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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In my last post, I explained the basic performance dynamics of “smash factor” and “gear effect” as they apply to your wedges and your wedge play success. If you missed that post, you can read it here.
At the end of that post, I promised “part 2” of this discussion of what makes a wedge work the way it does. So, let’s dive into the other two components of any wedge – the shaft and the grip.
It’s long been said that the shaft is “the engine of the golf club.” The shaft (and grip) are your only connection to all the technologies that are packed into the head of any golf club, whether it be a driver, fairway, hybrid, iron, wedge or even putter.
And you cannot ignore those two components of your wedges if your goal is optimizing your performance.
I’ve long been an advocate of what I call a “seamless transition” from your irons into your wedges, so that the feel and performance do not disconnect when you choose a gap wedge, for example, instead of your iron-set-matching “P-club.” In today’s golf equipment marketplace, more and more golfers are making the investment of time and money to experience an iron fitting, going through trial and error and launch monitor measuring to get just the right shaft in their irons.
But then so many of those same golfers just go into a store and choose wedges off the retail display, with no similar science involved at all. And that’s why I see so many golfers with a huge disconnect between their custom-fitted irons, often with lighter and/or softer graphite or light steel shafts . . . and their off-the-rack wedges with the stock stiff steel ‘wedge flex’ shaft common to those stock offerings.
If your wedge shafts are significantly heavier and stiffer than the shafts in your irons, it is physically impossible for you to make the same swing. Period.
To quickly improve your wedge play, one of the first things you can do is have your wedges re-shafted with the same or similar shaft that is in your irons.
There’s another side of that shaft weight equation; if you don’t have the forearm and hand strength of a PGA Tour professional, you simply cannot “handle” the same weight shaft that those guys play to master the myriad of ‘touch shots’ around the greens.
Now, let’s move on to the third and other key component of your wedges – the grips. If those are not similar in shape and feel to the grips on your irons, you have another disconnect. Have your grips checked by a qualified golf club professionals to make sure you are in sync there.
The one caveat to that advice is that I am a proponent of a reduced taper in your wedge grips – putting two to four more layers of tape under the lower hand, or selecting one of the many reduced taper grips on the market. That accomplishes two goals for your scoring.
First, it helps reduce overactive hands in your full and near-full wedge swings. Quiet hands are key to good wedge shots.
And secondly, it provides a more consistent feel of the wedge in your hands as you grip down for those shorter and more delicate shots around the greens. And you should always grip down as you get into those touch shots. I call it “getting closer to your work.”
So, if you will spend as much time selecting the shafts and grips for your wedges as you do choosing the brand, model, and loft of them, your scoring range performance will get better.
More from the Wedge Guy
- The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 1
- The Wedge Guy: The easiest-to-learn golf basic
- The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 Wells Fargo Championship betting preview: Tommy Fleetwood ready to finally land maiden PGA Tour title
The PGA Tour season ramps back up this week for another “signature event,” as golf fans look forward to the year’s second major championship next week.
After two weaker-field events in the Zurich Classic and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, most of the best players in the world will head to historic Quail Hollow for one of the best non-major tournaments of the year.
Last season, Wyndham Clark won the event by four shots.
Quail Hollow is a par-71 measuring 7,521 yards that features Bermudagrass greens. The tree-lined, parkland style course can play quite difficult and features one of the most difficult three-hole stretches in golf known as “The Green Mile,” which makes up holes 16-18: two mammoth par 4s and a 221-yard par 3. All three holes have an average score over par, and water is in play in each of the last five holes on the course.
The field is excellent this week with 68 golfers teeing it up without a cut. All of the golfers who’ve qualified are set to tee it up, with the exception of Scottie Scheffler, who is expecting the birth of his first child.
Past Winners at Quail Hollow
- 2023: Wyndham Clark (-19)
- 2022: Max Homa (-8)
- 2021: Rory McIlroy (-10)
- 2019: Max Homa (-15)
- 2018: Jason Day (-12)
- 2017: Justin Thomas (-8) (PGA Championship)
- 2016: James Hahn (-9)
- 2015: Rory McIlroy (-21)
Key Stats For Quail Hollow
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes gained: Approach will be extremely important this week as second shots at Quail Hollow can be very difficult.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Akshay Bhatia (+1.16)
- Tom Hoge (+1.12)
- Corey Conners (+1.01)
- Shane Lowry (+0.93)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.82)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Quail Hollow is a long course on which it is important to play from the fairway. Both distance and accuracy are important, as shorter tee shots will result in approach shots from 200 or more yards. With most of the holes heavily tree lined, errant drives will create some real trouble for the players.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Past 24 Rounds:
- Ludvig Aberg (+0.73)
- Rory McIlroy (+0.69)
- Xander Schauffele (+0.62)
- Viktor Hovland (+0.58)
- Chris Kirk (+0.52)
Proximity: 175-200
The 175-200 range is key at Quail Hollow. Players who can hit their long irons well will rise to the top of the leaderboard.
Proximity: 175-200+ over past 24 rounds:
- Cameron Young (28’2″)
- Akshay Bhatia (29’6″)
- Ludvig Aberg (+30’6″)
- Sam Burns (+30’6″)
- Collin Morikawa (+30’9″)
SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs
Players who thrive on Tom Fazio designs get a bump for me at Quail Hollow this week.
SG: Total on Tom Fazio Designs over past 36 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.10)
- Rory McIlroy (+1.95)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.68)
- Austin Eckroat (+1.60)
- Will Zalatoris (+1.57)
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass)
Strokes Gained: Putting has historically graded out as the most important statistic at Quail Hollow. While it isn’t always predictable, I do want to have it in the model to bump up golfers who prefer to putt on Bermudagrass.
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermudagrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Taylor Moore (+0.82)
- Nick Dunlap (+.76)
- Wyndham Clark (+.69)
- Emiliano Grillo (+.64)
- Cam Davis (+.61)
Course History
This stat will incorporate players that have played well in the past at Quail Hollow.
Course History over past 36 rounds (per round):
- Rory McIlroy (+2.50)
- Justin Thomas (+1.96)
- Jason Day (+1.92)
- Rickie Fowler (+1.83)
- Viktor Hovland (+1.78)
Wells Fargo Championship Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: Off the Tee (23%), SG: Total on Fazio designs (12%), Proximity: 175-200 (12%), SG: Putting Bermuda grass (12%), and Course History (14%).
- Wyndham Clark
- Rory McIlroy
- Xander Schauffele
- Shane Lowry
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Viktor Hovland
- Cameron Young
- Austin Eckroat
- Byeong Hun An
- Justin Thomas
2024 Wells Fargo Championship Picks
Tommy Fleetwood +2500 (DraftKings)
I know many out there have Tommy fatigue when it comes to betting, which is completely understandable given his lack of ability to win on the PGA Tour thus far in his career. However, history has shown us that players with Fleetwood’s talent eventually break though, and I believe for Tommy, it’s just a matter of time.
Fleetwood has been excellent on Tom Fazio designs. Over his past 36 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Fazio tracks. He’s also been incredibly reliable off the tee this season. He’s gained strokes in the category in eight of his past nine starts, including at The Masters, the PLAYERS and the three “signature events” of the season. Tommy is a golfer built for tougher courses and can grind it out in difficult conditions.
Last year, Fleetwood was the first-round leader at this event, firing a Thursday 65. He finished the event in a tie for 5th place.
For those worried about Fleetwood’s disappointing start his last time out at Harbour Town, he’s bounced back nicely after plenty of poor outings this season. His T7 at the Valero Texas Open was after a MC and T35 in his prior two starts and his win at the Dubai Invitational came after a T47 at the Sentry.
I expect Tommy to bounce back this week and contend at Quail Hollow.
Justin Thomas +3000 (DraftKings)
It’s been a rough couple of years for Justin Thomas, but I don’t believe things are quite as bad as they seem for JT. He got caught in the bad side of the draw at Augusta for last month’s Masters and has gained strokes on approach in seven of his nine starts in 2024.
Thomas may have found something in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage. He finished T5 at a course that he isn’t the best fit for on paper. He also finally got the putter working and ranked 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week.
The two-time PGA champion captured the first of his two major championships at Quail Hollow back in 2017, and some good vibes from the course may be enough to get JT out of his slump.
Thomas hasn’t won an event in just about two years. However, I still believe that will change soon as he’s been one of the most prolific winners throughout his PGA Tour career. Since 2015, he has 15 PGA Tour wins.
Course history is pretty sticky at Quail Hollow, with players who like the course playing well there on a regular basis. In addition to JT’s PGA Championship win in 2017, he went 4-1 at the 2022 Presidents Cup and finished T14 at the event last year despite being in poor form. Thomas can return as one of the top players on the PGA Tour with a win at a “signature event” this week.
Cameron Young +3500 (DraftKings)
For many golf bettors, it’s been frustrating backing Cam Young this season. His talent is undeniable, and one of the best and most consistent performers on the PGA Tour. He just hasn’t broken through with a victory yet. Quail Hollow has been a great place for elite players to get their first victory. Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark all notched their first PGA Tour win at Quail.
Throughout Cam Young’s career, he has thrived at tougher courses with strong fields. This season, he finished T16 at Riviera and T9 at Augusta National, demonstrating his preference of a tough test. His ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee make him an ideal fit for Quail Hollow, despite playing pretty poorly his first time out in 2023 (T59). Young should be comfortable playing in the region as he played his college golf at Wake Forest, which is about an hour’s drive from Quail Hollow.
The 26-year-old has played well at Tom Fazio designs in the past and ranks 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on those courses in his last 36 rounds. Perhaps most importantly, this season, Young is the best player on the PGA Tour in terms of proximity from 175-200 in the fairway, which is where a plurality and many crucial shots will come from this week.
Young is an elite talent and Quail Hollow has been kind to players of his ilk who’ve yet to win on Tour.
Byeong Hun An +5000 (FanDuel)
Byeong Hun An missed some opportunities last weekend at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He finished T4 and played some outstanding golf, but a couple of missed short putts prevented him from getting to the winning score of -23. Despite not getting the win, it’s hard to view An’s performance as anything other than an overwhelming success. It was An’s fourth top-ten finish of the season.
Last week, An gained 6.5 strokes ball striking, which was 7th in the field. He also ranked 12th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The South Korean has been hitting the ball so well from tee to green all season long and he now heads to a golf course that should reward his precision.
An’s driver and long irons are absolute weapons. At Quail Hollow, players will see plenty of approach shots from the 175-200 range as well as some from 200+. In his past 24 rounds, Ben ranks 3rd in the field in proximity from 175-200 and 12th in proximity from 200+. Playing in an event that will not end up being a “birdie” fest should help An, who can separate from the field with his strong tee to green play. The putter may not always cooperate but getting to -15 is much easier than getting to -23 for elite ball strikers who tend to struggle on the greens.
Winning a “signature event” feels like a tall task for An this week with so many elite players in the field. However, he’s finished T16 at the Genesis Invitational, T16 at The Masters and T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The 32-year-old’s game has improved drastically this season and I believe he’s ready to get the biggest win of his career.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again
After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.
Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.
Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”
Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.
“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.
Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.
“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”
“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”
As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.
In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.
“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”
Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.
Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:
Fairways Hit
1.) Louis Oosthuizen
2.) Anirban Lahiri
3.) Jon Rahm
4.) Brendan Steele
5.) Cameron Tringale
Greens in Regulation
1.) Brooks Koepka
2.) Brendan Steele
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Cameron Tringale
5.) Anirban Lahiri
Birdies Made
1.) Brendan Steele
2.) Dean Burmester
3.) Thomas Pieters
4.) Patrick Reed
5.) Carlos Ortiz
LIV Golf Individual Standings:
1.) Joaquin Niemann
2.) Jon Rahm
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Louis Oosthuizen
5.) Abraham Ancer
LIV Golf Team Standings:
1.) Crushers
2.) Legion XIII
3.) Torque
4.) Stinger GC
5.) Ripper GC
LIV Golf Singapore Picks
Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)
Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.
This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.
Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)
Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.
This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.
It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.
Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)
Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.
Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.
Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.
Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)
Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.
Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.
If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.
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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.