# Truisms in sports that turn out to be false **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 14, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707 "2011-08-14T18:32:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/1 "2011-08-14T18:32:11Z")
As a followup to the [Omigod, first base is NOW OPEN](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=620271) thread, here are a couple of treasured sports truisms that were later debunked. 1. The idea that athletes should not drink any water or other fluids during training or games, because they’ll get waterlogged. Despite the incredible stupidity of this idea, it was widespread when I was growing up and athletes regularly risked serious dehydration (or at least poorer performance) to please their lame-brained coaches. I think this foolishness has pretty much died out and coaches now encourage players to stay hydrated, even to the point of making IVs available on the sidelines or in the locker room during games. 2. Baseball players have traditionally (well, at least for decades) warmed up in the on-deck circle by swinging a heavy bat or one carrying weights, on the theory that when they are at the plate their regular bat will feel lighter and they’ll swing better. Turns out there’s evidence that practice swings with the heavy bat [actually _decrease_ your bat speed](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=baseball-bat-speed-all-star) at the plate. Oops! Other sports truisms that have gotten debunked (or ones you think are ripe for discarding)? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/2 "2011-08-14T20:13:06Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > 1. Baseball players have traditionally (well, at least for decades) warmed up in the on-deck circle by swinging a heavy bat or one carrying weights, on the theory that when they are at the plate their regular bat will feel lighter and they’ll swing better. Turns out there’s evidence that practice swings with the heavy bat [actually _decrease_ your bat speed](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=baseball-bat-speed-all-star) at the plate. Oops! That’s interesting, I hadn’t seen that. The article itself seems to conflate the issues between practice swings with a heavy bat , and actually training with a heavy bat though, unless i misread it. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/3 "2011-08-14T20:21:45Z")
Here is one from golf when a shot goes into a tree: Trees are 90% air! So is a screen door, but try to throw a golf ball through a screen door. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/4 "2011-08-14T21:48:34Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Here is one from golf when a shot goes into a tree: Trees are 90% air! So is a screen door, but try to throw a golf ball through a screen door. Not only that, but trees are actually capable of growing multiple feet in seconds (time between ball strike with club and ball striking tree). It’s true! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/5 "2011-08-14T22:20:29Z")
When I started following baseball, it was quite widely believed baseball players should not work out or lift weights. There were stories about managers telling players to stop building muscle; Sparky Anderson famously told Lance Parrish that Parrish had to decide if he wanted to be a baseball player or a weightlifter. Today, if a major leaguer DOESN’T hit the weight room, he’ll be asked if he’s sure he has the motivation to be a ballplayer. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/6 "2011-08-15T02:18:22Z")
Any leg injury, whether a cramp or a compound fracture, can be healed in a few seconds by just “walking it off.” ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/7 "2011-08-15T03:26:09Z")
The old adage that the ground can’t cause a fumble has always been wrong. It’s not about causing the fumble, but if the runner is down or not. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/8 "2011-08-15T03:33:07Z")
A head injury isn’t a big deal – it’s “just getting your bell rung”. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/9 "2011-08-15T10:32:02Z")
Gotta get the “a good batter will ‘protect’ the hitter in front of him in the lineup” truism in here. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/10 "2011-08-15T14:49:26Z")
“[You should always stretch before starting any exercise](http://www.examiner.com/fitness-and-weight-loss-myths-in-national/myth-you-should-stretch-before-you-exercise).” ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/11 "2011-08-15T14:56:16Z")
Black athletes are incapable of competing in sports that involve [strategy, teamwork, or stamina.](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/opinion/the-games-the-nazis-played.html?ref=opinion) ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truisms-in-sports-that-turn-out-to-be-false/592707/12 "2011-08-15T17:41:41Z")
“Practice makes perfect.” It does no such thing. Practice makes habit. Perfect practice makes perfect.