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John Daly issues warning to golfers who work out too much

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Feb 25, 2025 11:53 PM ET

It may not look like it to the untrained eye, but John Daly is an accomplished professional athlete. Always a fan favorite, Daly has become a household name with his outlandish outfits and impressive play on the course.

Daly is also a throwback to the golfers of a bygone era — more concerned with feel for the game than raw performance or chasing certain numbers. Daly discussed the need golfers currently have to maximize their bodies, and with so many drivers taking a fitness-based approach, the legendary golfer offered an alternative.

"I think the hardcore working out is going to hurt these guys, and they won’t be playing when they’re 55, 60 years old," he said on the "Like a Farmer" podcast.

Daly said that players' tendency to focus on getting stronger and generating more club speed can lead to a lack of physical flexibility.

"I think a lot of guys lose their flexibility and so many guys are mechanical, too, they don’t have a lot. That means their body’s not equipped to taking the club back as far as I can or not fortunate to be as flexible as I can, but they work strenuous on the game and getting their their swing into exactly the way they want it, but I think working out hurts a lot of these guys, I really do."

Daly was asked how he preferred to train and work out, and he said his preparation time was better spent on figuring out how to shoot lower scores.

GRAND BLANC, MI - SEPTEMBER 14: John Daly hits his tee shot on the second hole during the first round of the Ally Challenge presented by McLaren at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club on September 14, 2018 in Grand Blanc, Michigan. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

"Mine was just practice wedges and chip and putt all day long," the golfer said when asked what he did to work out when he was a younger player.

"I could do that all day long; that’s all I did. You know, people say I don’t practice a lot, but they don’t know. When I get to a tournament, if you’re not ready, you shouldn’t have to practice as much — you should just kind of go just get warmed up basically, and a lot of times, I won’t even hit a ball; I’ll just go to the putting green, hit a few chips and go. But that’s my mentality."

Daly has been a pro since 1987 and has won 19 championships in his career. He has yet to win a major in his career, but he's still going strong on the Champions tour at 58 — a testament to his longevity in golf.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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