Muscle bound - is bulking-up in the gym a good idea ?

[drdel]

I notice an increasing number of the pros (Mclroy, Johnston etc) are bulking-up to add strength. However I wonder if these guys are loosing flexibility and the smallest bit of coordination which is giving them issues.

Rory Mclroy, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods and to some extent Lee Westward seem to get more issues with their short game and putting.

Bubba Watson, Speith, Schwartzel, etc seem able to get sufficient distance and control without the bulking-up gym work that seems more and more fashionable on the circuit.

Stadler, Furyk, Reed etc are not athletically 'built' and Fred Couples is able to get it out there quite easily.

Perhaps there's too much ****oids in the American diet and the army of specialist coaches need to justify their existence (fees) by coming up with new suggestion !!

 

[Doh]

Putting on to much muscle is not the way to increase distance, there has to be a balance of suppleness and strength. Fast twitching muscles and technique are what create swing speed.

 

[RichardSanderson]

I train 4-5 times a week in the gym, running 5k after each weights session (tough mudder training). I wouldn't say it has given me much more distance than I had before I started training but I'm no longer exhausted by the end of the round and feel I have to put much less effort into my game on the back nine.

It is also amazing how much more alert you are generally when you train and lead a healthy-ish lifestyle. I can't help but think it leads to more rational behaviours and thoughts, which will help your game too. Fatigue ruins golf!

Allows me to salvage my round after i thought all was lost.

 

[Foxholer]

Watson hits the ball a huge distance because he uses his big muscles correctly - and that's where the strength training comes in. But he is also extremely flexible. So getting the right balance is the key.

I know a couple of muscle-bound power-lifters who are too big to swing properly.

And I've seen an ex Scotland A 2nd Row Rugby player hit a 9 iron over 190 - with ease!

 

[TheClaw]

Bulking up is not the way to look at it. Tour players won't be training like body builders, it will be more strength and power training.

Training to be big and training to be strong are two different things.

This will not hinder flexibility- in fact neither will training like a bodybuilder, providing you stretch.