Steroids and Golf

[boots]

Will this fixation with the needle ever end?
http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2940886

 

[TwoGloves]

Gary Player is an obnoxious, arrogant ass.

 

[MartinEnigmatica]

I just saw this, and I can't imagine many benefits. If someone can clue me in, that'd be great.
But risk vs. reward seems to be tipped way in favor of the risk. If a golfer's buying HGH to gain 50 yards on his drive, someone ought to take his nine-iron and beat him over the head.

 

[beefncheddar]

Hmmm.

Just to gain distance? Can't see that being terribly useful, though if you're a smaller guy it might be. However, isn't one of the benefits the ability to lift longer and more often? Rather than using it to lift, wouldn't there be benefit to being able to practice more often and harder?

And my guess is that there's plenty of guys on lesser tours willing to do whatever it takes to shave a stroke or two off their average. It's the difference between playing for hundreds and thousands, and playing for hundreds of thousands.

 

[Claws for Concern]

John Daly's on Diet Coke, cigarettes and Big Macs.

 

[cranberry]

I'm personally opposed to testing without cause but there would be benefits to golfers using PEDs. Slightly off topic, I wrote a story about whether the PGA should adopt a program to deal with drugs of abuse back in '86, I believe, in the wake of the "drugs in the dugout" scandal and the NCAA beginning its drug-testing program. The PGA tour pr dude was aghast I was writing the piece. Trevino and Zoeller both laughed it off, saying the young guys who exercised all the time was making it difficult on old-school drinkers like them. Others said golf is all about the honor system or that you couldn't survive on the tour if you were doing blow or whatever.

 

[Mmac]

If a golfer's buying HGH to gain 50 yards on his drive, someone ought to take his nine-iron and beat him over the head.

For some guys on the fringe, that extra 50 yards on their drive can mean the difference between making the cut and not, between having a career as PGA golfer and having to get a real job like the rest of us.

 

[Freelance Hack]

Any power you'd gain on your drives through steroids, HGH or other PEDs, you'd **** away as much (if not more) touch on your putting and pitching.

 

[Twoback]

Any power you'd gain on your drives through steroids, HGH or other PEDs, you'd **** away as much (if not more) touch on your putting and pitching.

Wow.
Shows there still are many out there who still have no idea how steroids work. Of course we knew that because the baseball witch hunters still aren't looking at pitchers, even though pitchers have been caught with the needles sticking out of their arms.

 

[Freelance Hack]

Any power you'd gain on your drives through steroids, HGH or other PEDs, you'd **** away as much (if not more) touch on your putting and pitching.

Wow.
Shows there still are many out there who still have no idea how steroids work. Of course we knew that because the baseball witch hunters still aren't looking at pitchers, even though pitchers have been caught with the needles sticking out of their arms.

I know how 'roids and PEDs work, thank you very much.

If you use steroids to bulk up in an attempt to hit the ball farther then you will lose the touch needed to master the greens. At best, it's a wash.

Are you seriously trying to tell me that someone who bulks up won't have putting problems? Do you not know how to play golf?

 

[armageddon]

Any power you'd gain on your drives through steroids, HGH or other PEDs, you'd **** away as much (if not more) touch on your putting and pitching.

Wow.
Shows there still are many out there who still have no idea how steroids work. Of course we knew that because the baseball witch hunters still aren't looking at pitchers, even though pitchers have been caught with the needles sticking out of their arms.

I know how 'roids and PEDs work, thank you very much.

If you use steroids to bulk up in an attempt to hit the ball farther then you will lose the touch needed to master the greens. At best, it's a wash.

Are you seriously trying to tell me that someone who bulks up won't have putting problems? Do you not know how to play golf?

Ah, not to be an ass-hat Mr. Hack but your assertion sounds similar to the folks who warned hoops players against the dangers of lifting weights when I was in high school more than three decades ago. They claimed you'd lose your shooting touch. ::)

They were wrong then, as is the assertion about putting. Woods' didn't get that body by looking at weights and his touch seems just fine, thank you very much.

 

[Freelance Hack]

Tiger's touch is just fine? Really? Because his putting cost him several strokes at Oakmont last month.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

any of these slaps bother to ask Player how steroids will help a guy with his hip and shoulder rotation and wrist snap, which basically give golfers their power?

I think the golfer he's referring to is Laura Davies

 

[ThomsonONE]

Any power you'd gain on your drives through steroids, HGH or other PEDs, you'd **** away as much (if not more) touch on your putting and pitching.

Wow.
Shows there still are many out there who still have no idea how steroids work. Of course we knew that because the baseball witch hunters still aren't looking at pitchers, even though pitchers have been caught with the needles sticking out of their arms.

I know how 'roids and PEDs work, thank you very much.

If you use steroids to bulk up in an attempt to hit the ball farther then you will lose the touch needed to master the greens. At best, it's a wash.

Are you seriously trying to tell me that someone who bulks up won't have putting problems? Do you not know how to play golf?

From that statement it seems like you don't understand. You can use steroids to gain strength and stamina, not just to bulk up. Harvey Penick advocated not doing any strength training other than swinging a weighted golf club. His idea was to gain strength in muscles that worked in the golf swing only. Looking back, how stupid is that? Yet it was considered gospel for decades.

Steroids will help you in ANY athletic endeavour. Golf should test, I don't understand why people are calling Player out on this.

 

[Twoback]

Any power you'd gain on your drives through steroids, HGH or other PEDs, you'd **** away as much (if not more) touch on your putting and pitching.

Wow.
Shows there still are many out there who still have no idea how steroids work. Of course we knew that because the baseball witch hunters still aren't looking at pitchers, even though pitchers have been caught with the needles sticking out of their arms.

I know how 'roids and PEDs work, thank you very much.

If you use steroids to bulk up in an attempt to hit the ball farther then you will lose the touch needed to master the greens. At best, it's a wash.

Are you seriously trying to tell me that someone who bulks up won't have putting problems? Do you not know how to play golf?

So Tiger's a lesser player now than when he was 13?
Is that what you're trying to tell me?
Tiger Woods has not "bulked up"? Did you see him walking down the fairways at Oakmont in that red pullover? It looked like the freaking Batman costume, with the muscles in plastic mold. I'd imagine it was done naturally, but that's not my point. The point is that they've been talking for years about how Tiger's strength forced others on the Tour into the fitness trailer. Tiger's strength has not prevented him from winning 15 major tournaments (the Amateurs count, if they count for Bobby Jones, they count for Tiger and Jack).

For what I hope is the last time, but I'm certain will not be, steroids are not simply employed for the purpose of "bulking up." They are employed to help athletes who train with recovery time. In the case of those who choose to build muscle, they can work out for longer periods of time with greater intensity. That leads to greater muscle gains.
If you're a pitcher, or a marathon runner or, I don't know, a golfer, you might not be searching for extreme muscle gains. That does not mean you would not wish your recovery time to be accelerated and that steroids would not be of benefit to you.
School is out.
No need to thank me.

 

[Barsuk]

I just saw this, and I can't imagine many benefits. If someone can clue me in, that'd be great.
But risk vs. reward seems to be tipped way in favor of the risk. If a golfer's buying HGH to gain 50 yards on his drive, someone ought to take his nine-iron and beat him over the head.

Every year at Q-school there are several guys who barely miss getting their card. Many of them would succeed if they were hitting wedges into greens instead of 5-irons and 6-irons.

So, yeah, 50 yards makes a big difference at that level.