Walking really is better

[John Burzynski]

Study shows physical exertion, walking can improve your golf game, health

http://www.examiner.com/x-1339-Denver-Golf-Examiner~y2008m12d24-Study-shows-physical-exertion-walking-can-improve-your-golf-game-health

I guess the study is only on 8 golfers, an admittedly small sample, over 'several' rounds.   Obviously more calories were burned walking (no great surprise), but scores were better walking with a caddie or cart than driving a cart, but solo carrying your own bag netted the worst score of all.

From the article:
Players’  nine-hole averages (40 with push cart, 42 with caddie) were better than when riding in the motor cart (43). “It gets back to the idea that walking gives you a certain amount of time to think about a shot, to rehearse, go through the stuff," he said. "Where in a golf cart, you're holding on, then, boom, you've got to get up, go to the ball and make a decision pretty quickly." Scores for those who carried were worse (an average of 45). "Some people say, 'I play better golf when I'm carrying,"' Wolkodoff said. "But this study says, 'No. A carry bag is not necessarily better.' It's not an intuitive thought for people."


This pretty well mirrors my personal game, unless I am carrying my Sunday bag with 8-10 clubs.  Strictly carrying my own bag seems to sometimes cause the last few holes to self destruct due to tiredness.  But that's golf...

[Rob Rigg]

Mackenzie Walker + 10 clubs + towel + a few balls and tees = All I will ever need to enjoy a round of golf.

If people were to carry their bags all the time, and thus improve their fitness even more, then their scores would probably drop to where they would be with a push cart.

Still, very positive to see a correlation between walking and better scores even though the population size of the test was probably way too small for it to be statistically significant.

[Jim_Kennedy]

John,
I think the only thing of value from the 'study' is that you'll burn more calories walking then riding, Duh! 

Someone who normally rides probably wouldn't play better if he suddenly had to walk, same for the walker who's suddenly thrust into a cart. Given time they'd adjust and go back to their standard games.

   

[Melvyn Morrow]

I just have to comment

It’s not April the First, not Fools Day is it?  Has someone really come out and said that?

What have I been doing all my life, I never in a month of Sundays would have come to that conclusion. So a local fitness expert has DISCOVERED that walking while carrying or pushing your club cart helps burn off the calories. The next thing I expect to hear is that some one has come up with a new game called, GOLF.

Is this for real, sorry but I find it sad that someone can actually come out with that – I mean the word Discovered. To me it speaks volumes. It would appear that large sections of our game have forgotten how golf was played, certainly up to and just past the Second World War.

Sorry Guys, but what happened to the education system, whatever happened to basic common sense? I expect because there are no electronic aids to explain the advantages of walking most have decided to ride as now we have become so reliant on these aids that we are unable to think for oneself.

The next thing we are going to be told is that our Governments have discovered tax.

Melvyn

[Kyle Harris]

The next thing we are going to be told is that our Governments have discovered tax.

Melvyn

Why, we'll just have to revolt and declare our own independence then!

[Melvyn Morrow]

What again? 

[Bob_Huntley]

A recent study from one of our universities concluded just the opposite. They produced data to show that swing efficiency for walkers dropped off in the later holes on the back nine.

Bob

[Carl Nichols]

This study is very helpful.  Now I know that the next time I show up for a match pushing a cart and I'm playing a guy who's carrying, I'm already 10 strokes ahead. 

[Steve Lang]

 8 what about having a sandwich at the turn? with or without jalapenos.. i always find them little peppers get me sweating

[John Burzynski]

I just have to comment

It’s not April the First, not Fools Day is it?  Has someone really come out and said that?

What have I been doing all my life, I never in a month of Sundays would have come to that conclusion. So a local fitness expert has DISCOVERED that walking while carrying or pushing your club cart helps burn off the calories. The next thing I expect to hear is that some one has come up with a new game called, GOLF.

Is this for real, sorry but I find it sad that someone can actually come out with that – I mean the word Discovered. To me it speaks volumes. It would appear that large sections of our game have forgotten how golf was played, certainly up to and just past the Second World War.

Sorry Guys, but what happened to the education system, whatever happened to basic common sense? I expect because there are no electronic aids to explain the advantages of walking most have decided to ride as now we have become so reliant on these aids that we are unable to think for oneself.

The next thing we are going to be told is that our Governments have discovered tax.

Melvyn

Melvyn:

I thought you'd be impressed with the study, not because it said you burned more calories walking (duh, that doesn't take a PHD to figure out), but that the study maintained that the scores for the golfers were, on average, lower when they walked with a caddie or hand cart than when they took motorized carts.

I would like to see a larger more organized study on this with a larger sampling group.  I think that a golfer walking is often more in touch with the course and plans out his next shot better than a golfer cruising the course in a motorized cart. 

[Bill_McBride]

A recent study from one of our universities concluded just the opposite. They produced data to show that swing efficiency for walkers dropped off in the later holes on the back nine.

Bob

Bob, I think that's for occasional walkers.  If you walk all the time, there shouldn't be any drop off in energy.

[Sean_A]

Bill

I walk all the time and without a doubt my energy can get sapped near the end of a game.  If its hot, really windy or if I am playing several days in a row are all common times for me to get lazy with the swing near the end of the round.  Consequently, I don't believe carts should be legal for competitive rounds.  As is evidenced by how much some modern pros work out, conditioning is an essential aspect of golf and a well conditioned golfer should not automatically forfeit this advantage to cart users. 

Ciao

[Tim Bert]

A recent study from one of our universities concluded just the opposite. They produced data to show that swing efficiency for walkers dropped off in the later holes on the back nine.

Bob

Bob, I think that's for occasional walkers.  If you walk all the time, there shouldn't be any drop off in energy.

Bill

I beg to differ.  The last few holes of the third round of the day at Pacific Dunes are always a killer.

[Steve Lang]

  but the subject experiment was for 9 hole stretches..

i have no doubt that using a push cart is better than carrying..  I've kicked myself for maintaining three purist attitudes that were clearly unnecessary to physical and mental health.. 1) single vs two shoulder strap, 2) lay-down vs support leg bag, and 3) carrying vs 3-wheel cart

these items are most evident in a 4.5 hour round, not as much in a 3 hour round.. no rocket science there!

p.s.  and you can play on your courses when they're closed!

[Rich Goodale]

A recent study from one of our universities concluded just the opposite. They produced data to show that swing efficiency for walkers dropped off in the later holes on the back nine.

Bob

Bob, I think that's for occasional walkers.  If you walk all the time, there shouldn't be any drop off in energy.

Bill

I beg to differ.  The last few holes of the third round of the day at Pacific Dunes are always a killer.

I fully agree.  I could only manage 52 holes last time I tried it.....

[Norbert P]

. . . The last few holes of the third round of the day at Pacific Dunes are always a killer.

I fully agree.  I could only manage 52 holes last time I tried it.....

I remember that day. I believe you and Darren Kilfara were the only ones to go for the free round into the dark.  We salute you.  I guess the question is, did you, could you, play the next day?

Why is it golfers want to play with all the same rules as the pros but a large portion of them disregard that credo when it comes to riding carts?