Once upon a time, long, long ago, boxing trainers used to tell their boxers to avoid hanky panky with their lady friends while training for a bout because, as Micky said in “Rocky,” women weaken legs. This was a pretty widespread belief in the wide world of sports. It essentially meant that spending “quality time” with your significant other would lessen your testosterone and would lead to a lack of focus among other things. This was largely a myth, of course, but it seems this line of thinking might be making a comeback.
Well, for golf legend Tiger Woods anyway.
Woods, who is set to play in the 2024 Masters tournament, is apparently abstaining from sexual activity as part of his preparation for the upcoming event. Well, that’s what a friend told the media.
“He’s focused,” the friend said in comments delivered to the New York Post. “He’s working really hard in the gym. He’s eating right. He’s even eliminated sex.”
“He does that now when he’s preparing — no sex until the tournament is over. He doesn’t want anything to take away his focus,” the friend added.
Here’s more from Fox News:
Woods is single after a six-year relationship with Erica Herman, his former girlfriend who tried suing him for $30 million in an attempt to rid herself of a non-disclosure agreement she signed. She dropped the case in November. Woods’ focus on the course is legendary, but this is a first to hear how he’s preparing for another major tournament.
However, abstaining from sex isn’t anything new in sports. It’s common among fighters in boxing and mixed martial arts, as research has shown it can raise testosterone levels. Mike Tyson once said he went five years without sex during his prime fighting years, while Muhammad Ali said he would abstain from sex six weeks before big bouts.
Told you! See, I told you! Okay, so maybe it’s not exactly a myth, but it’s definitely a bit over hyped as an effective method of preparing for a contest.
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But not everyone agrees that it’s the best way to lock in before an athletic performance. NFL Hall of Famer Joe Namath told Playboy in his heyday that sex before games would help him “get rid of the kind of nervous tension that an athlete doesn’t need.”
I mean, that makes much more sense, don’t you think? Then again, I’m not a sports medicine professional so I basically don’t have a clue what I’m talking about.
Woods has had many big moments since he turned pro in the ‘90s, and he has 15 major wins to show for it, including five green jackets from the Masters. Woods has yet to officially announce his plans for Augusta National Golf Club next week, though he is in the Masters field. The friend told the Post that Woods is letting his inner circle know he’ll be playing.
The friend who spoke with the Post stated that Woods is currently in Augusta, Georgia, and has played a round already at the course.
Woods was not able to compete at the Genesis Invitational in February, because of an illness that resulted in an ambulance being sent to Los Angeles’ Riviera Country Club to provide him with an IV bag to replenish fluids. The golfing legend said he had flu-like symptoms, and despite having a pretty good opening round, he was forced to withdraw from the event.
“Woods, the PGA Tour’s co-leader in all-time career wins, competed at the Masters in 2023 and made more history at Augusta by tying Gary Player and Fred Couples for the most consecutive tournament cuts made (23). However, he never finished the tournament. Woods withdrew after aggravating his plantar fasciitis,” the report concluded.