Can Tiger Woods Be Compared To Michael Phelps?
By Sneaks Javaho
Sorry, not buying it.
I love golf and all but a golfer is not a swimmer.
Heard one guy say that golf is the toughest mental game around. I wonder how they came to that conclusion. How do you measure this and decipher which sports are more “mental” than others? What, downhill skiers, motor racers and baseball pitchers and hitters are chopped liver?
Others talk about how Woods brings an athlete’s mentality to golf and works out like an animal. Good on him but how does this make him equal to Phelps?
Hey, no one disputes how hard and technical golf can be. Moreover and more importantly it’s amazing what Woods has done for golf. But I fear if we tend to overdo it a little when it comes to Woods. Much was made about his triumph at the Masters playing on a torn ACL. Newsflash: you can do a lot of things on a torn ACL. BUT YOU CAN’T PLAY SOCCER, FOOTBALL, HOCKEY, BASEBALL OR BASKETBALL on a torn ACL.
I’m not talking about how each dominates their disciplines either.
I’m talking about sheer physical, powerful, endurance. In this way, how can one compare a golfer to a swimmer and keep a straight face?
I think sometimes golf is confused with real sports.
So yes, I’m of the opinion Woods should not be compared to Phelps and many other dominating athletes. He is the greatest golfer ever and leave it at that.
10 Responses to “Can Tiger Woods Be Compared To Michael Phelps?”
Leave a Reply
um - clearly you have never assembled a golf swing that is capable of hitting a ball 340 yards or a set of skills that is capable of consistently sinking putts of 40 feet golf, at this level, s every inch a sport, even just in terms of sheer physical exertion, conditioning, and precision - what Phelps did in terms of preparation and concentration over the few days he was in competition at the Olympics was roughly equivalent to what Woods has done during the few days he was in competition during any of the 13 majors he has one - that’s right, I am saying Woods is 13 Michael Phelps - at least - 10 yrs v. 4 days - the physical side is a wash - do some research - try it with your body - swimming is a lot easier, even just physically, than golfing - and it was the US Open he won, on a torn ACL AND a fractured tibia, not the Masters
I can’t speak for Sneaks, but thanks.
Both sports demand different application of physical and mental talent.
Furthermore and more importantly, thanks for pointing out the error.
We hope to avoid this in the future - though we have no fact checkers to help out!
We’re always looking for golf writers.
Tiger is one of the greatest athletes of our time. And he isn’t finished yet.
Michael Phelps is arguably the best swimmer in the planet right now.
They are the same when they achieve the things in their sports.
No need to disrespect either of them.
Specially Tiger who has been a beacon on what a sports hero is all about.
1. learn how to spell
2. learn your facts-Tiger won the US Open with a torn ACL, not the masters
3. both sports are difficult in different ways
4. Phelps will never be the “advertisers’ dream” that Tiger is
Hello Mary,
1. Where are the spelling errors?
2. Acknowledged in comments.
3. Yes. Personally, I think swimmers are from another planet.
4. Maybe. But who cares? He’s doing fine.
Man, golfers are a rabid bunch! Who knew? Good stuff.
A kind reminder, because I get the sense someone is going to come here and lose it, all comments deemed inappropriate and don’t contribute to the discussion will be either edited or deleted. The author is entitled to his opinion and stated his case - and yeah he selected the wrong tournament…move on. Shit happens.
I will post examples of “good” comments and “bad” comments on our ‘About’ pages.
Thanks.
Nicely put, Sneaks.
You know you’ve ruffled feathers when the biggest argument is an attack on a minor factual error.
No comparison. Golf is an interesting game (it’s not a sport, unless one counts darts and shuffleboard a sport…in which case, so is poker and Yahtzee) but Tiger is not an athlete in the sense that Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Michael Phelps, et cetera are. He may be physically fit, but take a look at any gym filled with sculpted specimens-they aren’t atheletes, either.
I promise you, only golfers will take issue with your very prescient viewpoint. Tiger is a mythical beast, he quells national feelings of guilt and helps the PGA take big strides toward overcoming the stridently racist viewpoints of many of its members. Amen for Tiger, but don’t dip the man in gold.
Yeah, the mistake had little to do with the overall argument.
You can be a John Daly and play golf but you can’t be a John Daly and swim a race.
Unless my logic is flawed.
You can play football on a torn ACL (at least for some short period). One exapmle-defensive standout, Shawne Merriman (San Diego Chargers) played at least one game this season (perhaps others last season) with a torn ACL before having surgery.
Not to mention the prescribed rehab for Tiger and other golfers may be longer due to the torsional stress of the golf swing vs. the straight ahead explosiveness of a football player.
Factchecker, thank God you inserted “at least for some period). But it’s an interesting point.
Here’s my take.
I guess you can wing it but I knew Merriman wasn’t going to last. You can’t play pro sports and have an ACL tear.
You must be wondering what the hell do I know? Well, I’m a veteran of two ACL surgeries. It’s an extremely serious injury that prevents you from playing at full throttle. It’s no fun lemme tell you but if you love to play sports you have no choice but to have the surgery.
I “played” soccer on it but I had to do it playing at maybe 50% capacity - and the knee kept giving way. All I did was inflict more damage to my knee. You have to protect the knee. Sports like soccer (where I think most cases of ACL reside), hockey, football, basketball are sports that demand high impact and extreme lateral movements.
Ever notice how athletes who tear the ACL are done for the season? Erik Johnson (hockey), Tom Brady, Milton Bradley etc. The ACL is a stabilizer in the knee.
Regardless of what sport you play, the average rehab is 9-12 months. Athletes are on the lower end of that scale.
Personally, both Phelps and Woods are masters of their sports disciplines. Both represent their countries well, demonstrate good sportmanship on the golf course/pool and are consistent champions winning in every event entered.