Opinion & Analysis
Why Chris Como was a great choice for Tiger Woods
Well here we go again… Tiger Woods’ new swing coach has been announced and the speculation is in full force. Will Chris Como help Tiger? Will he help Tiger break Jack’s record? How will he compare to his other teachers? Blah blah blah.
First of all, I want to say how much I appreciate what Butch Harmon, Hank Haney and Sean Foley did for Tiger’s swing and knowledge of the game because it was fun to watch. Each teacher was presented with an interesting set of variables to contend with and a media circus unlike anything previous teachers have faced to date. Butch took Tiger to heights only Bobby Jones and Nicklaus had known. Hank refined an age-old issue of “getting stuck” that Tiger consistently complained of during Butch’s tenure and Sean helped Tiger to understand more about the swing than ever before. So who was right? They all were!
You have to remember that Tiger has always been inquisitive and wanted to learn more and more, so each teacher had different tasks in order to appease Tiger. Sean will be forever bashed for making Tiger too technical, but was that really the case? Maybe it was Tiger who was too interested in the mechanics and the “new” ball-flight laws and if Sean did not give him the information he wanted then Tiger would have found it elsewhere. As we in the teaching world all know, the player is the boss!
Now that Tiger has moved on to Chris Como, there are a few questions that everyone is asking. Will Como’s age, 37, and lack of experience – at least compared to Butch, Hank and Sean — affect his ability to coach Tiger? Is Como too technical for Woods?
I know Chris, his background and his personality, so I think I can offer a pretty good guess as to what will happen in the future. So here are my reasons why Chris and Tiger will be successful.
- Chris is smart and has studied under some of the best teachers in the business.
Chris’ tutelage under legendary instructors Hank Haney, Mac O’Grady and Mike Adams — three people I have also learned and studied under – will serve him well with Tiger. They are some of the brightest minds in the golf instruction world and have made it their job to learn as much as they can about what it is that they do. Of course they have their detractors, but who doesn’t? He is armed with a ton of practical information in order to handle any mechanical issue Tiger may have.
- Chris’ understanding of biomechanics and his study under Sasho MacKenzie.
In the golf teaching world, Sasho MacKenzie is the man. He is the Head of Human Kinetics at St. Francis Xavier University, and his research in kinetics and ground reaction forces has been revolutionary to our understanding of how the body works during the golf swing. His research has helped us to learn more about how we twist and turn and move weight during the golf swing. We now know more about lateral, rotary and vertical motion in the lower body through his work with ground reaction forces. I think this is one of Tiger’s issues and always has been in my opinion. His lower body motion causes a ton of issues with how his upper torso and arms move on the downswing. It will be interesting to see how his balance and lower body action changes during his time with Chris preaching Sasho’s work.
- Chris’ friends.
Chris has a great coterie of friends in the golf instructional and educational world, more so than most Tour teachers to date. This is because at a young age he spent time with the best teachers and learned from them. He has never been egocentric or a jerk to be around and for this reason I feel that if he ever needs help or an extra opinion on Tiger, he WON’T be afraid to ask his friends. At times, we as teachers all need another set of eyes — a sounding board, if you will. Chris will take advantage of his contacts within the industry.
- Tiger is the best player in the world.
Let’s face it: Tiger has more talent than any golfer to date and if he can just make a few changes he will be right back on track. It’s easy to kick him while he’s been injured etc., but a refocused Tiger is a scary one if he sees some quick success! I have no doubts it will come sooner than everyone believes.
The last thing I will say is good luck Chris, enjoy the ride — don’t let the media get you down. If things don’t go well at first, remember that you are one of the best in the world at what you do. I’ll be watching!
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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
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Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement
In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
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Steve Wozeniak
Feb 4, 2015 at 5:33 pm
Chris is a horrible choice for Tiger and you are seeing this already…….There are quite a few people that “claim” to be masters of biomechanics that have NO CLUE how to relate it to the golf swing. You can certainly see this in the guys last “tips” in golf digest……wow…..
Also he says I am getting Tiger back to his old swing, well it would take two days for someone to do this, his swing sucks now and there is no end to it with this guy, sorry Tiger, try again…..
Steve Wozeniak 425 533 4711
goodatgolfblog
Dec 4, 2014 at 5:04 am
It’s really exciting to see Tiger getting back into the game.
Hopefully Como will be the right choice to help him bounce back from his uneventfull season of 2014.
I just released a blogpost discussing Chris Como.
Check it out if you’ve got the time and let me know what you think:
http://www.good-at-golf.com/you-dont-have-to-be-tiger-woods-to-learn-from-chris-como/
Dpavs
Dec 2, 2014 at 12:31 pm
Yawn… less news worthy every year… the clock is ticking.
mark d
Dec 1, 2014 at 5:21 pm
Thanks, Tom. Always go for your articles on GolfWRX. As for Tiger… wow, short memories, at least from the comments. Dude blistered everybody for a decade, amassed a record that absolutely blows every modern player out of the water. Is Rory or whomever the “next Tiger?” I dunno. Show me a stretch of several years when anybody wins like Tiger did and we’ll talk.
Meanwhile, I’m with Bradley. Mechanics can only take you so far, and he’s had the best in the business and he still ain’t happy.
Tom Stickney
Dec 2, 2014 at 12:02 am
Mark– happiness is key.
Rus
Nov 30, 2014 at 10:22 am
Tiger is a lightening rod period! The haters will continue and the lovers’ will still love. I be live in karma – If Eldrick misses the flag on 15 @ Augusta the major drought ends and folks are looking at him as a factor. Instead he had no good-will with the Golf Gods and we all saw the outcome.
I have never met Chris Como having lived in Dallas for 6 years. I am intrigued to see what and how he can influence what Tiger does on/ off the course.
I refuse to join the Rory – Tiger Debate – My only point is the body of work is the measurement of success or failure. When Tiger is long gone and Rory is in his twilight will he surpass all of the Tiger benchmarks of an extremely successful career.
As always great article Tom… Keep writing and I’ll keep reading.
Tom Stickney
Nov 30, 2014 at 11:59 am
Rus– thx sir. Gonna be fun.
Frank "FREE-RELEASE" Drollinger
Nov 30, 2014 at 8:47 am
We all know that TW – I like him – has a very long story of injuries. He changed his instructors because of the injuries. Also TW said that he do not know “if it work or not”. All former instructors are teaching Dys-Balance and no 3-D Coordinates. TW´s Center of Gravity moves to the left to the right and up and down. This blocks his muscles and joints and is the key reason why he is not able to repeat ball hits. His DA and GIR are “poor”. Or in other words. Tiger has space and the quality!!!! to improve this #´s more than 25%. That would be the key precondition to win. Additional TW need to minimze shear and torsion force. Both bio-key-points would be possible for TW. It has nothing to do with the point working with Butch, Hank, Sean or Chris. It is the Dys-Balance Swing System TW should change. Because at the end of the day TW´s health allows him to be competitve or not. TW had more than 6 injuries. The possibility to get the next injury grow more than 50%. Golf needs TW. Golf needs a healthy TW.
Tom Stickney
Nov 30, 2014 at 12:00 pm
Hopefully Chris will use his work with Sasho to address the issues you’ve brought up.
Bradley
Nov 30, 2014 at 1:07 am
Rather than get involved in a discussion of what’s above, I’ll just post my thoughts from the day after the news was announced based on my 30+ years teaching experience.
The golf world is abuzz with the news that Tiger Woods, who announced a few weeks ago he was moving forward in 2015 on his own without a swing coach, yesterday announced he has hired Chris Como as his “swing consultant.” I’ve been asked to weigh in with my thoughts.
Not much is known about Como other than he is another scientist in the game who specializes in biomechanics. I will only offer this. I’m a firm believer that the mind is the greatest invention ever and your mind can will you to produce the greatest results ever when it comes to sports. When the round is played, the mind weaves you through the ups and downs. Your mind harnesses the feel of each motion you create and you repeat learned processes with confidence, harnessing adrenaline, and the only calculations are playing high percentage shots with a vision for the shot at hand. You don’t worry about shots already played. They cannot be changed. A poor shot does not portend another is coming. Every shot is a chance at greatness. When the round is done, the mind NEEDS to replay the good and bad. It needs to cleanse itself and prepare for the next round with conviction in what works and what doesn’t. It’s the ONLY way a player can even attempt to “get in THE ZONE.” That rarefied air of sport where everything is possible; all is on cruise control; you completely dominate the competition.
Sitting down after a round to analyze specific body movements on a computer screen or even attempting to introduce a physics based model or theory in a round of golf is disastrous at best. It robs the mind of the proper rationalization and reasoning powers you need to move forward by leaps and bounds; not by millimeters or degrees where no such thought to those was made during the action of the sport. Think about it. I’ve yet to see a tour professional jump up and thank Homer Kelly’s The Golfing Machine for all his success or for maintaining a physics formula over those crucial shots when it counted.
You only have to look at the tour in general to see what’s happening here. Jack, the greatest ever, played by feel. It wasn’t perfect. It just won, and won a lot. Bobby Jones, inside, across the line, over the top did it exactly the same every time and it won. So much so, he retired at age 28. He won by feel. Lord Byron won 11 in a row; a record never to be beaten in our lifetime. All by feel. Norman adopted Jack’s physical and mental approach. It won a lot. He did it by feel even though he was one of the first to introduce the physical training side to golf fitness. Phil has won a lot with Butch and working the “feel” side of the game. Tiger won all of his biggest with Butch and Hank, again emphasizing the feel side of the game. If there was one to become a bit technical it was Hogan, but imo, only as it related to himself BY FEEL! The first noted mechanical player that was entirely over the top was Mac O’Grady. I haven’t found a major victory for him and it seems he retreated as quickly as he appeared; to the shadows to churn out disciples of a mechanical mind unable to learn feel, only formulas.
Yet we have all these biomechanics, physics based scientists out there now. Why? No clue whatsoever other than the fact it takes a very special talent to learn to teach feel. Rather than work to develop that talent required to become an expert in teaching “feel” it’s much easier to take the “There’s an app for that” approach to teaching golf. Great golf will never be paint by numbers and today’s tour proves it. There is no dominant player anymore. They are all the same. Robots. A career lasts 6 weeks tops.
In 1986, Jack’s mind willed him back to 1975. The “feel” magically returned on that one Sunday in April. His 6th green jacket. Johnny Miller last won in ’87 and limped away from the tour with the yips. He overcame it in his mind and the hole became a bucket again. Never did he sit staring at computer models. He willed his mind back to that 63 in the US Open. In ’94, he emerged at age 46 also and took them down at Pebble Beach. Norman obliterated the TPC record in ’94 with 264, 24 under par with likely the greatest display of golf ever played. A record likely to never be broken. He did it by feel. The Tiger Slam, four majors in a row, of 2000 was accomplished purely by feel like Bobby Jones. Since then, the majors have been scattered. None since 2008 since he became completely immersed in the physical and biomechanic side of golf; if one can really provide evidence that there is a side for this at all. The records and the numbers do not prove it.
Mr. Como doesn’t have a stable of winners tearing it up on tour. But as we’ve said before, being in Tiger’s circus demands you speak what he wants to hear. It didn’t used to be this way. I’ll offer an analogy here. Have you ever invested in the stock market? Many billionaires have been created that have the vision, “the feel” for how a company’s success will play out. Take Apple for instance. The largest company in the world now. Ten years ago, thousands of analysts said it was a sell, dead, gone. Why? They looked at charts, stats, tick by tick trades, numbers, numbers, numbers. Every single one of them was wrong. They call them analysts. They tell you a stock isn’t a buy until a chart on a computer says it’s a buy. Tell that to all the guys who bought at $8 when the guys looking at computers and charts couldn’t dump it fast enough. They have no vision just like the scientists in golf. The scientists cannot quantify or measure the zone in golf. It doesn’t fit the model.
I’ll leave you with this. Tiger wins majors when Tiger plays golf by feel and not by calculations. As soon as he remembers how he did it, he can win majors again. Until then, surrounding yourself with scientists shields you from greatness IMO. Unless the goal is to be great for six weeks. Then he’s got that covered with the rest of them. Here’s the definition of Sports Biomechanics. Good luck with that.
Sports biomechanics is a quantitative based study and analysis of professional athletes and sports’ activities in general.[1] It can simply be described as the Physics of Sports. In this subfield of biomechanics the laws of mechanics are applied in order to gain a greater understanding of athletic performance through mathematical modeling, computer simulation and measurement. Biomechanics is the study of the structure and function of biological systems by means of the methods of “mechanics.” – which is the branch of physics involving analysis of the actions of forces. Within “mechanics” there are two sub-fields of study: statics, which is the study of systems that are in a state of constant motion either at rest (with no motion) or moving with a constant velocity; and dynamics, which is the study of systems in motion in which acceleration is present, which may involve kinematics (the study of the motion of bodies with respect to time, displacement, velocity, and speed of movement either in a straight line or in a rotary direction) and kinetics (the study of the forces associated with motion, including forces causing motion and forces resulting from motion).
Go ahead. You’re on the tee. Here’s an extra dozen balls. Hope it’s enough.
Tom Stickney
Nov 30, 2014 at 12:03 pm
Brad– appreciate the post. Bottom line–feel is the key. I’m hopeful tiger will return to the feel player he once was.
marcel
Nov 27, 2014 at 7:58 pm
i have watched Como’s video on the longer drives… and here are my reservations. i play around 15… mostly bad putting – 36yo quite athletic, 5’7″ drives around 280yrd sometimes longer – the longest recorded 393 yards. My coach AAA+ coach always reminded me to stay calm and never change spine angle and high during back swing and ball contact – lots of bucket drills in front of mirror to watch the head moves… chin should never ever drop… or you hit the ground before the ball!. Como on the video emphasize quite a move in right leg which creates lots of height and chin movement up and down – this requires so much more adjustment with hands… well horses for courses
Tom Stickney
Nov 28, 2014 at 12:40 am
Marcel…if you’re using verticals as tiger does it’s ok to move up and down a touch. But be careful.
Jacko
Nov 28, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Idiot …zzzz
RG
Nov 27, 2014 at 3:11 pm
Oh and Tom the only problem with Tigers swing is his tempo. Look at the film from 2013 when he won and even back in 2000, he was so smooth in transition and it looked effortless. Now he snatches it at the top and it looks like hes giving birth in his downswing. My eyeballs feel strained just watching him.
RG
Nov 27, 2014 at 3:05 pm
So whats the over under on how long this one lasts?
Tom Stickney
Nov 27, 2014 at 4:48 pm
It’s not pretty. Hopefully it will last. We’ll see.
dion
Nov 26, 2014 at 11:23 pm
everyone get ready for the rory slam at next years us open at chambers bay going to be epic and yes I know he has two so far but the boys at down at agusta better get rorys measurements because the jacket needs to fit when bubba gives it to him
Tom Stickney
Nov 27, 2014 at 1:36 am
Would be epic!
cflow
Nov 26, 2014 at 2:22 pm
For all of you Tiger haters, how quickly your brains forget. Just one year ago in the 2013 golf season Tiger won 5 (count them 5) events in just 16 starts with 8 Top 10’s and the second lowest scoring average for the year. 2014 was just another hiccup on his journey. That same year (just 1 year ago) Rory only had 5 top 10’s and ZERO wins. Hell Rory only won 9 events on the PGA in his first 7 years, while Tiger won 29 events in his first 7 years and in one of those years he won 9 events (equal to Rory’s total for those 7 years). Rory is very good but lets check his longevity 10 years from now until we call him great!
tom stickney
Nov 26, 2014 at 2:57 pm
Rory will be one of the greats for sure! I’d love to see him in the Tiger/Jack Major race years from now. He’s a good kid!
steve
Nov 27, 2014 at 9:26 am
To bad for you that this isn’t early 2000’s. Rory has 4 Majors in 4 years, you think Tiger would trade his last 4 seasons for that? You are comparing 25 year old Tiger to Rory, but it is 39 year old Tiger playing 25 year Rory. I agree with you about Tiger he could be the greatest golfer ever, when you consider his 6 amateur titles in a row. But I live in the NOW and now Tiger is not the Tiger then.
Ponjo
Nov 27, 2014 at 1:31 pm
Just for the record wins when not a pro don’t count
steve
Nov 27, 2014 at 3:10 pm
Don’t count? What doe’s that mean?
Nick Bradley
Nov 26, 2014 at 9:16 am
A terribly blinkered and bias article.
Tom Stickney
Nov 26, 2014 at 10:36 am
I have nothing to gain….
RP Jacobs II
Dec 17, 2014 at 12:41 pm
Nick, with all due respect, of course this is an opinion piece, as 95-96% of articles are, lol. That is not a negative, it’s just a fact. Tom either likes Como or he doesn’t. He either agrees with Tiger’s pick or he doesn’t. He provides corroborative “evidence” to support his opinion. THAT is how I judge an article. The fact that I may or may not agree with Tom is irrelevant. What is relevant is whether or not he supports his opinion with cohesive, grounded, accurate & well articulated thoughts.
Tom does that, in spades in this and any of the articles of his that I have read. And no, I am not always on the same side of the table as Tom regarding his opinions, with this being one such case, IF Chris Como takes Tiger down the techno path.
I agree with Bradley’s thoughts and post above 100%. My Teacher, who I was blessed to have had for 40+ years, was Sam Snead’s older Bro, a student, Protégé, Peer & Friend of Tommy Armour and I felt reading Bradley’s post I was back sitting on Pete’s porch listening to him speak of the swing and the game. Look, since the mid-late 50’s, we have had a parade of swing theories & techniques, most of which my teacher referred to as “theories du jour” which, regardless of who was trumpeting them or how they were packaged, the vast, vast, vast majority of them were/are contrived, artificial & UNNECESSARILY COMPLICATED.
Regarding all of these little techy teachers, I’ll leave ya with one name- Percy Boomer.
I believe that it was Ecclesiastes that said, “there is nothing new under the sun.”
As one with graduate degrees in the sciences, one of which is in Physics, I find it amusing when these guys, Teachers and Players alike, start chirpin all of this techno babble as though it’s the key to the kingdom, LMAO. I work daily with surgeons on their “course,” the OR. Tens of thousands of procedures over 28 years and I’ve been with the best of the very best in the world, and unfortunately I’ve been with some that I wouldn’t let put a Band-Aid on a bee sting.
One thing I know sure as I know my name, DOB & SS#, and that is that when one is performing at their very best, their left side brain is dead and they are operating/playing off of muscle memory and visualization of the perfect procedure/outcome/shot.
So, as Bradley stated above, and I don’t believe that Tom has disagreed with, Tiger has to rid his mind of all this techno garbage, and get back to the swing that he can produce without a single thought, just a vision on his mind’s “movie screen,” especially under pressure & when s*** hits the fan.
And Nick, as your post would be a textbook definition of “blinkered,” where do you differ from Tom’s views & thoughts?
It’s like I tell my people-
That’s fine if you disagree with me, I’m good with that, however, don’t just tell me that I am wrong-
Tell me, show me the better/right way-
Tom, nice article!
Stay well my Friend & the Very Best to You & Yours this Holiday Season 🙂
Golfingly Yours,
Richard
David
Nov 26, 2014 at 5:00 am
“Let’s face it: Tiger has more talent than any golfer to date and if he can just make a few changes he will be right back on track. It’s easy to kick him while he’s been injured etc., but a refocused Tiger is a scary one if he sees some quick success! I have no doubts it will come sooner than everyone believes.”
Talent than any golfer to date? Let’s compare McIlroy to Woods’ game shall we?
McIlroy is:
Longer
Straighter
Better at ball striking
Equally as good with a wedge
Unreal iron player
Woods is:
Erratic at everything
Now let’s consider putting. Woods is a better putter than Rory. Sorry, he was a decade ago. Now McIlroy is a better putter than Woods and what made Woods so great was his mental strength rather than his admittedly formerly fantastic game.
You can teach him the swing again, but without the mental game he had he’s done for. And you can’t teach that.
Ryan
Nov 26, 2014 at 8:58 am
David. Out of your mind.. Look at their records.
Woods = Legendary
McIlroy = To be determined
WillyTwoBalls
Nov 26, 2014 at 10:05 am
Tiger’s legacy is way greater than Rory’s no doubt, but Tiger’s legacy won’t beat Rory on the course next season, and right now Rory looks like the biggest roadblock for Tiger in eclipsing Jack’s record.
Tom Stickney
Nov 26, 2014 at 10:40 am
We’ll see. Be fun to watch.
TheFightingEdFioris
Nov 26, 2014 at 12:17 pm
Oh, how quickly we forget Rory’s 2013… I’m rooting for the two of them to split majors next year. But let us not forget that Rory’s best year was last year when he won two majors and only two other tournaments (nothing to blink at, I know), while Tiger has had at least three years better than that. What a time to be a golf fan!
Tom Stickney
Nov 26, 2014 at 12:23 pm
Ed- love to see that! 🙂
David
Nov 27, 2014 at 2:51 am
He does play a lighter schedule than when Woods was playing regularly though, he also has had something daft like top 10 in every tournament aside from one this season which is insane. He and Woods, at their respective ages, are fairly equal except for ‘normal’ wins, however the field is way better than when Woods was dominating in fairness, Rory won’t win most weeks like Woods.
In terms of people saying i’m ‘out of my mind’, how? He is longer, straighter and an all round better player these days, he’s the best player on the planet. To suggest otherwise would be madness.
Also Rory had a bad year, granted, but he’s not an emotionless robot like Woods is, he’s unlikely to be mentally broken in the future ala Woods now due to the experiences he had then. And considering he had that awful year he’s still number 1 and only a few months away from getting a shot at the career grand slam at 25 years old.
I enjoyed Woods in his prime but now see a bitter, broken man. It’s just sad, and those who are so alarmingly biased to him are just insane.
Knobbywood
Nov 26, 2014 at 10:05 am
Tiger woods holds the record for PGA tour season with the lowest ever scoring average at around 67… End of discussion
tom stickney
Nov 27, 2014 at 2:20 pm
David– I would agree that Tiger’s attitude on and off the course over the years in general isn’t the best. I think we would have all loved him to be a touch more human, but I guess I really can’t comment since I have not walked in his shoes.
Tom Stickney
Nov 26, 2014 at 10:38 am
Rory is better at this stage but it’s all about their entire career. One or two years doesn’t mean anything.
steve
Nov 26, 2014 at 1:12 pm
Really? Two great years on tour lets you keep your card for a long time. Makes you very rich.
Why would it be about their entire career? It is about this point in their career. Who shoes would you rather be in right now? 25 year old Rory or 39 year old Tiger? And Tiger is an old 39, bad back and legs. A back doesnt go away. Winning 4 majors in 4 years, two by 8 shots, means nothing to you. Tiger doesnt need another swing doctor, he needs a swing advisor. I look forward to another year of Tiger, rehearsing his swing over and over. Playing golfswing instead of golf. But I quess Rorys hall of fame career, is just a flash in the pan
tom stickney
Nov 26, 2014 at 6:36 pm
If you are speaking about a single portion of a career then Rory is the man, but I’d love to have seen them square off in 2000.
steve
Nov 27, 2014 at 3:12 pm
A ten year old Rory against a 25 year old Tiger? I have no interest in that
Forsbrand
Nov 28, 2014 at 4:25 pm
We need Tiger to be great again, so that we can watch head to heads with Rory, we’ll see who really is the Daddy then, no excuses! Unfortunately, we thought we’d see tiger els getting it on more often! but then Ernie damaged his knee and it never materialised! which was a big shame.
ND Hickman
Nov 26, 2014 at 11:23 am
Bit harsh. Tiger spent over a decade as the preeminent golfer on the planet. Injuries and off field problems have caused a sharp decline in his game but we have still seen glimpses of the old Tiger when he reclaimed the number one spot. A fully fit and focused Tiger against a fully fit and focused Rory should be a battle for the ages. Throw in Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Speith and golf has quite an interesting few years ahead of it.
Tom Stickney
Nov 26, 2014 at 11:25 am
ND– love to see em all on the peak of their game together. Wouldn’t care who won. Be unreal to watch!!!!
mo
Nov 26, 2014 at 11:40 am
How many wins did Tiger have in 2013? I think he still wasn’t all the way back.
Andrew Cooper
Nov 26, 2014 at 4:33 am
I hope you’re right Tom. He’s clearly a smart and very knowledgable coach. Hopefully he can make golf simpler for Tiger and not more complicated.
Tom Stickney
Nov 26, 2014 at 10:39 am
Teachers should ALWAYS make things less cluttered in the minds if their students.
Pumper
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:23 pm
Hope he teaches Tiger how to enjoy what he is doing rather than constantly looking so miserable.
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:28 pm
Pumper– agree 100%!
Brett
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:00 pm
The biggest issue will be how well Chris can coach Tiger’s ego. Woods was the longest and swings so hard with his driver that he can hit it anywhere at any time. It’s over. Nobody is scared when they have to wait for him to play first.
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:29 pm
Brett– ego is a huge component of teaching tiger I’d guess
Jamie
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:32 pm
Like him or not, all anyone should say to tiger is “thank you”. Thank you for giving us such great golf.
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 11:02 pm
Agree jamie
steve
Nov 25, 2014 at 6:52 pm
I have to disagree with some of what is written here. Tiger is not the most talented any longer. Like any other sport kids copy and then surpass or atleast equal. Jordan created Kobe, Lebron and Durant. Tiger created Rory, Adam, Ricki etc. Is 39 year old Jordan better then 25 year old Kobe, Lebron and Durant? I dont think so. Same goes with Tiger. And what Tiger doesnt have now is the intimation factor he had on Ernie, Phil and the others. Can Tiger win more Majors? Yeah. But times have changed.
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 9:27 pm
70+ wins and 14 majors tell a different story. Let him win the masters by a few and see what happens
steve
Nov 25, 2014 at 9:57 pm
how does that tell a different story? 32 years old when he won his last major. I quess time stopped for you in 08
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:30 pm
Steve– tiger isn’t at his best right now but name one guy in the modern game who’s record matches tigers to date? Besides none, whom do you choose?
steve
Nov 25, 2014 at 11:50 pm
What is your definition of modern golf? and why does that make a difference. Did Jack play with different equipment than everyone else. They all played on the same level field at different times of history. Tiger’s career record is maybe the best not arguing that. The funny points you make , then we can say Jack could win because of his record. You have to live in the NOW, not the past. Is Tiger the best golfer in the last 5 years? in the last 2 years? in the year? Jordan has a better record in finals then Lebron so I quess he is the best player in the world? Does that make sense? I quess by your logic Phil is the second best player, who has more majors or wins, except Tiger. I am a Tiger fan, but you cant fall in love with a stock, have to let it go when it is time
Tom Stickney
Nov 26, 2014 at 11:27 am
Steve– it’s far from over on the tiger issue. We’ll see. Let’s discuss in five years. I’ll take the long. 🙂
Jamie
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:13 pm
Tom, i agree with you regarding tiger’s lower body causing things to be out of sync. Particularly his right foot has always fired up so quickly causing the club to drop under the plane coming down.
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:32 pm
Jamie…love to see his lower body action altered if possible.
Jamie
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:39 pm
Think its hard for him to do with driver cause its a timing mechanism for him. When he was a little more upright under butch it gave him fractionally more time and room to bring the club down. Under hank he was flatterand more laid off but he had no room. His iron swing is much more in sync. My view.
WillyTwoBalls
Nov 26, 2014 at 10:14 am
Tom, with all due respect, you can’t use Tiger’s brilliant legacy as justification for continued success, everyone loses it eventually. Furthermore, Tiger lost it between the ears, you can’t deny that, watch him even in his comeback in ’13, his mental game isn’t what it used to be, and it used to be his greatest asset.
Tom Stickney
Nov 27, 2014 at 9:52 am
Willy…he still has the strongest mind in golf.
Scooter McGavin
Nov 25, 2014 at 4:23 pm
I died a little inside each time I read “Chris'”, without the s after the apostrophe.
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 4:45 pm
I’ll let Zac know, maybe you can edit our article from now
Charlie
Nov 25, 2014 at 7:43 pm
Both are grammatically acceptable, but the way Tom wrote it is seen as better among college professors who teach English.
aj
Nov 25, 2014 at 2:43 pm
GO tiger I cant wait for you to string some wins together this year you still have fans
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 3:03 pm
be fun to watch aj for sure
JT
Nov 25, 2014 at 8:55 pm
Never been a huge fan of Tiger bc he’s always been the opposite of the qualities you praise in Chris. Very interested to see the partnership play out with results, or lack thereof, on the course because as you mention Tiger is continuing the trend of taking his game to the limit of golf’s ‘intellectual technology’ boundaries with this choice. The trends in analysis (especially ground force efficiency) is very interesting to me, and I know that with Tiger focusing on it we are going to be enjoying a lot more in depth coverage.
Thanks for a great article and insider perspective on the tech and human angles of the story.
And good luck Chris, I think you’re gonna need it!
JT
Nov 25, 2014 at 9:07 pm
I’ve actually become more of a Tiger fan because life has dealt some blows, but he seems to be responding. A story I’m now following more than in the past, and not interested to bash him.
Also, I loved his swing from the Butch era. It was beautiful, and I always wonder, could he have simply throttled that swing down a little to protect his body? I recently googled the old Golf magazine swing sequence from ’97, and it’s so sound, it’s fun to study.
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:33 pm
It was solid for sure. Butch is a great teacher.
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:32 pm
Thx jt
Mad-Mex
Nov 25, 2014 at 2:27 pm
*YAWN*
Let’s be honest here, this is one of the reasons many golf fans either love or hate Tiger ( very few of us I the “I could care less” camp) we have been bombarded with “Tiger got his feelings hurt!”, “Tiger has a new girlfriend ” “Tiger pooped today ” articles, the proof is in the nose dive of golf digest readership.
I rather read articles of the pros trying to make it to the tour, the journeymen, there is now TWO articles about Tiger and one about his new coach, I would not be surprised to see “Keeping Up with Tiger Kardashian” show.
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 3:03 pm
mad– he has been over-exposed for some time and it shows for sure.
Pat
Nov 25, 2014 at 3:29 pm
I agree with you mex. I’m a Tiger hater as well and could care less. Yes, the ratings have gone down whenever he isn’t in the field but, the PGA tour is alive and well w/o him, still generating a ton of revenue and increasing size of the winnings for each tournament. I too, like to watch the young up and comers succeed on tour. I’m friends with a top ranked amateur trying to turn pro. I also train him for golf. Remember the name Kevin Fitzgerald.
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 3:50 pm
Pat– He has done plenty to make people not like him…hopefully when it’s all said and done, he will be more amiable.
MB
Nov 25, 2014 at 8:34 pm
You can really see what this topic is before reading the whole article.
If you do want to read about Tiger or hear about Tiger, WHY READ AND COMMENT ON EVERY TIGER ARTICLE/
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:34 pm
MB. Yep some people are interested in tiger and his future.
Nick
Nov 25, 2014 at 2:20 pm
Personally, I hope that the Woods-Como partnership is a huge success. Golf needs Tiger Woods healthy and competing for majors again.
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Agree Nick
timbleking
Nov 25, 2014 at 1:56 pm
Sorry but I don’t agree with your last statement. TODAY, Tiger IS NOT, and by far, the best player in the world. Hate it or love it, Rory McIlroy rules the world of golf nowadays.
simon
Nov 25, 2014 at 2:46 pm
ya last time I checked he he has more majors of an current player and even combine rorys total with scotts and even stenson and they still have less tiger is the best player in the game currently
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 3:05 pm
Timble– Rory is playing great, but he’s got a long way to go to match Tiger’s overall record.
Pat
Nov 25, 2014 at 3:32 pm
Golf is like other pro sports in which it’s a what have you done now mentality. That makes Rory top dog currently. He is clearly in the zone like Tiger was in 2000. Don’t be surprised if he wins 8 times globally in 2015.
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 4:46 pm
Pat– I’d LOVE to see someone dominate like that in ’15. Rory is certainly deserving of all the kudos he receives for sure! Good guy.
JBH
Nov 25, 2014 at 1:52 pm
So refreshing to read a balanced take on this matter. The golf media in North America has to sensationalize everything and has become more opinionated tabloid than actual golf news. I wish Tiger the best of luck at the Hero World Challenge and hope he has an incredible 2015! Good luck to Mr. Como as well since he will bear the brunt of the “golf writers” opinions. Hopefully this will be a dynamic duo.
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 3:06 pm
JBH– Chris is a good guy, hope it works
Charlie
Nov 25, 2014 at 11:40 am
Glad to see a positive perspective from an expert. Great article Tom!
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 11:55 am
Thanks Charlie…not sure if I’m an expert or not but I gave it my best! 🙂
Leon
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:39 am
Who cares…
Does anyone know the swing coach of Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer etc?
Just swing your swing and play the game. Never trying to be a programmed swing robot.
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:52 am
Leon. Most people do in today’s time…
Chris
Nov 25, 2014 at 11:05 am
Jack Nicklaus’ coach was Jack Grout.
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 11:55 am
Palmer’s was his dad Deacon and Hogan’s was a little known guy named Fred
Mikec
Nov 25, 2014 at 11:08 am
Most players would make a deal w the devil to be that “robot”.
5 wins just a few years ago, that is a career for many players, let alone his 70-80~ some odd wins and #2 in majors all-time only to Jack.
tom stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 11:57 am
Agree Mike…Trackman is very efficient in the hands of the right instructor but detrimental if used in the wrong way for sure.
Tom Stickney
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:37 am
Thx. At worst I’d like to see him get within one of jack…the buzz around the majors would be awesome.
Minh Nguyen
Nov 25, 2014 at 10:34 am
Good read Tom. I hope you are right. Golf is more fun and interesting when guys named Tiger and Phil are playing well. Love him or hate him, what Tiger has done for the game of golf can’t be measured. I myself play because, I wanted to be like Tiger after wanting to be like Mike.