LPGA Driving Comes Long Way

Tom Spousta wrote last week about the recent increase in LPGA driving distance. The recurring theme: players are working out to take advantage of the equipment.

In other words, today's players are focused on adapting their bodies to equipment, instead of the equipment to their bodies. 

Spousta writes:

"It's the same thing we're seeing on the PGA Tour. Players are stronger and longer. They've matched up the technology to their golf swings," says Dottie Pepper, a TV analyst and on-course reporter for NBC and The Golf Channel.

And...

"There's no doubt in my mind swing speeds are increasing," says David Leadbetter, who coaches Wie and several others on both tours. "Certainly with the equipment nowadays they can go at the ball a lot harder without fear of going that much off line."

And...

"The girls are getting strong enough to see the feedback from the new technology," Pepper says. "They're finding the optimum swing speed for these balls to do what they were designed to do. It's cool stuff."

Again, this is not news.

But the theme here goes to the questions many have about steroids possibly entering golf.

After the effects of working out have leveled off, might a player be tempted to turn to performance enhancing drugs to increase clubhead speed to take advantage of equipment that disproportionately rewards high-end clubhead speeds, and in a game where course setups reward power?

Comments

[Tuco]

G-

2years ago I sat on a plane right after the US Women's Open at Pumpkin Ridge with 2 old guard LPGA members.. Of course this is hearsay and perhaps sour grapes, but they told me that many of the players particularly from the new geographic bloc that is starting to dominate events are dabbling in Human Growth Hormone.. Hello Baroid Bonds? Now this was hearsay and I don't mean to be sensational but that was what I was told..