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Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?

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  • #1

    Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?

    Everyone here is trying to answer the question with regard to Golf and physical fitness. This term is generally attributed to stamina, a condition measuring the aerobic capacity of an individual.
    I would like some sound information on the effect of physical STRENGTH as related to the ability of a golf player.
    Let me explain.
    The best group of male golf players in the world are generally better than the best group of their female counterparts. It is generally believed that females IN GENERAL (please don’t respond with your exceptional cases of a particular female who is stronger than some guy), are the weaker sex where physical strength is concerned.
    But is this due to the fact that MAYBE more men play golf and as a result, because higher competition exists among them, produce greater expertise among their winners than the female competitions?
    Billiards for example has no clear explanation for the difference in female and male players other than the overwhelmingly greater number of male players.
    Tennis seems to favour body type as a stronger and/or taller individual can possess a much more deadly service game. Table tennis would favour agility and speed (not sure if there is a clear advantage here between the sexes). Rugby: obvious. Football (British or American): obvious.
    But GOLF??
    As opposed to other aspects of the game definitely equally shared by both sexes namely: temperance, patience, accuracy, reading of the grass, the wind, steadiness of nerves, calmness and focus of mind etc. Once a player achieves a consistently accurate drive of 300 yds, say, how much does driving past that distance attribute to their winning?
    Looking forward to an intelligent and rational response.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?

    The speed you can rotate your body without creating instability is not very fast. It is the speed of the clubhead striking the ball that determines the amount of force transfer propelling the ball forwards. The body rotation, length of the swing arc and the hinging of the wrists are the components that create head speed. Large muscles do not (in my opinion) create these factors, flexibility and height are more important.

    Men tend to be taller than women and can create larger swing arcs, their core muscles also tend to be larger so assist with the inertia of the body turn.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQfY7lgwJ7o
    Last edited by BrianW; 02-16-2010, 08:54 PM.

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    • #3
      Re: Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?

      Originally posted by golfgalkc View Post
      ...is this due to the fact that MAYBE more men play golf and as a result, because higher competition exists among them, produce greater expertise among their winners than the female competitions?...
      No. The pro women practice/play just as much as the men, so this presumption can't be true.

      Originally posted by golfgalkc View Post
      As opposed to other aspects of the game definitely equally shared by both sexes namely: temperance, patience, accuracy, reading of the grass, the wind, steadiness of nerves, calmness and focus of mind etc. Once a player achieves a consistently accurate drive of 300 yds, say, how much does driving past that distance attribute to their winning?
      Looking forward to an intelligent and rational response.
      Strength is only good when under control. Increased strength without control = increased deviation. This is essential to winning (minimal deviation). So if you hit it 245 yards 75% in the fairway VS. 300 yards 50% in the fairway (and you assume the same deviations in the iron game, and putting also being equal), then I have to guess that the 50% non-fairway 300 yard driver suffers additional deviations to the green, where the 75% fairway driver with a longer iron into the green will suffers less deviations as well and therefor have a better chance at being on the green.

      It has probably been evaluated to extremes where this calculation is proven in reality, that "total driving" has a significant impact on the overall winning percentage...but nothing is ever perfectly equatable, because there are so many other factors involved in "winning".

      Just for strength's sake alone, I would take the 245 yards in the fairway. This means, what ever your strength level is, make sure you practice within it and don't extend outside your acceptable deviation, and you will play better.

      Men are stronger overall then women. At the pro level they both play within this level the same...so men are stronger WITH equal control, and therefor Men will have better scores then Women (assuming they play from the same tees). Because the men's total lengths off the tees are significantly longer they do play back farther, but generally so are their scores a bit better as well.

      This is how I read your question.
      Last edited by GregJWillis; 02-17-2010, 11:56 AM.

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      • #4
        Re: Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?

        Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?
        NO.
        Many factors are simultaneously involved in the game.
        There is NO one overriding element to success, IMO.................

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        • #5
          Re: Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?

          No. The pro women practice/play just as much as the men, so this presumption can't be true.
          My question regards the ratio (men/women) competing to reach the pros. This will dictate the average pro level of the particular gender. Are you saying the number of amateur players are equal on both sexes?
          Let me illustrate:
          If 5 million men, amateur golfers involving themselves in various competitions around the US, have their sights set on reaching the pros and only 1/2 a million women are, the pro level average of each sex would reflect this.

          Men are stronger overall then women. At the pro level they both play within this level the same, and therefor Men will have better scores then Women (from the same tees) because the deviations are equal, but men's total lengths off the tees are significantly longer so their scores are better.
          Good answer. Thank you.
          Beyond what ACCURATE length of drive would you say it no longer affects the outcome of the game?
          And secondly, what is the average male pro drive vs the female?

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          • #6
            Re: Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?

            It does not matter (in my opinion) how many are playing the game (as long as it is statistically significant to reach the "top level" of players. Sure, if 250 women in the world players and they all were fighting to fill 150 pro spots, the average score would be horrible, because you have a small sample. But if you are at 1M women and 5M men all playing golf, and you take 150 spots from either of those samples, you get a good set of "top players". So again, No...this assumption has nothing to do with the difference in women vs. men.

            % fairways:
            Men: 50% low Women: 43%
            75% high 83%

            avg distance off the tee:
            Men: 310 long Women: 272
            250 short 224

            I would think the significant rank that no longer affects scoring is within the top 25% of each stat. So, for men if you are 280+, going 290 will not significantly affect score (assuming you can do this with equal accuracy), but going from 270 to 280 would. Its a gradual affect, so there is nothing set...its all a guess.

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            • #7
              Re: Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?

              Originally posted by golfgalkc View Post
              Once a player achieves a consistently accurate drive of 300 yds, say, how much does driving past that distance attribute to their winning?
              Looking forward to an intelligent and rational response.
              First off, don't hold your breath to achieve the above (highlighted) statement...it will not happen.

              Brute physical strength is not conducive to a good game, often, it is counter-productive.

              Good physical training to strengthen the core and legs for stamina and flexibility are much more important than large biceps per se.

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              • #8
                Re: Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?

                I showed this thread to my wife who is a retired M.D. with all kinds of other letters after her name. She said that BrianW had best, first right answer when it comes to distance between men and women.

                For me balance is very important to productive golf. In fact it is more important than most people think. In other words, a 100 mph swing out of balance will not play as well as 90 mph swing in balance. There's a lot to be said about properly impacting the ball at the right time, with a square club face to the target line. You can't achieve this impact position with out staying balanced through out the swing.

                It's the same as the age old comparison using the turtle, and the rabbit analogy. If the slower, but in balance swing, shoots a score lower than a faster, out of balance swing, which swing is better. Now where does balance come from? Mostly from the legs, in connection with the proper swing tempo. The hips, torso, arms, and hands, (core muscles) can only supply what ever power the swing's foundation will allow. At any rate that's my story, and I am sticking to it. GJS

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                • #9
                  Re: Is Strength the Key in successful golfing?

                  Originally posted by GolfJunkieSr View Post
                  I showed this thread to my wife who is a retired M.D. with all kinds of other letters after her name. She said that BrianW had best, first right answer when it comes to distance between men and women.

                  For me balance is very important to productive golf. In fact it is more important than most people think. In other words, a 100 mph swing out of balance will not play as well as 90 mph swing in balance. There's a lot to be said about properly impacting the ball at the right time, with a square club face to the target line. You can't achieve this impact position with out staying balanced through out the swing.

                  It's the same as the age old comparison using the turtle, and the rabbit analogy. If the slower, but in balance swing, shoots a score lower than a faster, out of balance swing, which swing is better. Now where does balance come from? Mostly from the legs, in connection with the proper swing tempo. The hips, torso, arms, and hands, (core muscles) can only supply what ever power the swing's foundation will allow. At any rate that's my story, and I am sticking to it. GJS
                  Exactly, what you describe is the energy transfer efficiency aka "Smash Factor".

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