Does having fat arms reduce how far you can hit the ball?

[Morocco Mako]

In another thread, someone asked if wearing a watch would cost you distance , because of the weight(http://thesandtrap.com/t/77393/wearing-a-watch-will-cost-you-10-15-yards-can-anyone-corroborate-or-not-this).

Well, if wearing a watch costs you distance, because it's dead weight, what does having extra fat on your arms do.

Best as I can find, the arms account for about 5% of total body weight. So, for every 10 pounds of extra body fat, the arms would weight an extra 1/2 pounds (assuming the fat was distributed equally on the body). A person that is 40 pounds overweight is swinging two extra pounds.

Could losing weight be a quick and easy way to add distance?

[saevel25]

In another thread, someone asked if wearing a watch would cost you distance , because of the weight(http://thesandtrap.com/t/77393/wearing-a-watch-will-cost-you-10-15-yards-can-anyone-corroborate-or-not-this).

Well, if wearing a watch costs you distance, because it's dead weight, what does having extra fat on your arms do.

Best as I can find, the arms account for about 5% of total body weight. So, for every 10 pounds of extra body fat, the arms would weight an extra 1/2 pounds (assuming the fat was distributed equally on the body). A person that is 40 pounds overweight is swinging two extra pounds.

Could losing weight be a quick and easy way to add distance?

No, because your body is made to support itself. The heavier you are, the more muscle you will have to support it. Your body is accustomed to your own body weight.

Also fat is not distributed evenly over the body, so it is probably much less than that. The body is designed to oppose hunger and hypothermia. Fat is an Insulator. The most vital parts of the body are the internal organs. That is why fat starts building around the organs and in the stomach region first. Then it will store towards the arms and hands later on. That is why when people loose fat they get skinnier in the hands, arms, neck, and leg regions before the torso.

I played golf at 290 lbs and I am currently playing golf at 210 lbs. I never once felt like I was hampered with swing speed due to heavier arms.

[mcanadiens]

No, because your body is made to support itself. The heavier you are, the more muscle you will have to support it. Your body is accustomed to your own body weight.

Also fat is not distributed evenly over the body, so it is probably much less than that. The body is designed to oppose hunger and hypothermia. Fat is an Insulator. The most vital parts of the body are the internal organs. That is why fat starts building around the organs and in the stomach region first. Then it will store towards the arms and hands later on. That is why when people loose fat they get skinnier in the hands, arms, neck, and leg regions before the torso.

I played golf at 290 lbs and I am currently playing golf at 210 lbs. I never once felt like I was hampered with swing speed due to heavier arms.

Wow. That's an impressive drop. I went from 265 to 200 by dropping soda. Unfortunately I up to 225 now largely due to beer.

To the point, he's absolutely right about losing weight in the extremities first. The belly seemed like the last thing to shrink.

[David in FL]

No, because your body is made to support itself. The heavier you are, the more muscle you will have to support it. Your body is accustomed to your own body weight.

The body may be "accustomed" to its own weight, but that doesn't mean that athletic performance doesn't suffer if you're overweight.  I'd also argue that just because someone gains weight, there's not necessarily an increase in muscle mass.  If only.....in fact, as we age, the opposite it true.  Sadly, we tend to gain fat and lose muscle.

Arm weight alone notwithstanding, as with most athletic endeavors, I'd suspect that most people would play their best golf with more lean muscle and less excess fat, wherever it happens to be.

[saevel25]

The body may be "accustomed" to its own weight, but that doesn't mean that athletic performance doesn't suffer if you're overweight.  I'd also argue that just because someone gains weight, there's not necessarily an increase in muscle mass.  If only.....in fact, as we age, the opposite it true.  Sadly, we tend to gain fat and lose muscle.

Arm weight alone notwithstanding, as with most athletic endeavors, I'd suspect that most people would play their best golf with more lean muscle and less excess fat, wherever it happens to be.

Optimally is having more lean muscle mass important, yep. I do not think that adding fat to the arms slows them down because of the extra weight.

[18rounds]

The body may be "accustomed" to its own weight, but that doesn't mean that athletic performance doesn't suffer if you're overweight.  I'd also argue that just because someone gains weight, there's not necessarily an increase in muscle mass.  If only.....in fact, as we age, the opposite it true.  Sadly, we tend to gain fat and lose muscle.

Arm weight alone notwithstanding, as with most athletic endeavors, I'd suspect that most people would play their best golf with more lean muscle and less excess fat, wherever it happens to be.

Hey now. You don't need to call me out like that.

I would think a bigger challenge than the extra weight on the arms is the lack of flexibility that carrying extra fat usually brings with it. I know there are exceptions (see John Daly) but as a rule I think a player carrying more fat is going to have a harder time with range of motion needed to make the most effective golf swing.

[Lihu]

I would think that having a strong core and skinny arms is going to be the best build for a fast swing.

[newtogolf]

Didn't Carl Pettersson lose like 30-40 pounds and complain that it hurt his golf game and distance?  I believe he regained the weight and now he's back to the distances he was accustomed to hitting.

[Lihu]

Didn't Carl Pettersson lose like 30-40 pounds and complain that it hurt his golf game and distance?  I believe he regained the weight and now he's back to the distances he was accustomed to hitting.

His profile says he's 5'11" and only 194 pounds. I find the 194 pounds very difficult to believe.

http://www.pgatour.com/players/player.25345.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=carl+pettersson&client;=firefox-a&hs;=0T5&rls;=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel;=sb&biw;=1536&bih;=731&tbm;=isch&tbo;=u&source;=univ&sa;=X&ei;=j1pJVJOmDI32iQKN1IGAAg&sqi;=2&ved;=0CJQBEIke

[mvmac]

Could losing weight be a quick and easy way to add distance?

Weight can be easy to gain and lose but I don't think losing fat is "quick and easy". You need to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat.

I've lost 50 lbs (scale measurement) and haven't gained any speed. I also know several "fat" guys that hit it a long way. I don't think the amount of fat in your arms is a priority when you're trying to hit the ball farther. Lots of other things to take into consideration.

I would think that having a strong core and skinny arms is going to be the best build for a fast swing.

Not too many skinny guys on the Long Drive Tour

[No Mulligans]

If only.....in fact, as we age, the opposite it true.  Sadly, we tend to gain fat and lose muscle.

If most lose muscle as they age, then they'd have to lose weight as they age to maintain the same body fat %.  Most of my peers in my age group, I'm 56, lose muscle and gain weight though... doing the math, their body fat % must shoot up.

Though if you look at those in there 80's and 90's, most seem to be fairly thin.  You don't see many obese 90 year olds, I can't think of any that I know.  Maybe those that are obese just don't make it to that age.

[MS256]

The body may be "accustomed" to its own weight, but that doesn't mean that athletic performance doesn't suffer if you're overweight.  I'd also argue that just because someone gains weight, there's not necessarily an increase in muscle mass.  If only.....in fact, as we age, the opposite it true.  Sadly, we tend to gain fat and lose muscle.

Arm weight alone notwithstanding, as with most athletic endeavors, I'd suspect that most people would play their best golf with more lean muscle and less excess fat, wherever it happens to be.

Sadly is right.

Throughout most of my adult life I weighed 225 lbs. and always stayed in good shape.

Now to keep around the same percentage of body fat I weigh 184 lbs. I think it would be close to impossible to keep both the muscle mass and the total weight the same without steroids or something (and probably not even then).

Still seem to hit a golf ball about the same distance but that's probably due to other factors (like knowing which end of the club to use). LOL

[newtogolf]

Long drive champions seem to have pretty large arms so I'm thinking weight of arms is pretty irrelevant to distance.

[Lihu]

Sadly is right.

Throughout most of my adult life I weighed 225 lbs. and always stayed in good shape.

Now to keep around the same percentage of body fat I weigh 184 lbs. I think it would be close to impossible to keep both the muscle mass and the total weight the same without steroids or something (and probably not even then).

Still seem to hit a golf ball about the same distance but that's probably due to other factors (like knowing which end of the club to use). LOL

That's a good weight for me, but IIRC you're about 5-6 inches taller than me? From my perspective, I would say you are relatively thin.

[MS256]

That's a good weight for me, but IIRC you're about 5-6 inches taller than me? From my perspective, I would say you are relatively thin.

Thank you.

I don't take 20,000 steps a day for nothing.

[Lihu]

Thank you. :-D   I don't take 20,000 steps a day for nothing.

If I could get down to 188 and stay there, I would be very happy. Still 16 pounds to go, at least my BP is lower. :-)

[MS256]

If I could get down to 188 and stay there, I would be very happy. Still 16 pounds to go, at least my BP is lower.

No way that I could maintain a decent BMI at 225 lbs. anymore but I if I can hang at around 18 BMI at 184 lbs. I'm good with that.

[Lihu]

No way that I could maintain a decent BMI at 225 lbs. anymore but I if I can hang at around 18 BMI at 184 lbs. I'm good with that.

As long as you're healthy it shouldn't matter.