Golf is easy, no competition

[Phil McGleno]

A very predictable statement from an ex-highschool football player who can't break 90. No offense...you started it.

Ha!

I was gonna say something like "a 20 index calling golf easy?! What a joke?" but you beat me to it. I PMed the moderators so this thread would be closed. Freakin' pointless unless the OP just wants to amass a bad reputation around here. Besides, you ask all those athletes what sport is tougher - the one they played so well or golf - and they almost all say golf. P.S. Golfers all have hot wives. You may not get the girls in high school, but they come out of the woodwork soon enough. Even David Toms, you seen his wife, right?

[Mathlete1123]

I agree but there is no power in soccer, and thats y americans hate it

You've never played soccer have you.

[wedge player]

The kids who play golf are generally smaller, weaker, slower.

Really,i was one of the top athletes in my school i could run faster,jump higher and out-lift 95% of my schools athletic departments.and guess what i chose golf because it is a challenge more so than throwing a ball in a hoop,catvhing and running with a football,and lifting weights in the gym.baseball isnt hard to hit if you are coordinated,tennis is almost hard.so im gonna say golf was the hardest sport in school and money brings in the chicks look at phils wife tigers wife have you ever seen a golfer without a hot chick?

[clubhousehero]

I'm gonna have to agree with the OP and i don't understand how anyone couldn't. There are 2 parts to his original statement.
1) If more people played golf, you would have more great players. I don't think anyone would disagree with that.

2) If golfers were bigger, stronger, faster, more flexible, have better balance and hand eye coordination, there would be more great golfers. Again, i don't think anyone would disagree with that. Yes golf requires more than those skills than these but they help. People have also said golf requires mental toughness and i agree. I also agree that other sports require mental toughness too.

This isn't to say golf isn't hard, just that some great athletes would be great at golf if they grew up and played golf their entire lives.

[alomar123]

You've never played soccer have you.

Why are you trying to tell me that it takes power to play soccer, you at Donovan, he is US star and he is a cup cake

[aca247]

Really,i was one of the top athletes in my school i could run faster,jump higher and out-lift 95% of my schools athletic departments.and guess what i chose golf because it is a challenge more so than throwing a ball in a hoop,catvhing and running with a football,and lifting weights in the gym.baseball isnt hard to hit if you are coordinated,tennis is almost hard.so im gonna say golf was the hardest sport in school and money brings in the chicks look at phils wife tigers wife have you ever seen a golfer without a hot chick?

i am 13 i am 5'9 180 and can run a mile in 8 minutes no to mention deadlift 300 plus pounds but i play golf because i want a challange

[Chief Broom]

Michael Jordan is an excellent example of what a world class athelete can do in multiple sports, but as an example he is also illustrative in that being able to perform at the top level in one sport does not translate into being able to do so in other sports. MJ was a life long baseball player and he did a pretty good job of attempting to play baseball in the major leagues, but he was unable to do so successfully. He even was able to go back to basketball after devoting himself entirely to baseball (all the while neglecting his basketball skills) after his failure to make it in major league baseball. His failure wasn't an indicator of MJ's lack of athletesism or a lacking in his drive to succeed in another sport at the top level, rather MJ isn't as physically suited to play baseball (or golf it seems) as well as he is/was to play basketball. So too could you take anyone from any sport and have a very tough time getting them to perfom at the same level in another sport. Golf is no different than any other sport. It requires a very particular skill set in order to play it well, especially at the top professional level. If the OP's premis were true, that you would see more world class golfers if it's selection pool for potential golfers was larger because the more "athletic" among us play other sports (and instead devoted themselves to golf). Is both true and false. No doubt more people playing golf would result in a larger number of better golfers, but that is true of anything (if more people studied math we'd have more engineers). It's false though to assume that just because someone is more athletically inclined translates into them being a better golfer. Jordan couldn't make in major league baseball and he probably won't ever be able to make it on tour (even the champions tour). That's no failure on his part, he's just not as good at those sports as he was in basketball.

I think the OP is making a gross oversimplification in what it takes to play really good golf, and that's just talking about playing scratch and doesn't even consider being successful on tour...

[Zeph]

Being large and powerful may let you hit it further than the average, but since when did that make you a good player? Tom Watson nearly won the British Open at an age of 59. Just because the norm out there is that the big guys play football and the geeks play golf doesn't mean there are no big and powerful people playing golf.

Golf is a game where strength is not a major factor. Being large does help, but technique is what really matters. Sergio Garcia hits it long because he create huge amounts of lag. The courses have gotten longer, but accuracy and technique will always be the important factors. Being big and bulky won't help you hit a soft chip to 1 feet from the flag, or roll a smooth downhill putt from 30 feet. The only thing you gain is a few yards if you already have a swing where you hit the ball clean every time. If you don't hit the ball pure, swinging hard won't help you hit it longer than the rest.

In baseball you have one bat and it's something small children play without any big trouble. To get good at golf takes a lot more work. Getting from a scratch to playing on any of the big tours is a huge step.

[shankapotamus]

I disagree, just cause you can run fast, and jump high doesnt mean u can hit a small golf ball the same everytime. Those who can master their muscle memory and are coordinated are those who are really good. You dont need muscles to hit the ball good, those who are accurate are those who win. Not to mention the most important aspect of the game requires no athletic ability PUTTING.

lol wut???

[Mathlete1123]

Why are you trying to tell me that it takes power to play soccer, you at Donovan, he is US star and he is a cup cake

Soccer is extremely physical, and players on any national team are far from cup cakes. Power is very important in soccer but you also have to be able to play two 45 minute halves without stopping. FIFA rules allow 3 substitutions per game, add a stipulation like that to american football and the elite players would shrink considerably.

Also I think that americans "hate" soccer because we can't dominate it, so most of the population here just snubs their nose at the world's most popular sport.

[cody west]

ya dude u sound so dumb. me and all my freinds that golf at competitive levels all play many other sport, also at competitive levels.
golf isnt about how strong. there is a freshmen on my team that is about 5 foot 1 who shot a 34 a few days ago in practice. i dont care how big or strong you are your not shooting 34 without touch.
i hit my pitching wedge 150 after i slowed down my swing, i used to hit it 170, but i was bet by a kid who hits his wedge 100.
the reason your handycap is 20 is because u think u need to b the big man who hits it far and is stonger than everyone.

also you need to putt. you can hit every green in 2 but unless you make some birdie putts you wont score at all and i dont think putting required to much strength
have you every seen buba watson, hes not very strong but he has the long drive on tour

[BigRedMachine]

Baseball Come on!! I would contend that golf is AT LEAST as physically demanding as baseball. If baseball players didn't jog to and from the dugout they would all look like Stadler.

[Fourputt]

Soccer is extremely physical, and players on any national team are far from cup cakes. Power is very important in soccer but you also have to be able to play two 45 minute halves without stopping. FIFA rules allow 3 substitutions per game, add a stipulation like that to american football and the elite players would shrink considerably.

Americans don't "hate" soccer, we mostly just ignore it because it's boring as sin. I mean 2 hours of watching a bunch of guys chase each other around the field with nothing else happening. Maybe that's why they have soccer riots... not much else to do during the game but drink and harass the opposing fans....

[Fourputt]

Baseball

Spoken like someone who hasn't got a clue. How can you use that user name when you know so little about the game? Try throwing a 95 mph fastball, then follow it with a 75 mph hook, and do it 100 times every 5th day for 182 games. Or try pegging a runner at home plate from center field. Play a little at 3rd base when a right handed slugger is up. Or just try to cover center field in most major league ball parks. It may not be the steady grind of some sports, but saying that golf is as physically demanding as baseball is ludicrous.

Golf is a game of precise coordination, and it requires athletic ability to play it a high level, but it doesn't require a tuned athlete. Playing baseball at a high level requires both the coordination to hit a pitched ball and the physical conditioning to run and throw well over a grueling season.

[Rob]

You`re a 20 handicap, and "slow",too. What a shame! It`s your opinion,but not very accurate.A lot of "athletes?" play other sports because they`re not good enough to play golf all by themselves.A golfer`s talent,or lack of,is exposed. No 300 pounders,7 footers to hide behind.

[Mathlete1123]

Americans don't "hate" soccer, we mostly just ignore it because it's boring as sin. I mean 2 hours of watching a bunch of guys chase each other around the field with nothing else happening.

You're calling soccer boring then defending baseball? Have you ever watched baseball on TV? 30 minutes of play and 3 hours of watching the coaches sign to each other and scratch their nuts. I think baseball and soccer are similar in that you probably need to have played them to appreciate watching, but I still can't force myself to sit through a baseball game on TV. I really love going to the ballpark though.

[Fourputt]

You're calling soccer boring then defending baseball? Have you ever watched baseball on TV? 30 minutes of play and 3 hours of watching the coaches sign to each other and scratch their nuts. I think baseball and soccer are similar in that you probably need to have played them to appreciate watching, but I still can't force myself to sit through a baseball game on TV. I really love going to the ballpark though.

There's always something going on in baseball... it's a chess game on a grand scale, played by the managers using the players as the pieces. All you need to do is just watch the way that the defense is deployed against each batter, how the plays are called to the batters and runners, the pitch calls between the catcher and pitcher. In some respects it's actually a better game on TV because you can see the catcher give the signs, so you know what the pitcher is going to throw, and the camera perspective lets you see the effect of a slider or curve ball. I like going to the ball park too, but you really don't see the same part of the game there. When I'm at a game then I watch the changes in defensive positioning for different batters, the leads and actions of any base runners.

I never really played the game myself... one year of little league and a bit of sandlot ball with the neighborhood kids. I didn't learn any of the intricacies of the game until I started watching the Rockies play in the mid 90's. Until then I sort of had your opinion of baseball, but when you start watching it all the time, you really get a different perspective of the game. It helps when you have a home team to root for and get excited over. The Rockies have mostly been a mediocre to bad team since the franchise was formed, but over the last 5 years their farm system has finally started to produce some really good talent, and it's fun watching them grow into a real baseball team.

[clubhousehero]

A couple of things.

1. Golf doesn't have a monopoly on touch. Free-throws aren't all strength ya know.

2. Rob. did you really just say "A lot of "athletes?" play other sports because they`re not good enough to play golf all by themselves?" yea you did and i'm sure that is factually inaccurate. I'm sure most people don't take up golf until later in life, when they are finished playing other sports.

3. Yes baseball requires more athleticism than golf.

In all honesty, and i know alot of people are going to comment on this, Tiger Woods would have an average build for a baseball player. Yet everyone talks about what great shape he is in. I found him listed at 6'2 180 lbs online.

(He is in better shape than me, I know).