Phil Mickelson: longest hitter on tour?

[Zeph]

Do you think the players in the NBA, NHL or NFL was born like they are today? That they didn't have to practice for years to get there? Tiger was not a big guy, true, but he has worked a lot on his body.
Since when did you have to be muscular to be an athlete?

Source: Dictionary.com
a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

[Stretch]

Do you think the players in the NBA, NHL or NFL was born like they are today?

I'm going to go with no. At birth, they were almost certainly a couple of hundred pounds lighter, untattooed and even less articulate!

[Shanks A Million]

I'm going to go with no. At birth, they were almost certainly a couple of hundred pounds lighter, untattooed and even less articulate!

Yeah, but they have the same number of teeth!

[JWL1957]

I'm going to go with no. At birth, they were almost certainly a couple of hundred pounds lighter, untattooed and even less articulate!

Thats harsh......... lol

[Mizzoujohn]

I seem to remember phil teeing off from 190 with his 9 a couple weeks ago..

[scott71law]

I've seen him do this many times!

Scott

[denver_nuggs_15]

He's 6 '3, has a long swing and creates huge lag, you're gonna hit it far with that combination.

Phil might not even be 6' tall. I saw him from about ten feet away, and he was significantly shorter than me. I'm 6'3".

I´d say 90% of the guys on tour are not even athletes.

I'd say you're wrong. I'd be willing to bet that every PGA Tour player is in "great shape" and that many are pretty cut. And as for Tiger not being able to play basketball, that has nothing to do with his athletic ability.

[bbedell]

That does not look like great shape to me. The only shape I see is round. The fact is that golf is a game that requires a minimal amount of athleticism, but a great amount of hand/eye/body coordination.

I agree about the basketball comment though. I've seen plenty of college football players who look like absolute morons when you put them on the basketball court. Different skill set and different muscle groups.

[RichF]

Yeah, although this thread is going off-topic, you're 100% right.

Most guys who post on here about golf being a 'sport' and that you need to be strong/athletic, etc, are usually deluded overweight fat guys, ala your photo.

[Zeph]

What about the big fat guys playing defense on American Football? Only job being to run into the other team to prevent their players to get to whoever is holding the ball.

Are they not athletes?

Golf is a sport, golfers are athletes. Being an athlete is not just about physique, it's about technical skill and mind focus. Archery is a sport, but you don't need to be buffed in order to pull a string.

[James_Black]

What about the big fat guys playing defense on American Football? Only job being to run into the other team to prevent their players to get to whoever is holding the ball.

Draw weights can be up to 100 pounds, you'd have to be pretty strong to hold it steady.

They mightn't be huge people but they'd be pretty strong.

[RichF]

What about the big fat guys playing defense on American Football? Only job being to run into the other team to prevent their players to get to whoever is holding the ball.

275lb fat guy running & smashing into another 200-250lb+ guy at speed

vs. 275lb fat guy hitting a golf ball. No more clues.

[Shanks A Million]

That does not look like great shape to me. The only shape I see is round. The fact is that golf is a game that requires a minimal amount of athleticism, but a great amount of hand/eye/body coordination.

I love how you have to default to the one really fat guy on the PGA tour, who, by the way, isn't exactly out there winning day to day, but playing on special exemptions. After him, there's John Daly, who also didn't win very much as a fat man, and one or two others, but the vast majority of the PGA tour players are in great shape.

I say, to all you guys who are bashing the tour pros, post pictures of yourselves shirtless for comparison. Hell, I'd love to be in as good of shape as Tiger or Phil are now, and I'm younger than both of them.

[bbedell]

I love how you have to default to the one really fat guy on the PGA tour, who, by the way, isn't exactly out there winning day to day, but playing on special exemptions. After him, there's John Daly, who also didn't win very much as a fat man, and one or two others, but the vast majority of the PGA tour players are in great shape.

The "one really fat guy"...are you kidding me? Good lord man there are PLENTY of overweight middle aged guys with guts playing and making lots of money on the PGA tour. If you are so convinced otherwise and want me to post pictures I will do that for you.

And as far as posting pictures of ourselves, now THAT'S getting off topic. Not that it matters but I am 29 years old and in the best shape of my life, play multiple sports, and run 5 miles 5 times weekly along with weight lifting mixed in between. I can only speak for myself here, but I'm no hypocrite. Not saying that there is no chance that I may be a bit overweight by the time I hit middle-age, but to me when this is your profession - what you get PAID TO DO - it seems that you should take your physical conditioning a bit more seriously.

[bbedell]

275lb fat guy running & smashing into another 200-250lb+ guy at speed

Couldnt agree more. NFL lineman are REQUIRED to weigh that much in order to perform their job. They are constantly moving, pushing, blocking, running despite weighing over 300 pounds. Have you ever seen these guys after they retire? Many of them actually LOSE weight and are in my better physical condition when their career is over. Exhibit A: Mark Schlereth on ESPN - take a look at that guy now and compare it to him during his playing days with the Broncos.

[colin007]

Any bets on whether these other guys can hit 8 reps of 250+lbs on the bench? The man is freakishly strong, give him his due. Before the knee surgery he was especially insane; he's slowed down a bit since, but he still has freakish strength compared to almost every other golfer you can find on the PGA tour.

im calling BS on that. no way tiger does, or ever did, 8 reps at 250lbs. ill believe it when i see it.

[bbedell]

Believe it. A friend of my dad's knew one of Tiger's trainers very well, and back in his prime he was throwing up 225-250 on the bench no problem. Not sure about nowadays, but he was definitely doing it a few years ago.

[JWL1957]

Some people are actually healthier with a few extra pounds.