Do golfers use performance enhancing drugs?

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BunkerBoy31

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Its been something that's run through my mind for a little while now. We are seeing young guys arriving on tour, bombing the driver 340 yards off the tee.
Equipment has a lot to do with it, but im sitting here watching the European Tour and Alexander Noren looks so beedy eyed and is hitting his drives further than Bubba.
Cmon 8 iron 196 yards?? :D

Just wondered what your opinion(s)were?
 
Cmon 8 iron 196 yards?? :D

Just wondered what your opinion(s)were?
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My opinion is he should have eaten his Weetabix if he's only getting 196 out of an 8-iron :D

The timing and technique that these guys possess is in another world and like you say they will be using the very best gear, optimised for them. Strength will come into it, yes, but you don't see many players built like weightlifters...
 
Certainly Gary Player has intimated that it has happened in the past,

However i dont think that it is a major problem , You have to be thinking on your feet and trying to hit the ball through a drug induced fug is going to be tricky.

But then again, some people play better with a hangover!

There may well be some recreational drug use, but if there is, its small scale

Fragger (yeah Man)
 
I have been known to have a few pints of Stella (or golf fuel) prior to a society event. Me and a mate have scientifically arrived at 3.5 to 4 pints on a lunchtime being the optimum amount. Have had a fair degree of success too on that basis. Perhaps it's the way forward :D :D

Seriously though, I think there may be some sort of drug testing on the tour. It's certainly been talked about and if golf is to be an olympic sport then it will fall under the IOC drug rules at some point.
 
Haven't they introduce random doping tests on tour now, certainly in the States if not on the European tour. I'd have thought the chances of a top name being tested regularly would be quite high, probably more so if there were any suspicions and I'm not sure anyone would dare risk being caught
 
A club pro told me a lot of youth players in america are using steroids to gain extra distance and one kid died of a heart attack because he used too much.
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being from a body building background i can essure you that steroids dont cause heart attacks. growth hormone does. and steroids would have no benefit in a golf swing. a fast golf swing rely's on how fast your brain can fire your muscle fibres. that is amphetamine teretory!
 
When drugs are mentioned, people immediately assume some kind of steroid that makes everyone into an absolute meathead, and then point out that golfers don't really look like bodybuilders.

How about drugs that calm the nerves?
Drugs that sharpen your focus\improve concentration?
Drugs that stop you getting tired after 54 holes?
Drugs that allow you to practise more (i.e quicker recovery from the wear and tear of practise etc.)
Point being you don't just use drugs for huge muscles.

As for the detection, its a constant game of cat and mouse. The anti-doping agencies develop a test for a drug and the drug manufacturers develop a new drug that currently can't be detected.

With so much at stake (millions of £\$\€) I find it unbelievable that there aren't some guys out there willing to cheat for this. It happens in all sports and all walks of life, to think golf would somehow be specially exempt from this is pretty naive in my opinion.
 
ask gary player, he wont name them but he knows.
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Gary Player was very vocal about drugs in golf in an interview a few years back and was going on about how there are players that take drugs and that it needs to be stopped. He says he knows people who take them and some of actually told him to his face yet he won't name names for fear of being disloyal.

I have a lot of respect for Gary Player but if, as he says, he knows players that take drugs and if, as he says, he wants drugs out of golf, then he owes it to the sport to name names.

There's no point going on about it, being in a position to do something about it and then doing nothing - IMHO this is just as bad as taking them.

I think we would all be naive to think no golfer takes drugs but I personally would be surprised if it is widespread. As has been said, I'm sure there is drug testing on tour in the states and with golf being in the olympics I'm fairly sure it will become mandatory across the world.
 
A club pro told me a lot of youth players in america are using steroids to gain extra distance and one kid died of a heart attack because he used too much.
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being from a body building background i can essure you that steroids dont cause heart attacks. growth hormone does. and steroids would have no benefit in a golf swing.
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Being from a medical background, I can assure you that steroids most certainly CAN cause heart attacks and other associated effects.

I do agree, however, that the benefit of steroids in golf is minimal.
 
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