Most of us who play the game of golf are not pro-golfers, most of us indeed are not even decent amateurs. Let’s face it- you’re most likely a hacker. But we’ll do almost anything to overcome our usual mediocrity and inconsistency, even if all it amounts to is putting one over on friends at the weekend. So when word gets out that Phil Mickelson is chewing gum to improve his focus on the course, we’re intrigued as to the composition of this gum. Could it be CBD-infused?
Though not definitive, a 2011 study by psychologists at St. Lawrence University found that students who chewed gum and then discarded it performed demanding cognitive tasks like repeating numbers backwards and solving complex logic puzzles better than those who did not chew gum. Team Mickelson took that on board when their leader started to lapse in concentration more than he would like. The New York Times reports that 5-time Major winner Mickelson, 48, said he chews two pieces per round, but would not divulge the type or brand. “It’s not on the market yet,” he said. CBD gum does exist and the qualities of CBD are purported to treat a variety of symptoms, including joint inflammation.
Could CBD help you play better golf?
Of course, until Phil comes clean, this is just idle speculation, but it’s worth noting that ‘Lefty’ admitted he’s struggled with arthritis in recent years, so it’s not beyond possibility. And why not? Since the World Anti-Doping Agency removed CBD from its banned substance list in 2018, the PGA Tour Anti-Doping organization does not list CBD as a prohibited substance for players.
Helping with focus is one aspect but the physical side is also a concern for golfers. Although lacking the physical contact physicality of other sports, it does require a lot of repetitive stresses.
Between multiple swings and bending in training and competition as well as the fitness work many choose to incorporate these days, there is a toll and golf is open to suggestions, such as alternatives to unhealthy painkillers. Colorado-based Functional Remedies even signed up PGA Tour Champions player Scott McCarron as an endorser last year.
Potential cure for the Yips?
Who knows the future interrelationship of golf and CBD – Could it cure the ‘Yips’ for example?
This is way down the list of priorities for scientists, apart from golf-playing scientists, but there are studies that show results which might indicate an aid to nervous golfers. For example, the National Institute on Drug Abuse says that CBD has been shown to reduce stress in animal studies. Symptoms of anxiety, like increased heart rate, also improved in study subjects.
Another high profile recent study in Brazil used MRI technology to monitor the effects of CBD on brain chemistry and found study participants shows significantly enhanced confidence when performing in a public speaking test. Remedy Review referred to that study in golfing parlance, saying, ‘In this context, public speaking might be akin to standing on the first tee looking over a pond to a narrow landing spot.’
Finally, the US Masters in April saw one of its most memorable climaxes when Tiger Woods secured a major for the first time in 11 years but less well known is that the US PGA sent a memo to golfers in the lead up to the tournament advising on all matters CBD, in terms of consumption during play. There could be no clearer signal that pro golfers are seeing something in CBD that the wider golfing community will surely follow.
Conclusion: CBD is beginning to emerge as an essential, as golfers of all standards continue to look for physical benefits of CBD and mental edge.
