Golf Channel Analyst Warns Rory McIlroy That Too Much Lifting Could Hurt His Game; Rory Responds With a Video Showing Him Repping Out Heavy Squats
Rory McIlroy isn’t afraid to pump iron.
Although consistent weight room sessions are more commonly associated with NFL and NBA players than with professional golfers, McIlroy believes his lifting regimen helps him stay strong, flexible and injury-free.
But not everyone agrees with Rory’s devotion to the weight room.
Former PGA Tour pro Brandel Chamblee recently warned McIIlroy that his weight room training could eventually derail his golf game.
“I say it with a lot of trepidation, because it’s a different era for sure,” Chamblee told the Golf Channel. “I don’t know the full extent of what he’s doing, but when I see the things he’s doing in the gym, I think of what happened to Tiger Woods. And I think more than anything that what Tiger Woods did early in his career with his game was just an example of how good a human being can be, [and] what he did toward the middle and end of his career is an example to be wary of. That’s just my opinion. And it does give me a little concern when I see the extensive weightlifting that Rory is doing in the gym.”
Thanks to his dedication to the weight room, Woods gained about 30 pounds of muscle over his first 10 years on the Tour, and some analysts believe that getting muscle-bound contributed to his downfall on the course. Obviously, Chamblee is concerned the same thing could happen to Rory.
However, it doesn’t look like Rory is heeding Chamblee’s advice. When the Golf Channel’s official Twitter account tweeted out the article containing Chamblee’s quotes, Rory responded with a video showing him repping out 265-pound Squats.
@GolfChannel @chambleebrandel pic.twitter.com/tz7lSH7Z6k
— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) February 16, 2016
Considering that McIlroy measures just 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, that’s pretty impressive! His Instagram account also has numerous videos of him putting in serious work in the weight room.
In an interview with Me and My Golf, McIlroy explained how he thinks his strength training has helped improve his game.
“I really started to work on my fitness and strength in the end of 2010 and the start of 2011. It was really from an injury prevention standpoint, but also from a biomechanical standpoint. I got biomechanically analyzed and we saw that my peak club head speed was about 18 inches before I actually hit the ball. My club head was slowing down when I hit the ball. And that was because I basically had no stability in my hips, my glutes and my legs, especially in my left side. So a lot of stability work in my legs, a lot of core work,” McIlroy said.
The message is simple: Rory’s increased strength and stability helped him develop a smoother, more powerful swing. Since he currently sits at number three in the Official World Golf Rankings, we doubt that his weight room sessions will be curtailed any time soon.
RELATED: The New Age of Golf Training
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Golf Channel Analyst Warns Rory McIlroy That Too Much Lifting Could Hurt His Game; Rory Responds With a Video Showing Him Repping Out Heavy Squats
Rory McIlroy isn’t afraid to pump iron.
Although consistent weight room sessions are more commonly associated with NFL and NBA players than with professional golfers, McIlroy believes his lifting regimen helps him stay strong, flexible and injury-free.
But not everyone agrees with Rory’s devotion to the weight room.
Former PGA Tour pro Brandel Chamblee recently warned McIIlroy that his weight room training could eventually derail his golf game.
“I say it with a lot of trepidation, because it’s a different era for sure,” Chamblee told the Golf Channel. “I don’t know the full extent of what he’s doing, but when I see the things he’s doing in the gym, I think of what happened to Tiger Woods. And I think more than anything that what Tiger Woods did early in his career with his game was just an example of how good a human being can be, [and] what he did toward the middle and end of his career is an example to be wary of. That’s just my opinion. And it does give me a little concern when I see the extensive weightlifting that Rory is doing in the gym.”
Thanks to his dedication to the weight room, Woods gained about 30 pounds of muscle over his first 10 years on the Tour, and some analysts believe that getting muscle-bound contributed to his downfall on the course. Obviously, Chamblee is concerned the same thing could happen to Rory.
However, it doesn’t look like Rory is heeding Chamblee’s advice. When the Golf Channel’s official Twitter account tweeted out the article containing Chamblee’s quotes, Rory responded with a video showing him repping out 265-pound Squats.
@GolfChannel @chambleebrandel pic.twitter.com/tz7lSH7Z6k
— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) February 16, 2016
Considering that McIlroy measures just 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, that’s pretty impressive! His Instagram account also has numerous videos of him putting in serious work in the weight room.
In an interview with Me and My Golf, McIlroy explained how he thinks his strength training has helped improve his game.
“I really started to work on my fitness and strength in the end of 2010 and the start of 2011. It was really from an injury prevention standpoint, but also from a biomechanical standpoint. I got biomechanically analyzed and we saw that my peak club head speed was about 18 inches before I actually hit the ball. My club head was slowing down when I hit the ball. And that was because I basically had no stability in my hips, my glutes and my legs, especially in my left side. So a lot of stability work in my legs, a lot of core work,” McIlroy said.
The message is simple: Rory’s increased strength and stability helped him develop a smoother, more powerful swing. Since he currently sits at number three in the Official World Golf Rankings, we doubt that his weight room sessions will be curtailed any time soon.
RELATED: The New Age of Golf Training