Tiger too muscular?

[Donnie_Brasco]

I played college football and baseball on the div 1 level. I tore my acl and had my knee rebuilt as well.. When you hurt a knee, not only do you obviously work your legs hard, but you often times overwork and bulk up the upperbody.

I have been thinking this since Tiger came back, he is noticeably bigger. Arms, chest ect.. Johnnie Miller just mentioned it as well.

This happened to Duval as well, got too muscular and lost it..

I think Tiger needs to cut out the hardcore weight training, and focus more on flexibility.

Any thoughts?

[804golfer]

nope totally disagree, that is not his problem, he looks the same as usual.

[Wiley]

Being muscular does not automatically mean someone is not flexible. Olympic lifters for example are the strongest athletes on earth. They have muscular athletic physics and are as flexible as any gymnast. I think the strength and conditioning direction that some tour players are taking are pretty exciting. If an individual has an imbalanced uneducated program, I believe mismanaged strength and flexibility would be an issue. But if someone has access to the best strength coaches in world I think this is a non issue.

[Donnie_Brasco]

tiger is easily 25 pounds heavier than he was when he was doing the tiger slam..

his body isnt even close to the same size...

and comparing power lifters and gymnast to golfers is ridiculously off base..

you need incredible strength to do those things.. you do not need incredible strength to go play golf..

[804golfer]

Being muscular does not automatically mean someone is not flexible. Olympic lifters for example are the strongest athletes on earth. They have muscular athletic physics and are as flexible as any gymnast. I think the strength and conditioning direction that some tour players are taking are pretty exciting. If an individual has an imbalanced uneducated program, I believe mismanaged strength and flexibility would be an issue. But if someone has access to the best strength coaches in world I think this is a non issue.

exactly..

[Donnie_Brasco]

there is a reason golfers and tennis players don't bulk up, these sports are the most comparable. everyone's body is also very different, everyone's tendons react differently to bulking them up.. some naturally tighten no matter what stretching program you're on.. no matter the sport you play, you can have too much bulk muscle, and tiger is dangerously close to being there..

[Wiley]

Olympic lifting is different than powerlifting. I used Olympic lifters as an example of someone being strong, muscular and also being very flexible. I never compared these athletes or their strength to golfers.

Agreed that you don’t need incredible to strength to play or golf or even be an elite golfer, but being strong and trying to get stronger (done in the right manner) will not hurt you. Personally I feel that golf as a whole is behind in its sport specific strengthening.

[Donnie_Brasco]

I agree strengthening your core is good for any sport, but his arms, specifically biceps, and his chest are majorly bigger now to when he was, playing incredible.


No matter who you are, a bigger chest and biceps is going to make you somewhat tighter. The examples you laid out, lifting and gymnast, you must also consider that their sports use extreme force either with weights or their body which also create additional flex.

[Donnie_Brasco]

Tiger doing buick ads in 2004

big difference compared to today..

[Donnie_Brasco]

last year.. he is huge, his face looks bloated..ect...

[timwalsh300]

Baseball players were afraid to bulk up for decades. I think the last 15 years have proven such fears to be irrational. In the 2008 All Star game every single player, minus only a couple guys, was 200+ pounds. Most of them were in the 220-240 range.

Seeing athletes on TV, I think people tend to forget what physical specimens they really are, steroids or not. I came to the realization a few years ago that despite being in "good shape" I will be very hard pressed, at 5'9 and 165 pounds, to ever hit a ball as hard as someone who has a solid 50 pounds on me.

Weren't people worried about Tiger becoming too muscular 10 years ago when he first introduced golf to strength training? And then didn't everyone have an epiphany and realize that they needed to get on board if they wanted to compete?

To me, more strength is never a bad thing, regardless of whether or not it is "necessary."

Tim

[Donnie_Brasco]

Your points have a a lot of validity.


Although I would point out that, strength and being too bulky are to different things..

Villegaas, sp? Is a perfect example, he is very muscular, but isn't bulky..

You can weigh 180 pounds and be just as strong as someone who weighs 220 pounds.

[804golfer]

to be honest, he has some bodyfat that he could cut out, but as far as muscle goes he is fine.

[Cody]

They've been showing some slow downs of his swings today and it seems as if he is a bit tighter. His arms are tighter. I'm not sure if this is becuase he was working too much, he could just be trying to overcompensate becuase of frustration.

Really only time will tell..

[timwalsh300]

Villegaas, sp? Is a perfect example, he is very muscular, but isn't bulky.. You can weigh 180 pounds and be just as strong as someone who weighs 220 pounds.

Don't mistake a low bodyfat % for being muscular. Villegas is more muscular than the general population of white-collar workers, but not by much. I would venture to guess that a typical construction worker has more muscle - it's just obscured by fat.

Villegas can hit the ball a long way because he is so quick. There is a difference between being "quick" and being "strong." It's all about the nervous system and muscle fiber types. Being "quick" is ultimately what you need to hit a 300 yard drive, but "strength" is sort of like a ceiling on how quick you can be. You have to train for quickness (which is difficult - sports science is still trying to figure out exactly how), but at some point you just need to get stronger (i.e. build more lean body mass) to be able to hit the ball farther. Tim

[iacas]

tiger is easily 25 pounds heavier than he was when he was doing the tiger slam..

I think he's within five pounds of that weight. He's commented on it himself. He said he lost weight right after his surgery and that he was slowly putting it back on, etc.

I don't think he's "too strong" or "too muscular." I think his timing is off. I think his plane's a bit off. Johnny's been wrong in the past and he's likely wrong on this one again.

[Donnie_Brasco]

Typically with reconstructive knee surgery, you gain weight. Again I am very familiar with acl reconstruction, I played div 1 football, got div 1 treatment, I was on the proper diet set up by a dietician. Even with that, I gained 7 pounds, because your activity is obviously slowed. And I was doing pool aerobics with in 10 days post op..

No way is he only 5 pounds heavier now than back in 03-06...

I don't care what he says now.. The pictures don't lie.. His legs, arms, chest are all noticeably bigger.. You don't increase your body mass like that and only increase 5 pounds..

2003 listed tiger at 6'2 170, he is currently listed at 6'2 185

I would say he is easily 190.. Him and are the same size, I been within 30 feet of the guy in the last 60 days.. i stand 6'2 194, similar builds..

[Three Putt]

I think he played much better when he was less bulky. But he was younger of course.