Different day, same old story. The dinosaurs of the game can’t comprehend the idea of golfers going to the gym and hitting massive drives. A man at the forefront of this topic of “is his workout regimen hurting his game”, is Rory McIlroy.
We’ve heard criticism from numerous broadcasters, including Brandel Chamblee, who say that his injuries and poor playing are a byproduct of his gym routine. While some of these allegations may have some truth behind them, Rory felt the need to put these people in their place, again.
“Honestly, I haven’t lifted a weight all year, and it’s tough for me to come out and sort of say I don’t,” McIlroy said at the Travelers Championship. “But I literally have — the most I’ve lifted in the gym is 15 pounds this year because of my injury. I’m nowhere near as strong as I used to be. I’m not. But I don’t need to be. I feel like physically if I’m stable and I’m strong in the right areas, I’m okay.
“So at least I can’t be criticized for that this year.”
And yet he still is. Paul Azinger recently called him out in a completely uncalled for way, by calling him every girl’s worst nightmare… pudgy. He was quoted saying, “Pudgy Rory never got hurt, but fit Rory’s getting hurt a lot. I question fitness. If you think fitness makes you better it probably makes you better. But I guess there’s a point of diminishing return, if you’re not careful.”
Most athletes are pushed to the brink with their workout routines, pushing themselves to be the best in their field. In golf, you’re criticised if you workout too much and you’re criticized if you have a body like John Daly. Sure, Rory might have gotten injured, but he also made it to the top by pushing himself, and he’s not the only one.
Pro’s Who Hit The Gym:
It seems as if the notion of fitness in the golfing world hasn’t quite translated to the older crowd, which McIlroy pointed out.
“You feel like golf is a nostalgic game, so people are very — it wasn’t like it used to be,” said McIlroy. “But there is this new way of coming through that you need to modernize golf. There are some people that are sort of stuck in the era that they played and some people that want to move on from that.”
To this point, Rory also pointed out how commentators and media are quick to compare players and their successes to players in the past who they think “did it better”.
“Even what Justin Thomas did last week shooting 63, everyone compares it to something somebody did in the ’70s. It’s like why do we have to do that? Why can’t we just see it as what it is, an unbelievable score. Nine under, the lowest score ever shot in the U.S. Open, and leave it at that. Not have to compare it back in the day when people think golf was better, not better, whatever.”
Killer instinct? @RickieFowler would've had to shoot 66 just to get in a playoff Sunday. Brooks WON that event, rick (&myself)didn't lose it https://t.co/0mVeV4CkzF
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 20, 2017
Why can’t a player win or break a record without being told they could have done it better or someone already has done it better? The golfers who are in the field now should be appreciated for their abilities, not criticised for them.
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