Tiger Woods' injury: self-inflicted?

[munch4037]

Now unless this guy is holding some information in check and not telling us what he really thinks, I think he's crazy.

It's true that excessive running can cause stress fractures but the idea that tiger's added muscle on his "wrong body type" exacerbated the problem is quite an odd assertion. His comparison of throwing a twenty pound backpack on your back and running is horribly inaccurate.

Strength training leads to corresponding increases in bone density as most people knowledgeable in the subject will tell you. Any normal human body is fully capable of adjusting to a reasonable amount of naturally added muscle mass. Of course there's a caveat in the use of steroids, but let's not go there. Now if Tiger were trying to get like world's Strongest man big then there might be problems like the author suggested, but this isn't the case at all.

This isn't to say that running couldn't have caused the stress fractures, but this guy is coming right out of left field.

[Elvisliveson]

I think running is silly, period. The doctor has a point, though I don't think he ever really makes it.

I think you nailed it. Furthermore, Tiger has access to any low-impact cardio machine his heart desires. There is no reason for him to have to "go cave man" with his workouts.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Anytime I read something from someone trying to sell a book I take it with a grain of salt but the overall idea makes some sense. No doubt running is great for stamina but I ran some cross country and track in high school (this was nearly 15 years ago) and there certainly is a lot of stress put on the lower half. Not sure I entirely buy the whole added muscle mass thing though.

Of course maybe Tiger's just too embarassed to tell everyone it happened during his celebration pump fisting at the PGA Championship

[BASHERBAKER69]

Anytime I read something from someone trying to sell a book I take it with a grain of salt but the overall idea makes some sense. No doubt running is great for stamina but I ran some cross country and track in high school (this was nearly 15 years ago) and there certainly is a lot of stress put on the lower half. Not sure I entirely buy the whole added muscle mass thing though.

All the world class athletes tend to get injuries- look at Pistol Pete Sampras, David Duval. By contrast, John Daly has had a relatively injury free career- the relationship is clear to me.

[RichF]

Thing is, is Wood's strict training regimen absolutely paramount when you consider:
a) he won the 2007 PGA Championship in 110° heat by just 2 strokes over 44-year old Woody Austin, and
b) he won the 2008 US Open by just 1 stroke over 45-year old Rocco Mediate

[Lemay427]

Thing is, is Wood's regimented training regimen

Considering he won both...yes. So your saying he wasted his time because he only won by a certain amount of strokes? He WON. Austin and Mediate LOST.

[RichF]

Considering he won both...yes. So your saying he wasted his time because he only won by a certain amount of strokes? He WON. Austin and Mediate LOST.

No - I'm saying he could've won the PGA without all the cardiovascular: I remember his interviews that week when it was incredibly hot and he claimed that hit fitness go him the Major.

Eh? By 2 strokes over a 44-year old? I call BS on that one. However, as for the US Open win - I think his training did help him, what with his injury. Apparantly, O'Meara was interviewed about this and he was one of maybe 5 or 6 people in the Wood's camp who really knew the severity of the injury - he went for dinner with Woods 10 days before the tournament started and said Woods was limping then.....

[Lemay427]

No - I'm saying he could've won the PGA without all the cardiovascular: I remember his interviews that week when it was incredibly hot and he claimed that hit fitness go him the Major.

Maybe he could not have won without all the cardio training? Why do you think you know him better than he knows himself. The one thing he does have is a mental advantage everytime he starts. He knows he is better in every aspect. His health and stamina, his golf skill and his mental game. So maybe just feeling like he is healthier is all he needs for a confidence booster. I am still amazed people can find fault in arguably the best golfer EVER. What a joke.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Thing is, is Wood's strict training regimen

Probably, yeah. How many majors has he won? The only thing that seems in question here is his method of training. No doubt being in shape and having the stamina is important. Golf is such a mental game just feeling good can play big factor. Also, one of those narrow victories you mention he had what I like to call a broken leg...

No - I'm saying he could've won the PGA without all the cardiovascular

You don't know that. That is pure speculation. His training has so much to do with who he has become who knows what he could have done. It's like saying John Daly would be better than everyone if he didn't drink too much booze and eat too few vegetables (yes, I stole that one from Tin Cup...).

[ZTB17]

I think that while this makes some sense, the author is just trying to cause I stir. I know I see smaller people in my high school all the time who bulk up for football every year and they do seem to get hurt more often then those who stick to their normal build and don't bulk up quite as much. I think that Tiger's trainer will get him going and we will have a helathy Tiger soon enough

[lolzzlolzz]

BS article for so many reasons. It should also be noted that Woods is 6 feet 1 inch; 185 lbs is perfect at that height; 158 is too skinny.

[Alex B]

One of the main problems with the author's points is that Tiger said his knee injury began 10-12 years ago, when he was still a twig. Perhaps the extra mass could have exacerbated the injury, but it certainly did not start it.

As for Tiger's exercise and conditioning, I think it's the most overrated part of his repertoire. He won three consecutive US Amateurs and the Masters (by 12 strokes!) without the unneeded bulk.

Some say that the game his changed since then, that he needs the hard weight training and bulk to continue his dominance. Well, then, look who has won three times in the last two months. Look who it took Tiger 91 holes to beat at this year's US Open. Look who beat Tiger down the stretch at last year's US Open. Remember Angel Cabrera's answer to how he got it done? "I smoke."

[kris]

"Workouts that do nothing for the golf game"????????? I'm sorry, but there's a reason why Tiger is better than everyone else. Maybe his workouts do do something for his golf game.

[Alex B]

"Workouts that do nothing for the golf game"????????? I'm sorry, but there's a reason why Tiger is better than everyone else. Maybe his workouts do do something for his golf game.

You're right: Tiger wasn't better than everybody else before he got big. You, know, if he had been bulked in 1997, he would've won the Masters by 20 strokes instead of a measly 12. And isn't it pathetic that all three of his US Amateur wins went to the 36th hole (or a playoff) in the finals? Had he been big, he would have won all those matches 8&7!

[/sarcasm] C'mon. EDIT: After rereading your post and my own, I realize I was a little harsh there. I should say: Workouts may help Tiger's golf game to an extent, but they are a very minor factor to his success. I'll leave the original post, but again, I apologize.

[whip_it_out]

I was about o say something about the pathetic comment on the amateur until i saw your edit.

Well, when your swing speed is 120 mph, your hips are moving faster than that. When you snap your knee at (what I'm guessing) 150+ mph, your putting a lot of stress on it.

I'm no doctor, and no one except Tiger's doctor can say why he injured his leg so badly.

[mike106]

Define reasonable.

You still have some growth left at 20, and the 16 year old will most likely soon be reaching a testosterone heaven. I can't say anything because it depends on a ton of factors one of them being what I said about the test levels, a person who is 16 will put on more lbs of muscle than someone who starts at 20(without anabolics to help) I really hate articles like this especially since he hasn't personally worked with tiger. This is all just speculation, my guess is as good as the next guys.

[sacm3bill]

Well, when your swing speed is 120 mph, your hips are moving faster than that...

Not true. The hips are the center of rotation. The club head is at the other end. The linear velocity of the club head is much faster than the hips. (Even the angular velocity is greater, since the torso, wrists, etc. is adding to what the hips produce - but even if angular velocity were the same, the club head would be traveling faster than the hips because of the farther distance the club head is from the center of rotation.) Put another way, the club head is the far end of the whip.

Certainly I see your point - Tiger does put a lot of stress on that knee - but that fact is not in question here, I don't think.

[Garthmo]

Bull poopy... All speculation. My friends and myself have gotten many sport injuries. I would have to say that if anything it is because of his huge swing and the gigantic strees plus the many many swings he has done that has done the damage to his knee.