Are golfers really athletes?

I'm seeing wayy too may scrawning muscles and underdeveloped bodies among these "elites" right now.

exactly

top running shape

yes and they are in top golfing shape. Runners do not have to be scrawny and nonmuscular (Motram. Solinsky.) Golfers do not have to be beer bellies and man boobs, but like the scrawny runner and the manboob golfer...IT WORKS. So let them keep doing what we cannot

no

Well, to be an athlete, you have to play a sport. Therefore, golfers are not athletes.

I would put in the highly developed skill category.

However, it's uncanny how many pitchers, quarterbacks, and otherwise superb athletes become scratch golfers. At the highest levels it's all about muscle memory, practice, practice, and the mental game. You don't need to be a great athlete to hit this level. But it can help.

Don't be bitter that you lack the coordination to play golf. Have your daddy explain to you that athletes come in all sizes and shapes. David Oliver might chuckle at your physique and say,"Oh yeah, an obvious distance runner or a tweaker."

Mentally, yes.

ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd wrote:

Well, to be an athlete, you have to play a sport. Therefore, golfers are not athletes.

"Well, to be an athlete, you have to play a sport."

Running is more along the lines of exercising. Therefore, by your logic, runners are not athletes.

AMrunner800 wrote:

Runners do not have to be scrawny and nonmuscular (Motram. Solinsky.)

I think 99% of the general populace would describe Mottram or Solinsky as "skinny" and "nonmuscular."

how are you equating a thin runner with an overweight golfer???

generally, thinness is a pretty good indicator of good health, which (again, generally) can be a pretty good indicator of athleticism.

can the same be said of man boobs and beer guts?

The average masters round was over 5 hours. So for some of the guys, for 4 straight days they went out and walked for over 5 hours. Thats pretty damn impressive. Also, Lefty's caddie has said that Phil drinks 9+ bottles of water during a round to stay hydrated. So to me, yes athletes.

Talking about this finely tuned thoroughbred of an athlete?

http://www.espn.go.com/photo/2006/0619/pga_a_mickelson1_195.jpg

They might be on their feet for five hours but they aren't walking for five hours. Hell, a cashier is on their feet longer than five hours, are they better athletes than golfers?

Yes, but their sport is a highly skill based sport as opposed to a highly conditioning based sport such as running.

All sports contain a certain amount of both conditioning and skill and the mixture will vary by sport. Endurance sports such as swimming, biking or running are prodiminately conditioning sports, while sports such as golf, table tennis and archery are more skill based sports. But I believe the conditioning aspects of golf have grown substainially in the last 25 years.

huh??. wrote:

how are you equating a thin runner with an overweight golfer???

generally, thinness is a pretty good indicator of good health, which (again, generally) can be a pretty good indicator of athleticism.

can the same be said of man boobs and beer guts?

You are defining "athleticsm" as "thinness...a good indicator of health," which is an incorrect assumption. I know PLENTY of "skinny" (aka "athletic") who are no where close to being any sort of athlete.

Are shot putters not athletes? "Waaaaa, but they have FAT on them! Waaaaa! It's not fair! They are not SKINNY!"

Again, running is more of an exercise than a sport. Running, at best, requires one (ONE!) skill set in order to compete. REAL sports (basketball, soccer, football, hockey, etc) not only require a set of physical attributes in order to compete (strength, speed, mobility, jumping, etc,) but also require so developed skill to go along with it (ball handling, technique and form master, etc). I can't tell you how many runners I know, when given a ball, club, raquet, bat, WHATEVER, they wouldn't know the first thng to do with it.

"But what about the fatties in football waaaaaa." Team sports require specialized skills from its participants in order for the team to function. The whole works together to compete.

Trolling aside, all this loathing and jealousy from many runners simply comes from insecurity. "Why doesn't anyone pay attention to me and my sport! It's not FAAAIR!" I had a team mate in college who was also on the school paper and half her articles were about how running gets no respect and that it was the "truest" sport. Every single thread on letsrun about how other sports aren't REAL sports stems from this insecurity. Our sport is not the most popular of sports amongst the general public, so as a way for many runners to validate themselves as "true" athletes, they must put other sports down.

A true "sportsman" appreciates other sports for the skill AND athleticsm they require. Insecure people bitch, moan, complain, and put others down.

You don't have to be a good athelete to be a good golfer. John Daly smoked 2-3 packs a day and was a drunk, overweight tub of lard. But a great golfer.

You can, however, be a great athlete and a great golfer.

Chubs wrote:

You don't have to be a good athelete to be a good golfer. John Daly smoked 2-3 packs a day and was a drunk, overweight tub of lard. But a great golfer.

You can, however, be a great athlete and a great golfer.

Again, variables are being assigned which has no bearing on the definition of being an "athlete." Who care if he smokes and drinks? How does than affect "athleticsm?" Are nutrionists naturally athletes? They lead healthy lifestyles and don't drink or smoke (generally). Babe Ruth smoked and drank, and he is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Shaq drinks and is fat, yet he is one of the best centers of all time. HENRY RONO (with all due respect) smoked and drank and still was a force to be reckoned with!

Are pro dart throwers really athletes? Curlers? Professional Fisherman? Horseshoe competitors?

These people are sportsmen (and women), but IMHO the are not athletes. The minimal amount of fitness required for these sports cancels them out of the athlete category.