EDITORIAL – WHY DOESN’T IT FEEL STRANGE THAT WE MEET SO MANY TOUR PLAYERS IN THE GYM?

Long before Tiger Woods made working out mandatory for today’s tour players, and even before Gary Player hit the scene with his endless pushups and sit ups, an amateur golfer named Frank Stranahan made waves with his powerlifting routines. Ranked number one in powerlifting in his weight class from 1945 through 1954, Stranahan also competed in golf at a high level, finishing runner-up in both the Masters and British Open.

Both Player and Stranahan were considered anomalies, that is, until Woods came on the scene. Other pros quickly saw that part of Woods’ success was in his incredible fitness, and soon pros everywhere followed suit. College programs even got in on the act, requiring players to participate in early-morning workout sessions before class.

Before Woods, it was thought that lifting heavy weights was bad for golfers, but he quickly proved that idea wrong. Brooks Koepka is said to be able to bench press well over 300 lbs., for example. And the reason why we see so many players in the gym today is that the game at the professional level requires so much power off the tee that more than a few mph of ball speed can be attained through working out. In fact, Bryson DeChambeau took it to such a level that he finished second in the 2022 World Long Drive Championship.

As time goes on and science advances, we will likely see swing speeds continue to increase and players refine their workout routines. Where the limit is, who knows?