Examples of Successful Muscular Players

By: Bob Boldt


In addition to thin, short and portly golfers, the game has seen its share of successful players with muscular physiques. Here are some shining examples of that body type.

Muscular Players

Arnold Palmer - 5'10" 180 pounds (62 PGA Tour wins, 10 senior tour titles, 95 professional wins overall)

Nicknamed "The King," Palmer is one of the most charismatic and successful professionals to ever play. A member of the famed "Big Three" (the other two are Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player), Palmer was a fan favorite for over three decades even though Nicklaus won more majors (18 to seven).

I played many rounds with Arnold both on the PGA and Champions tours and I can honestly say I never saw him hit a ball out of play. Built like a light-heavyweight boxer with Popeye-like arms, Arnold needed a blocked follow-through to keep his swing plane from crossing over and hooking the ball, which resulted in a low, extremely straight trajectory.

Camilo Villegas - 5'9" 170 pounds (nine professional wins)

Villegas drew fame for showing off his ultra-fit body when he reads a putt. He crouches down on one leg, parallel to the ground without touching it. He is nicknamed "Spiderman" on the tour for his muscular physique. The Colombian averages 300-yard-plus drives with a semi-blocked finish.

Jim Thorpe - 5'10" 210 pounds (18 professional wins)

Thorpe is built like Mike Tyson. The finish to his swing is similar to Palmer's but even more exaggerated with a windmill reverse-block finish. The reason muscular golfers have blocked finishes is in their difficulty getting their right sides underneath the ball through the hitting area.

John Jacobs - 6'3" 225 pounds (11 professional wins)

I have known John since my amateur days and played with him on the Champions Tour. He was as long as anyone during his professional career. Even with a very short three-quarter backswing, he generated power with the exceptional strength of his arms and legs. John was not a straight hitter due to his rather fast tempo, which did not allow him to stay under the ball in the hitting area, one of the reasons he never won on the PGA Tour.

Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey - 6'0" 190 pounds (nine professional wins)

Tommy could be the strongest professional on tour. Before becoming a professional he worked in a factory wrapping insulation around hot water heaters in an assembly line. Tommy's swing, due to his muscular build, is jerky. The only way he can assemble his moving body parts into a workable position in the hitting area is with a semi-violent move downward, his back foot down at impact and a blocked finish in order to keep the ball from duck-hooking. Tommy is my No. 1 muscular professional for finding a way to hit the golf ball and win on the PGA Tour.

Sergio Garcia - 5'10" 175 pounds (26 professional wins)

Sergio has built his body through weightlifting and has added 20 to 30 yards to his drives. He has a flat swing with a bowed left wrist that reroutes into the downswing. Sergio has been in the top-10 worldwide rankings for 15 years, with career earnings of over $28 million.

Golf Tip for Muscular Players

Muscular golfers must find a swing that counterbalances their physiques, both on the backswing and follow-through. This is the most difficult body type to have a consistent swing plane and stay behind the ball at impact.

Bob Boldt turned 77 in September 2014. Married for 31 years to Patricia, the father of two - including two sons, Rob and Jason, who are golf professionals and excellent players - played on the PGA and Champions tours for dozens of years, earning multiple victories in his amateur and professional careers.

Boldt, who attended Cal and became the Bears' men's golf coach, is a long-time native of Northern California and currently the director of golf at Vintners Golf Club in Yountville, where he is one of state's most recognized golf instructors. He received the Northern California PGA Section Junior Golf Leader Award in 1999.