Titanium Clubs Could Lead to Hearing Loss

Here's something you don't hear every day (see what I did there) -- golf, a true example of sport by most accounts, can also lead to hearing loss.

A new study by the British Medical Journal shows that due to the thinning titanium faces found on most drivers -- and the "sonic boom" produced by head-to-ball contact (no snickering) -- some players are losing their hearing. How bad are they saying it could get for your ears?

Some experts are suggesting earplugs. That will go well with my Argyle sweater.

Doctors at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital carried out tests on the keen golfer after he attended their clinic with unexplained tinnitus and reduced hearing in his right ear.

The tests confirmed that his hearing problems were typical of those seen with exposure to loud noises.

While I don't doubt the studies of doctors, I am pretty sure you might be able to attribute said golfer's hearing loss to other things. Like, maybe jamming to his iPod at noises a space shuttle would whimper to? Or, since this story comes out of Britain, I'm sure those trains (and the London tube) aren't exactly lulling people to sleep.

Although I do agree that the thin-faced clubs, especially with some drivers -- including the King Cobra LD found in this study -- make noises that are a little aggressive. That isn't to say I'm running to the nearest construction site for some bright orange ear studs, however.

Lead researcher Dr Malcom Buchanan, an ENT specialist and a keen golfer, said: "Our results show that thin-faced titanium drivers may produce sufficient sound to induce temporary or even permanent cochlear damage in susceptible individuals."

He said golfers should be careful when playing with these thin-faced clubs as they make a lot more noise, and suggested they could wear earplugs for protection.

So there you have it. I think this study can not only help you with your hearing, but maybe with your golf game in general. That being, QUIT SWINGING THE DAMN CLUB SO HARD!