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I recently started a pretty intense weight-lifting routine at the gym and I'm worried at how it will affect my game....I heard some critics saying that since Tiger got bigger in the arms and chest he lost a lot of shot control....but wouldn't you pick up on that slack with more power? I'm not planning on quitting the weight lifting, so can I expect a higher handicap now?

- It's funny how a golf addict will look at every aspect of his/her life and see how they can shape it around golf...lol -
Mike

I think that is what Johnny Miller said caused his game to decline in the 70's. Too much bulking up drastically changed his swing, tempo, etc.

I could see how being too big is bad for golf. I am a pretty slender guy and I often outdrive people who could probably bench three times or more than what I can. The problem with them is their arms and chest is so big they lose some flexibility. They can still hit it far but for them, it's all arms.

I do think weight training is usually of benefit, though. Look at the Tour players. It seems every Tour player hits the weight room these days especially after Tiger came along.

Less weight, more reps for endurance is what you need for golf.

Yes, you don't need 'big muscles' to hit the ball far. I've been going to my son's 12-13 yr old age bracket summer golf tournaments (18 holes from men's tees) and there's a few 13 yr olds that can hit the ball 300 yrds. In his most recent tournament, one kid (i'll admit, he's a little heavier than my son, but not like some that look like they're as big as me) drove the green on a 325 yrd par4 and was putting for eagle on 4 greens ! I believe their yardage was about 6,200 yrds, so they're not playing from the ladies tees.

Now I'm a good 225-lb guy and my 12-yr-old is maybe 95 lbs soaking wet, and he can easily hit it as far as me, ~250 yrds, and the ones he doesn't I may outdrive him by 1-3 feet. Now, when I stand back and look at this skinny kid (my son), it is hard to believe he can go the same distance as me.

Recently, playing in our club 'horserace'...that starts out with 12-15 teams of 2 going off the same tee and eliminating some groups on every hole (quite a funny scene to watch 12-15 carts going out after everyone tees off), you get to see quite a few drives....the interesting thing is that some of the farthest shots look like the most effortless swings...kinda like Freddy Couples (whereas I'm sure mine looks like the John Daly type gorilla swing)

-Bulls9999

I played with a guy who was 5'9", 200 lbs and really lean.
He looked like the typical gym-rat.

His profession was personal training for golfers to build strength.
Even with his atypical build he shot 1 over beating me by 17 strokes.
Not like I was ever in the match...

Having the opportunity to play with someone so much better than you
really gives you good perspective. Twice he suggested a different club
for me to use both times leaving me pin-high.

I lift quite a bit. I am not the longest of hitters, but that is mechanics not flexability. Make sure and stretch before and after. You don't and that's when you get into trouble.

The only way that your weight work will affect your game is if you allow yourself to lose flexibility and tighten up. Being loose and relaxed is the best way to play golf.

The only problem I had with gaining strength was that my shots started going a lot farther than I was used to.

Yeah muscles arent necisarilly bad, you just got to stay flexible. I mean im 5' 8" 160lbs and 14 but I can outdrive grown men in there prime. I drive about 280-300. Mainly its in your tempo and how you contact the ball. For somone really bulky it would be hard to hit it good because you woud ue your arms way to much but not your hips enough.For example look at Mr. Woods, he hits a seven iron around 230, and while hes not small hes not huge either. Just remember stay flexible.

I don't believe it will make your game slack off...you can lift heavy, but you have to remember to stretch out well before and after your workout. Most people do no stretch their muscles back out so therefore their muscles get bigger, tighter and more restricted. Everythign i have ever read or inquired about had said that as long as your stretching out before and after yoru heavy workout you should be alright.

I doubt this...maybe with a huge wind at his back.

In general when you lift you are going to feel deffrences in how you do things. Before I started lifting I was able to make alot more baskets when playing basketball. Well after lifting for awhile my shot got worse. So I had to reworks my shots and they are back to where they used to be. When you lift you just have to readjust the way you move because of the muscles you have ot learn to control them.

I've been playing golf for a couple of years, and lifting for one...once I started lifting, I noticed a big difference in how far i hit the ball...it increased a lot. the only problem with lifting is that from time to time you can get real sore, which doesn't make for good golf.

Tiger hits a lob wedge 100 yards...so SW is 120, PW is 140, 9I is 155, 8I is 170, 7I is 185, 6I is 200, 5I is 215, 4I is 230, 3I is 240, 2I is 250, 3W is about 280 and driver is somewhere around 300.

This is all an estimate, but I'd say it's pretty accurate.

i have been golfing for seven years now, i have been lifting for 1.5 years (approx.) it has really helped my game when im hitting out of the rough, and God forbid the long *! the key to staying flexible is to keep the weight down and to do more reps. You really want to develop lean flexible muscles, not big bulky ones. You should really start a stretching routine also, once in the morning, and once at night-not to mention before and after your weight routine.