Top class sports people and Drugs

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alexgolf

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Morning all.

What do we all think about drugs in sport and Golf in paticular.

Having worked in the sports industry for almost 30 years i, like i would have thought most of you in your own workplaces, have seen and heard storys and rumours regarding people in my industry.

Shock resignations, affairs, drink and drug related problems, etc etc etc.

Blimey, we are human beings and just because someone is famous does not stop this from happening. I suppose that is what is so surprising in one way about all Woods Sexual transgressions.They didnt get out sooner....or perhaps he just had a good team covering them up!

I think Lee Westwood said it best earlier in the week when he said he wanted to ask Wood's how he had had time to become so good at golf!! Ha ha.

Now I do not have a lot of time for Gary Player but he did highlight this about drugs in golf back in 2007

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/2317259/Drugs-in-golf-a-fact-says-Gary-Player.html

Now our problem with our game is that on the whole we self police and think this problem is under control but is it?

Are we sure that societys problems do not get in?

Now at least they do test now, but have they caught anyone ever for anything. Statisticaly they should have. Does anyone know.

And i am sure that if anyone is told that "if you take this drug it will help and it will not be detected" some people will take it. Look at the case of Dwain Chambers who fell in just that way and didnt have any protective arm for him.

In fact i think he was hung out to dry like Marion Jones in the US to make an example of

Anyway there is a good artical in Todays Mail by Martin Samuel, page 72/73 about America and their attude to Drugs in Sport

Have a look at that and post some thoughts.
 
I think because golf is a sedentary sport in comparison to sprinting or cycling and other sports then its probably not generally acknowledged that performance enhancing drugs would be of benefit to a golfer other than maybe allowing him to hit the ball a little longer. However you don't need great muscle mass to create high clubhead speed, more height and quick hands like Bubba Watson(skinny dude) so even that is questionable.
Maybe beta blockers to calm nerves over short putts might help!
Re the question of illegal substances helping the speed of repair of injuries, I suppose that could be an issue.
Re Tiger being too big, I think that's daft, anyone who pushes weights on a daily basis at high load/low reps combined with a low fat diet could get ripped too. As long as he continues stretching muscles and stays loose it will aid him. Guys like Westwood and Clarke are equally strong but enjoy a pint too much, that's all.
 
I know nothing about drugs rereational or performance enhancing but find it hard to see how they could benefit golf too much and would be surprised if it is a big problem. If there are drug takers, they should be banned in the same way anyone caught cheating should be banned, there is no place for cheating in any sport.

I'll admit, I don't want to believe Tiger has taken drugs but I find some of the press coverage linking him to drugs a little despearate, trying to get a story where there isn't one. There is no evidence, there is no evidence that any golfer has taken drugs. Gary Player says he has been told by people taking them but he is sworn to secrecy. In my opinion, if Gary Player knows players who have taken drugs, and he is so desperate to wipe it out, he has a duty to the sport to name names.

If Tiger or any other golfer is taking drugs, they should be banned. Period. Until then, lets hope the conspiracy theroists don't get too carried away.
 
Desperate sells papers and that's what news on Tiger does.

With this in the press I assume that it will only be a matter of time before golf starts mandatory blood tests (if they don't already)
 
I can't see how there can be a drug that enhances your ability toplay golf. If you use one that gives you more explosive power to gain yards off the tee then you're not going to have the steadyiness for a smooth,deft short game. Equally a drug to calm you down to help with the short game or putting is going to leave you short on yards from the tee. So why bother?
 
I think there is still only one golfer to have been banned, at that an also ran on the Championship tour.

Golf brought in drugs testing because it had to, not because it wanted to. I don't see there being much eagerness to either test or ban.
 
Depends if one aspect of your game is particularly bad.

I can't see how you would gain that much benefit, but it would not look good for the game if it's found that some pro's are using any sort of drugs.
 
I am not 100% sure but I think that something like hgh (human growth hormone) allows the body to heal faster, this allows you to train harder and more often, without feeling the affects as much. I guess it would enable a pro golfer to train hard in the gym, then on the range and then the course. It would mean that you would be fitter for the game and suffer less from fatigue etc.
 
I know nothing about drugs rereational or performance enhancing but find it hard to see how they could benefit golf too much and would be surprised if it is a big problem. If there are drug takers, they should be banned in the same way anyone caught cheating should be banned, there is no place for cheating in any sport.

I'll admit, I don't want to believe Tiger has taken drugs but I find some of the press coverage linking him to drugs a little despearate, trying to get a story where there isn't one. There is no evidence, there is no evidence that any golfer has taken drugs. Gary Player says he has been told by people taking them but he is sworn to secrecy. In my opinion, if Gary Player knows players who have taken drugs, and he is so desperate to wipe it out, he has a duty to the sport to name names.

If Tiger or any other golfer is taking drugs, they should be banned. Period. Until then, lets hope the conspiracy theroists don't get too carried away.
Click to expand...

Firmly agree with the comments here on GP

Put up or shut up is the usual comment

Unless he thought bringing the subject was enough of course
 
I think because golf is a sedentary sport in comparison to sprinting or cycling and other sports then its probably not generally acknowledged that performance enhancing drugs would be of benefit to a golfer other than maybe allowing him to hit the ball a little longer. However you don't need great muscle mass to create high clubhead speed, more height and quick hands like Bubba Watson(skinny dude) so even that is questionable.
Maybe beta blockers to calm nerves over short putts might help!
Re the question of illegal substances helping the speed of repair of injuries, I suppose that could be an issue.
Re Tiger being too big, I think that's daft, anyone who pushes weights on a daily basis at high load/low reps combined with a low fat diet could get ripped too. As long as he continues stretching muscles and stays loose it will aid him. Guys like Westwood and Clarke are equally strong but enjoy a pint too much, that's all.
Click to expand...

Agree with much of this especially about the training.

There are some other posts on this which i will read
 
I think there is still only one golfer to have been banned, at that an also ran on the Championship tour.

Golf brought in drugs testing because it had to, not because it wanted to. I don't see there being much eagerness to either test or ban.
Click to expand...

Working in athletics as i do, the fact that golf was for so long not having a proper policy on testing for all drugs was something that i could not defend to my athletic collegues.

Of course the powers that be wanted golf in the Olympics and you have to have a full and proper testing programme to be an Olympic sport so it had to come in.

How much it is followed through is another matter
 
I am not 100% sure but I think that something like hgh (human growth hormone) allows the body to heal faster, this allows you to train harder and more often, without feeling the affects as much. I guess it would enable a pro golfer to train hard in the gym, then on the range and then the course. It would mean that you would be fitter for the game and suffer less from fatigue etc.
Click to expand...

Intrestingly enough this is probably the biggest issue. Would drugs help you play?? Possibly not but training and being able to train are other matters.

What we need is perhaps a well known golf magazine to do a proper artical and get some doctors etc who really know what they are talking about to give some opinion.

;)
 
I'm not sure golf really has a problem but of course I stand to be corrected. I was under the impression both the PGA and European Tour had introduced random testing (I thought Poulter got pulled the other week for a sample) and that will go some way to helping.

I agree though that it is hard to find something to boost power and yet maintain the calmness for putting at a top level. As for the Woods stories and him taking drugs from this dodgy doctor or nay other kind of enhancement is the result of some tabloid hack looking for an angle. As for Player, if he knows names and believes so much in the integrity of the game put up or shut up. If his proof was 100% accurate he'd have no fear of litigation.
 
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