carrying my bag(which pro's don't have to do).

Also, to Noallegiance, regarding your post where you called Paulym31 an idiot.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if you can't accept that, you are the idiot!

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posted Aug 22, 2007

I think that big old John is a Legend. I am an ex Pro so i should hope my opinion is of some use.
Over the years his talent has often been the topic of discussion amongst my peers and I. We are unanimous with the feeling that he has more talent than any other golfer. Tiger is right with regards to fitness and i really believe that should John Daly have conducted himself in a slightly more Professional way off the field then his 'on course' achievements would be far greater.

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posted Aug 23, 2007

Golf is 95% mental... yes or no?

I think people are arguing about completely different things here. If you're a teaching pro and you spend your days giving lessons to beginners, then clearly you know that for most people golf is about developing a sound technique. However, this debate started off talking about tour pros, who all have superb technique, and for them the mental aspect must be huge.

It seems to me that there is a sliding scale where the better you get, the less you rely on technique and the more the mental side takes over.

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posted Aug 28, 2007

I'm not sure about this mix of mental fitness and the swing come together. I watched Woods at the USPGA and how he won it wasn't down to his swing, mental or physical fitness, but his chipping and putting. He is one worst drivers of the ball on the US tour, so you can't say that it is down to his swing that makes him the best golfer in the world. Jack Nicklaus said "drive for show putt for doe". Woods doesn't drive for show, but he can certainly putt for doe

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posted Aug 29, 2007

Aside from the entertainment value I had to have a chuckle when, following Woods (and JD's) remarks about players fitness after the USPGA that JD travelled over to Scandanavia (no doubt some appearance money involved) but after resting for a week Woods pulled out of the Barclays apparently citing 'fatigue'. As the Americans say - Go figure !!

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posted Sep 2, 2007

I think a lot can be said for the idea that in golf "You play against your self". It's really one of the only sports where you are on your own and have to perform for yourself. This leads to what I believe is a competition in your brain, in which at times your body and mind are out of sync. ie) You cannot deliver what your brain wants you to physically.

Everyone is different, and I believe practice and and experience count for a lot. Fitness is important seeing as its a sport, but in competitions when I have been in the zone, I never even feel tired, possibly because I am not thinking about the distance I am walking, rather the next shot and my situation.

If your fitness levels mean you cannot complete 18 holes without being shattered to pieces, then it is a problem. Similarly I also feel that reaction to temperature is more characteristic of your upbringing and biological make-up, not just fitness levels.

All in all I think Woods is just trying to push golf into a more athletic frame, which I have no quibbles about seeing as it is a Sport, and seeing golfers with less around there bellys is always a good thing for promoting that.

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posted Sep 4, 2007

At the highest level of golf, technique doesnt play as larger role in success as it might at a lower level, it is more to do with fitness and mental strength as many of the players ball striking and short game abilities are much the same (with some exception). This is why Tiger is right to beleive that to be a consistently successful fitness is a must. Daly unquestionably has imense talent to hit the ball miles and also have great touch around the greens but his talent isnt reflected in his results due to his lack of fitness. Recently he has been leading tournaments and then 'exploded' and lost his position completely. This is due to his lack of fitness which is causing his success to be less than his talent could reward him with

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posted Sep 4, 2007

kingRobbie

I used to be a very good golfer and at nearly 72 I still play to 3 most times round my fairly long,demanding course. The MAIN reasons I still play well are my excellent initial coaching and keeping really fit through sensible diet, small amounts of alcohol and LOTS of exercise on and off the golf course.

Please,please John Daly dont try to tell us that fitness doesn't matter. How many fat slobs do you see on the tour now??

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