Opinion & Analysis
4 things Tiger Woods needs to quit before he has to quit
I am a huge Tiger Woods fan, and I admire what he has done for the game and how he has impacted a new generation of golfers by making golf cool — but I have officially reached the end of my rope with him.
Like everyone else, I’m sick of hearing about his process, reps, release patterns and explosiveness right now, and I don’t know how much more I can take. I’m even more sick of watching the most dominant golfer of all time embarrass himself with three scores in the 80s in the past 15 rounds. That’s like watching an average golfer shoot 150 from the white tees.
Maybe better golf is right around the corner for Tiger Woods, but even as I write those words I’m shaking my head and thinking “It’s definitely not.” Tiger is so far off track, and that’s why he’d be better off to quit golf right now if he plans to carry on the way he has these past two years.
Before the Tiger fans come hunt me down and beat me up, let me explain my stance and why I feel the way I do. I have been a tournament player and a teacher for more than 22 years, and I have an understanding to some degree of what he is going through and the frustration he is feeling. His rapid decline is something that many professional golfers go through, and the ones who bounce back are those who can put their egos aside and accept that they are not working on the right things. They learn from the feedback golf always provides, tap back into their natural ability and almost always see their results improve.
But is Tiger Woods actually learning anything right now? His celebrity might eclipse more than the game of golf, but the golf gods have no sympathy for a golfer who won’t listen to what his scores are telling him.
Here are four things Tiger needs to do before he quits, and if he refuses to quit then it’s better that he quits the game right now.
Quit trying so hard and caring so much
There is a difference between trying “hard” and trying “too hard.” Few golfers have not worked themselves into a tizzy on the course. In this mode, golfers are trying so hard that they can’t even execute the simplest shots.
Think about putting: How many times have you practiced tirelessly on the putting green only to get on the course and let the pressure of a short putt cause you to miss most of them, if not all of them?
This is where Tiger is with his golf game right now, driver through putter.
At some point, golfers have to stop trying so hard and trust that the practice they’ve put in, along with their natural ability, will allow great shots to happen. Tiger has fallen into the trap of trying too hard and must allow himself some levity so he can enjoy the fruits of his labors again.
Quit being so hyper-focused on mechanics
Within the golf instruction world, we all know that Tiger is a hard player to teach, and it’s not a secret that he directs the teaching process where he wants it to go. All experienced teachers have gone through this with one or more players, but with Tiger it’s different.
How hard it must be to convince one of the greatest golfers of all time that working on his mechanics right now will only hinder his progress.
The type-A personality that Tiger possesses has served him well up to this point, but it’s clear that his focus is almost entirely on mechanical perfection, not winning golf tournaments.
Tiger’s previous coaches — Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, Sean Foley and now Chris Como — all know what they are doing, and I can say this because I know all of them personally. If asked, they would all say that Tiger needs to step back and remember that there has never been one perfect golf swing in golf history, and that all golfers possess idiosyncrasies that they have to work around.
Sure, golfers can always get better… but where would Jack Nicklaus have been if he’d have tried to “fix” his flying right elbow? Where would Lee Trevino and Fred Couples be if they tried to aim straight? What would have happened to Furyk if he refused to play with his non-conventional backswing? I guarantee that we would have never heard from them.
Tiger is in the wrong mode right now, trying to “fix” everything he sees and not letting Chris Como help him make his idiosyncrasies work for him.
Quit taking time off
Players of all levels know that there is a huge difference between working on your game on the range and on the course with your buddies and playing in tournaments where your score actually matters. There is no substitution for playing tournament golf, and even the best golfers in the world cannot exactly replicate the stress of a tournament. That’s why those who don’t play much tournament golf cannot improve their game as fast as those who do.
“Every bad tournament day you have is one day closer to you playing well again,” my father used to say. Sometimes time off is good for golfers, but Tiger has taken more time off for one reason or another than any of his peers since his last major victory, the 2008 U.S. Open. Clearly his current tournament schedule is not working. The last thing he needs to do is go back home to the range and worry about this and that with his body, setup and swing. He needs to get back into a tournament rhythm so he can start playing golf, not golf swing, for a change.
Quit forgetting that you have the best instincts on the PGA Tour
Tiger had (and probably still has) one of the best minds for the game of golf, and his instincts and feel for the shot at hand was in a league of its own. He has since lost that, allowing his mind to wander off on other tangents that have made things that used to come easy to him very difficult.
Let’s take Tiger’s chipping, for example. How can the the golfer who hit so many great flop shots under pressure on the final holes of major championships get the chipping yips? The only way a player loses the very best parts of his game is when they allow their instincts and feel to be compromised by something else, another more dominant thought. They starting thinking: “My club is out of position,” or “I need to do this or that on the way down” while they are playing.
Tiger has forgotten how to use his mind and experience to his advantage, and has morphed into a golfer who now hits cold tops from the fairway in major championships. The solution? Go back to hitting big hooks and slices, low shots and high shots, stingers and spinners in practice until you can begin to trust your talent again. When golfers vary their practice in this way, their mechanics almost always improve because they shift their focus from making a perfect swing to making a perfect shot.
As I said, I am a huge Tiger fan and think he’s great for our game, but if he does not quit what he is currently doing then he’s done as a threat to win major championships. No one can alter Tiger’s mindset and reverse the road he’s traveled except Tiger — not Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, Sean Foley or Chris Como.
Tiger’s problem is not his mechanics or the instruction he’s getting. It’s Tiger!
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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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After having four of the top twelve players on the leaderboard at The Masters, LIV Golf is set for their fifth event of the season: LIV Adelaide.
For both LIV fans and golf fans in Australia, LIV Adelaide is one of the most anticipated events of the year. With 35,000 people expected to attend each day of the tournament, the Grange Golf Club will be crawling with fans who are passionate about the sport of golf. The 12th hole, better known as “the watering hole”, is sure to have the rowdiest of the fans cheering after a long day of drinking some Leishman Lager.
The Grange Golf Club is a par-72 that measures 6,946 yards. The course features minimal resistance, as golfers went extremely low last season. In 2023, Talor Gooch shot consecutive rounds of 62 on Thursday and Friday, giving himself a gigantic cushion heading into championship Sunday. Things got tight for a while, but in the end, the Oklahoma State product was able to hold off The Crushers’ Anirban Lahiri for a three-shot victory.
The Four Aces won the team competition with the Range Goats finishing second.
*All Images Courtesy of LIV Golf*
Past Winners at LIV Adelaide
- 2023: Talor Gooch (-19)
Stat Leaders Through LIV Miami
Green in Regulation
- Richard Bland
- Jon Rahm
- Paul Casey
Fairways Hit
- Abraham Ancer
- Graeme McDowell
- Henrik Stenson
Driving Distance
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Joaquin Niemann
- Dean Burmester
Putting
- Cameron Smith
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Matt Jones
2024 LIV Adelaide Picks
Cameron Smith +1400 (DraftKings)
When I pulled up the odds for LIV Adelaide, I was more than a little surprised to see multiple golfers listed ahead of Cameron Smith on the betting board. A few starts ago, Cam finished runner-up at LIV Hong Kong, which is a golf course that absolutely suits his eye. Augusta National in another course that Smith could roll out of bed and finish in the top-ten at, and he did so two weeks ago at The Masters, finishing T6.
At Augusta, he gained strokes on the field on approach, off the tee (slightly), and of course, around the green and putting. Smith able to get in the mix at a major championship despite coming into the week feeling under the weather tells me that his game is once again rounding into form.
The Grange Golf Club is another course that undoubtedly suits the Australian. Smith is obviously incredibly comfortable playing in front of the Aussie faithful and has won three Australian PGA Championship’s. The course is very short and will allow Smith to play conservative off the tee, mitigating his most glaring weakness. With birdies available all over the golf course, there’s a chance the event turns into a putting contest, and there’s no one on the planet I’d rather have in one of those than Cam Smith.
Louis Oosthuizen +2200 (DraftKings)
Louis Oosthuizen has simply been one of the best players on LIV in the 2024 seas0n. The South African has finished in the top-10 on the LIV leaderboard in three of his five starts, with his best coming in Jeddah, where he finished T2. Perhaps more impressively, Oosthuizen finished T7 at LIV Miami, which took place at Doral’s “Blue Monster”, an absolutely massive golf course. Given that Louis is on the shorter side in terms of distance off the tee, his ability to play well in Miami shows how dialed he is with the irons this season.
In addition to the LIV finishes, Oosthuizen won back-to-back starts on the DP World Tour in December at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritus Open. He also finished runner-up at the end of February in the International Series Oman. The 41-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers of 2024, regardless of tour.
For the season, Louis ranks 4th on LIV in birdies made, T9 in fairways hit and first in putting. He ranks 32nd in driving distance, but that won’t be an issue at this short course. Last season, he finished T11 at the event, but was in decent position going into the final round but fell back after shooting 70 while the rest of the field went low. This season, Oosthuizen comes into the event in peak form, and the course should be a perfect fit for his smooth swing and hot putter this week.
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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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Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)...
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19th Hole2 weeks agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole2 weeks agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
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19th Hole1 day ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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19th Hole3 weeks agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole1 week agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
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19th Hole1 week agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole1 week agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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19th Hole1 day agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
j
Aug 16, 2015 at 11:29 pm
I think it is simple
– Get out of the limelight
– Play more golf in Europe or any where else outside of the United States
– Stop thinking so much
– Stop trying to change your swing
– Get back to basics
Dr. Fitzgerald
Jul 22, 2015 at 11:44 am
honestly, he went into rehab at one point and likely they suggested some prescription medication to help him through the anxiety and depression. those medications can be powerful. then he is expected to go back on tour and hit a little white ball within millimeters of accuracy after starting a new medication that alters brain chemistry to some degree. that could be at play here.
shabby
Jul 10, 2015 at 11:45 am
Tiger should hold hands with bubbs and jump off a tall building
Speedy
Jul 3, 2015 at 10:15 pm
How ’bout, Quit being a jerk.
As much as some can't stand him....
Jul 1, 2015 at 3:17 pm
Tiger dominated for a long period of time. I don’t believe the players (greats) he is compared to played with as great of a field as he has had in his era. I just think the game is much more competitive then it was 30 years ago, and yes there have been some modern day great players, but none have done what tiger did for such a long period of time. How would ex. Jack play with the players on tour today? We will never know. But we do know tiger did it and crushed it for years. Whether people like him or not, what he did to the game and for the game will probably never be repeated. Will Speith or Ror’s stay on top for as long? Yet to be seen, but I have seen short periods of dominance out of players today, but nothing compared to what tiger has done for years. It’s sad, and I hope he doesn’t “jerry rice it”, but I think there were greats in the past, but in my opinion those greats wouldn’t fair as well as tiger did against the crop in past 15-20 years. Just my .02
Dennis Clark
Jun 30, 2015 at 5:05 pm
insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result
leo
Jun 29, 2015 at 4:50 pm
during tiger’s days of true dominance he was one of if not the longest player on tour. those days are gone he will never be the longest of the top players. while tiger has gotten shorter especially in relation to other players the courses have gotten longer.the stinger shot is mostly obsolete except in cases of very firm fast courses the same holds true for using exclusively less than driver off the tee.he can’t spot today’s tour players 20-30 yds off the tee and hope to win consistently.he must fix his problems with the driver first.Quit trying to move the ball so much off the tee.decide which shape he can regularly find the fairway at a distance he can be competitive and go with that 90% of the time,be it draw or fade.bubba watson just won hitting fades almost exclusively when hitting driver, patrick reed is having success with almost all draws off the tee.when tiger tries to hit those big fades off the tee it usually results in a double cross pull or a swipe to the right.if tiger could start finding some fairways while still hitting driver and be able to visualize a consistent shot shape i think he can win again and even sneak in 1 or 2 more majors. he still fares pretty well at the masters and the quirky courses in scotland with firm wide fairways are his best shot.i totally agree with points 3 and 4 in the article i guarantee tiger never shoots 80 in a practice round. as to plying more tiger always played a limited schedule and with his history of injuries playing a lot may not be an option
Tony Lynam
Jun 29, 2015 at 10:44 am
Great article Tom, the truth on so many levels. Also Tiger, more than anything, needs to find peace in his life and that peace will only come from a relationship with Jesus Christ and not some fat golden statue named Buddah.
Thaiger Woods
Jul 12, 2015 at 9:19 pm
@Tony Lynam
I have 2 words for you !!
Richard Dawkins
Artsontop
Jul 21, 2015 at 3:05 am
Amen, Tony!
It is so refreshing to see real men of real charachter and substance prosper in this game today. Zach Johnson, in winning The Open is humble and thankful for his God given talents and success.
Appreciative that he plays golf for a living! Jordan Spieth, a product of Dallas Jesuit, of the same mold. Did anyone notice Zach and Louis Oosthuizen share pleasantries as they walked 17 and 18 in the playoff? NEVER would you have seen the self absorbed, arrogant, ego filled Tiger Woods share such moments with his competitors…
Oldplayer
Jun 25, 2015 at 5:51 pm
Good article Tom. Relevant points well made.
Just remember one and all that golf is a tough game and that inside every great player is a bad player trying to get out!
PFTaylor
Jun 25, 2015 at 4:45 pm
To my eye, Tiger looks like a washed up ex-steroid juicing athlete. That explains a lot. Just take a look at those baseball players who no longer take steroids (Ryan Howard, et al). Their power numbers look “normal”, their bat is slow, and they are on their way out of the game.
Getting back to Tiger, since his name was on the list MLB uncovered from Biogenisis, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck…
Larry Fox
Jun 24, 2015 at 11:13 pm
Tiger was fine till he started playing golf with the President. I think government scientist found a way to swap his talents with the Presidents. When we hear about Obama shooting a 66 at the club we will
know i was right. You heard it here first.
talljohn777
Jun 24, 2015 at 4:09 pm
Pretty simple, Tiger needs to stop practicing and start playing lots and lots of tournament golf.
Tom Wishon
Jun 24, 2015 at 3:33 pm
Surfing channels last night I caught part of The Golf Channel’s “Golf Greatest Rounds” showing Tiger’s final round in the 2000 Open Championship at St Andrews when he shot 20 under and won by two miles. The replay made note of the fact between June 1999 and July 2000, he won 13 of the 23 tournaments he entered.
It only took seeing one swing during that replay to be shocked at his swing today vs then. No dip down and up, no right elbow outside the right hip, no getting jammed through the ball – he stayed level through the ball with a very consistent posture from back to follow through. Aggressive but very simple, stable and balanced. I could not help thinking, I wonder if he really looked at this 2000 round whether he could just go swing like that again.
Probably not since paralysis from over analysis seems to be approaching a fatal stage with him now. It’s too bad. While one certainly can criticize his behavior and demeanor over the years, solid playing Tiger was good for golf and good for increasing interest in the game.
Perhaps Jordan can achieve that so the game has a very strong ambassador to bring more people into the game.
Jimmy
Jun 24, 2015 at 1:10 pm
I am sick of hearing statements like……”most dominant golfer of all time”. For a while he was dominant but there are others that could be considered “most dominant golfer of all time”.
Lion Irons
Jun 24, 2015 at 3:02 pm
Who else has won a MAJOR by 15?
I’m not saying he’s the only ‘dominant’ golfer, but you say it like there are dozens of others. In reality, there are a select few that are even worth considering.
mike
Jun 25, 2015 at 12:01 am
In all seriousness, Tiger is the greatest golfer ever even if he hangs it up right now.
In the history of golf, there has never been any golfer considered the #1 athlete in the world. Tiger reigned supreme as not the best golfer but as the #1 athlete in the world for no less than 10 years following MJ’s final championship.
Think about it. A “GOLFER” being considered the greatest athlete in the world for over a decade. That is a monumental accomplishment to say the least.
Jason
Jun 24, 2015 at 1:07 pm
Precisely what I was thinking. Tiger needs to stop trying to find the perfect angles, plane, etc and just let his natural talents/instinct take over. This is like Michael Jordan worrying about his running mechanics instead of just getting the ball to go in the hoop anyway he can.
Ct
Jun 24, 2015 at 2:25 pm
Tiger needs more strange (p—y) in his life to get back to the top!!!
Steven Thomas
Jun 24, 2015 at 12:22 pm
Tom:
I just wonder if the desire is still there.
Tom
Jun 24, 2015 at 11:44 am
Tiger will be fun to watch a) continuing his down fall b) when he starts to come back. I am excited to watch golf with the game’s current greats. If Tiger can be part of it, wonderful. But if he continues to stink it up, pls keep the cameras off him and don’t let him be a story line. Right now he’s a 10 handicap.
Craig B
Jun 24, 2015 at 11:41 am
One Person who he should take a look at is Martin Ayers
Craig B
Jun 24, 2015 at 11:37 am
Having been a caddy on both sides of the pond in recent years, to which i have now retired and running a Golf Business day to day. The business that i now operate is to what people know as “Custom Fitting” but this is what all these big outlets call it but basically it’s trial and error and thats a FACT!! My business is that i optimise your equipment from Driver to putter none of this trial and error rubbish.
So to the point, Tiger’s equipment is all over the shop from when i last saw what he’s playing with theres no stability within in his shafts to what he’s playing. When i last saw his driver had a 60g shaft in it and his 3 wood was a 103, this is just complete bonkers!!! going from one club to the next he doesn’t know what feeling he has with his clubs, he needs to get this sorted first off as you can’t tell me its just down to what these so called Coaches are doing with him!! They’re all yes men and afraid to say anything as they’ll be off the payroll, go back to Butch that’s if he would have him back and start from there.
Hazen
Jun 24, 2015 at 11:30 am
Tiger needs to play a few rounds with Charles Barkley. That’ll make him feel better, a morale booster if you will. 😉
Jayw
Jun 24, 2015 at 5:03 am
Most of us are raised to be quitters. We are told that if we don’t succeed in certain areas then we will grow up to be failures. We are programmed to be fearful of failure. People are like animals in that when we see someone like Tiger struggling and hurting, to attack. People start laughing, heckling, put downs and whatever else, ( like to much advice), will finish him off. Tiger accomplished what he did because he was raised and told to go ahead and keep plugging away and to block out all of the mean and hateful things that people will throw at you. I believe that Tiger should do whatever he decides to do pertaining to his golf, since it’s his life and his golf game. If Tiger thought like everyone else he would be just like everyone else would have quit a long time ago. There is no one else that could stand up in front of the world and do what he’s doing and take all the meanness that the world has to offer. That shows what Tiger is really made of. It’s really like comparing us (mice) to a Tiger.
Nathan
Jun 24, 2015 at 1:01 am
Y’all got it wrong.
Tiger needs to do exactly what he used to do. Play golf, go back to hotel room think about what he had to do and just do it! Come out the next day relaxed as and play golf again.
Simple really
The stuff he would do in the hotel room with those ahh stars.
That’s the stuff missing from his game.
Bring it back tiger, you know it’s the only way
mike
Jun 23, 2015 at 10:57 pm
He needs a girlfriend. If you know what I mean…
There is one thing that is extremely important to men whether we would like to admit it or not.
This is the reason half of all commercials on the golf channel are about the blue pill or it’s counterparts.
The downfall started the day he got caught. Not sure why the public was so outraged about a personal matter. Not saying what he did was right but in all seriousness, it isn’t a big deal.
Tiger will play better or even dominate again if he stops trying to be like Jack Nicklaus and starts living free like Jack Nicholson.
Bruce Ferguson
Jun 23, 2015 at 5:56 pm
On top of those four things, I might add a fifth: be fan friendly. High-five the kids and sign some autographs, dialog a little with the gallery, loosen up. A player going through a bad patch needs fan empathy, and these days, I’d hate to hear some of the murmuring going on in the galleries when Tiger tops a shot or chokes on a putt.
other paul
Jun 23, 2015 at 9:09 am
This is the most I have ever disagreed with something you wrote Tom. Tiger needs to quit Chris Como and fly to Hawaii for a month or two and be with Kelvin Miyahira. Or at least talk to Lucas Wald. These guys are so far ahead of what everyone else is doing its silly.
Billy
Jun 23, 2015 at 4:51 am
I also sick of people blasting Tiger, it’s probably the lamest thing you can do right now, but we can certainly all learn from this article. Thats if you ever played a tournament, or tried to be competetive on any level.
Amado villanueva
Jun 23, 2015 at 4:06 am
KARMA PENDEJO
Tom Stickney
Jun 23, 2015 at 12:59 am
Jeff*– my thought was not to tear Tiger down but in fact help him understand what he needs to do to improve. I’m sick of the fact that he’s going about it the wrong way and robbing us of his great play from years past.
Stretch
Jun 24, 2015 at 12:57 pm
Great article! The readers have hovered around the root of Tiger’s problem. When he came out on tour his power created shots that demoralized his opponents. He created today’s bomb and gouge style of playing. His changing of coaches and styles is a need to get back to physical dominance which will not happen as the younger generations are bigger, stronger and faster. Technically he tries to create power and two problems arise. Too much energy in the transition lays the club down and back into the stuck position leading to hitting far right and left shots. Second the dipping of the head to create ground forces that can create some extra power leads to the thin and fat hits. Combining the two problems is creating all manor of havoc and seems to eliminate hitting the ball in position where his putting and short game superiority can create the winning game he still has lurking.
Jeff*
Jun 22, 2015 at 9:53 pm
Dude gave us the best golf we’ve ever seen, for a decade. Sorry to hear you’re sick of him, by winning the players in 2013, he’s qualified to play on tour 8 more years. Pretty sure he’s earned the right to tee it up.
You’re nobody. It doesn’t take courage to pile on. Congrats, you have readers. What I’m getting sick of is self-serving sentences that start with, “hey I’m a huge tiger fan”…BUT, pile on, pile on, profess to have solution, take a few more shots about how he should have been nicer all along and close it up with, “so I’m hoping he does get it back,” which you’re not, because nobody cares what Tom Stickney has to say about Tiger if he’s playing well.
So, you’ve got a lot of people to read what you wrote about Tigers slump. Slump working out pretty well for you, as it makes your information more important, certainly more urgent, being a golf teacher. The problem is I’ve read the same article a hundred times now. It’s not taking the high road or being a Tiger Woods fan, sorry. The high road means not highlighting the struggle of others for personal gain. See ya Tom.
I was alays a bit of a Tom Stickney fan, I respected him as a teacher, but as a golfer he just should have had the sense to not tear down someone who conquered golf, as a writer, just because it could get more people to view his work, so, I am SICK of Tom Stickney. I’ll watch Tiger play golf til the day I die.
Dan Nichele
Jun 23, 2015 at 3:31 am
Settle down fanboy! Gee dry your eyes princess
Jack
Jun 24, 2015 at 10:26 pm
He WAS the best golfer. Now he’s near the bottom. Everyone can see that he’s struggling. And most think that he is struggling because he keeps changing his swing. Not sure what was wrong with the one with Butch or Hank since he won plenty with them. Now he wants to change again. It didn’t work with his last coach and it’s not working with Como. Stop dicking around and just play what you body wants you to do. He’s fighting so much against his instincts.
Ilsompati
Jun 22, 2015 at 9:53 pm
Karma baby………it is simply karma.
Ryan K
Jun 22, 2015 at 9:17 pm
All I really got from that was apparently Jim Furyk has a bass ackwards swing. Thanks Tom! Ha
Mark
Jun 22, 2015 at 7:28 pm
Tiger needs to speak to Jack about course management. Nicklaus’s biggest weapon was his brain. He didn’t try to blast it if it didn’t need blasted. And as already said he must play more events. Try 3 or 4 on the bounce. Play some courses you haven’t before and be prepared to go out in non-marquee groups. And dare I say he needs to do a Phil and get a mini driver that he can shape and keep in play?
Mitch
Jun 22, 2015 at 7:22 pm
plus he seems to be injury free
Matto
Jun 22, 2015 at 6:55 pm
Just stop trying to hit the ball so godamn hard for christ’s sake!!!! Just peel it back to even 85-90% when the long sticks are in the hand. His swing (with that now huge head lowering move) has never looked more brutal and aggressive……but not in a good way. It just looks like it’s out of control and that it hurts!
Sacrifice 20 off the tee and hit the fairways for starters.
Hints
Jun 22, 2015 at 6:30 pm
I don’t think it has anything to do with his “mechanics” and you don’t become a great sportsman without great instincts. It has everything to do with his head and specifically his ego and self image. At his best he “knew absolutely” he could do anything. I mean on the course and also in his private life. He was at the pinnacle of sport and life. He was able to express himself entirely without the constraints that self doubt impose on normal human beings. His behaviour off the golf course mirrored this, he felt entitled, deserved and as with with shot making, he pushed the envelope to the limit. When he was exposed it cracked not only his personal life but his persona as well. His downfall was swift and complete. His grubby goings on were laid bare for the world to see and the people he relied on washed their hands of him. He was alone for the first time in years and it must have forced him to take a long hard look at himself and I think he didn’t like much what he saw.
I don’t believe he can get back to the top of the game. I think he thinks he can, and that is why he is so tough on himself but his inner image has been shattered and the voice in his head now says “I think I can” instead of “I KNOW I can.”
The next generation of golfers, some of whom would have been inspired by his bold, exciting style are now breaking through. Time to be easier on yourself Tiger. Try and smile a little and you may start to enjoy yourself a tiny bit more. Crowds can warm to a fading champ, but they don’t like Mr Grumpy, just ask Colin Montgomerie….
cody
Jun 22, 2015 at 6:08 pm
he for all intents and purposes is done. Start the na, na, na, na goodbyes.
Matt H
Jun 22, 2015 at 6:02 pm
Matt Hirshland
I think #2 is the most important. He needs to play more tournaments. He swings beautifully on the range and can hit any shot he wants. Get him on the course, and we all know what happens. If he truly believes in “more reps” then they need to be 18 holes at a time. Forget the range. Get on the course and get comfortable playing in tournaments again.
cb
Jun 22, 2015 at 6:02 pm
tom, from a mechanics perspective would you like to see tiger have his hands higher on the backswing? he’s always had this natural dropping on the downswing, and in the 2001 era swing his hands were higher and they would drop on plane. now his backswing is more on plane but then his hands often drop below and thats when he gets “stuck” and has to flip it or block it. just a thought, and always love your articles
Mitch
Jun 22, 2015 at 5:05 pm
why do people keep mentioning Butch? first of all, how much time is butch willing to commit to tiger? tiger needs to figure this sh$t out himself. he is totally lost right now. Case in point, Wednesday afternoon before the US Open, you see him on the range, he isn’t rehearsing any pattern or working on anything because he is hopelessly searching for that “feeling”, all the years I have watched him, he is either working on a particular shape or even something mechanical. Right now he can’t self correct on the range or on the course. He can’t differentiate why he is hitting a bad shot or worse yet why he hit a good shot. Historically even when he tore down his swing, he could at least hack it around and place top 40 at worst. I don’t know if his philosophical approach is not matching up with his new body, or if he has a lingering injury. Either way there is a major disconnect between what he wants to do vs what he is able to accomplish. This is arguably the greatest golfer and athlete we have ever seen yet he can’t even hit functional shots after all this time off? I would say whatever he has been doing the last few months, put a stop to it. Go play some tennis, call up Derek Jeter and learn to throw side arm. His hips and legs look strong and he seems to moving them in a sequence similar to Ben Hogan, but his hand path is so out of sync that he has no other option but to rely on impeccable timing to square up the face.
Tom – I thought Chris Como was big on how the arms and hands move during the transition? Surely they can see from video that Tiger’s hand path is dropping down rather than at the ball, its almost like he wants to reverse what him and Foley were working on?
Steve
Jun 22, 2015 at 4:50 pm
Its over guys, 25 year old Tiger is gone. What is left is a scrap heap of swing thoughts and over thinking. Alot of mental and physical scar tissue. When his kids are old enough and wonder why mom and dad got to divorced, all they do is google and find out of much of a jerk he was. All this has to weigh on his game. His dad passing, his divorce, swing coach after swing coach, different caddy. He is 205 in OWGR and sinking fast. Every hack in the world knows what is wrong with him, maybe this is how it ends. Epic flame out
Mitch
Jun 22, 2015 at 5:10 pm
From my perspective Tiger’s off course life is probably at one of the best times in his career. He is financially set for life and he is happy. his golf game just sucks right now.
Steve
Jun 22, 2015 at 5:14 pm
He has been fianacially set since he signed with Nike almost twenty years ago. Why do you think off course is the happiest in years?
Mitch
Jun 22, 2015 at 7:21 pm
He seems at ease when he arrives at tournaments. he isn’t stand offish in the past. He doesn’t have to deal with any off course distractions. he is after all a bachelor again, and he has the means and ability do whatever he wants outside the ropes. what more can a golfer ask for?
Steve
Jun 22, 2015 at 7:49 pm
You could be right, who knows what in his head. It is just hard for me to believe that the struggles on course are physical. Physically he is not capable of playing high level golf? Or mentality not capable?
Slimeone
Jun 23, 2015 at 4:34 am
I don’t think he’s at ease. I think he knows that he has no game to justify acting like a tool anymore. He’s also trying to be nice to the other players so they treat him gently. If only Sergio had some game he would punish Tiger but he’s about as inept as Tiger at the moment.
Freddie A. Davis
Jun 23, 2015 at 2:09 pm
I’m sure in your heart that’s the case but thank God your feelings or opinions don’t have any weight in his outcome. If he never wins again he’ll be fine. He is a great golf player, his tournament wins say so and he’s more than capable of righting his ship. As far as being a jerk I’m sure that’s some peoples view of you, it certainly is mine.
Dr Troy
Jun 22, 2015 at 4:10 pm
Totally agree with your article, Tom!
jgpl001
Jun 22, 2015 at 4:02 pm
Well written and spot on
We are sick of the Tiger nonsense now
A few more things he needs to do:
1. Eat humble pie and phone Butch
2. Just go out and play, loose the intensity
3. Don’t bag a driver, his current mechanics are a mess
4. Where is the stinger 2 iron gone? – he could have walked around Chambers Bay with this tee shot
Greg V
Jun 22, 2015 at 3:15 pm
I don’t particularly like Tiger – he comes off as a spoiled brat – but I would like to see him play well again. To me, he looks impatient at the end of his backswing, as if he can’t wait to get the shot over with. First hole, second round at Chambers Bay, Tiger hit a decent drive in the fairway. Then his swing looked impatient on the second shot, and it was all downhill from there. A good swing has sequencing. Jack Nicklaus knew this, and called it “collecting” at the top. You can’t hit it with your backswing. You also can’t hit it decently when you lurch at the ball from the top.
Unfortunately, to get from here to there, he probably needs a much greater sense of inner peace. And a more supple, less ripped, upper body.
Dunce
Jun 22, 2015 at 2:55 pm
how about the things he needs to start doing, smiling
Brian
Jun 22, 2015 at 2:07 pm
My teachers would say to just go at it 80% and get the ball in the fairway. No one ever told me to “be explosive.” Just saying. I bet he could shoot a 75.
Sideshow Rob
Jun 22, 2015 at 2:04 pm
I agree with all your points. Hopefully he reads your article and puts his ego aside. The great player he was is still in there somewhere…
JE
Jun 22, 2015 at 1:58 pm
Well said Tom.
Damone’s (modified) Five Point Plan:
1. Take driver out of bag and throw into lake. Big lake.
2. Always call the shots.
3. Act like wherever you are – that’s the place to be.
4. Make peace with who you are. It’s a classy move.
5. When it comes to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV.
Relax Tiger. No one is going to ever do what you did for golf. You can take it easy now and have fun. We will still like you.
Winmac80
Jun 23, 2015 at 1:25 am
I think this is the best comment of all. Especially the last 2 lines.
Gubby
Jun 22, 2015 at 1:50 pm
Tiger is in a dark place right now. He is very caught up with mechanics. Guy has one of the best swings in the world and he keeps tinkering and building new ones, not sure why. He seem to almost have an obsessive compulsive personality even going back to his personal problems.
He needs to get out his own way and just start swinging again. I wish he and Butch could put egos aside and get start working again. They have a chance at history.
Pat M
Jun 22, 2015 at 2:04 pm
He or his sponsors need to pay Butch $4 million a year and Steve Williams $4 million a year to work with Tiger. Tiger needs to apologize to Butch and Stevie.
Adam Scott was in nowheres-ville until Stevie came back.
I think most of Tiger’s success had to do with Steve Williams. Tiger without Steve = no majors. Without Butch and Steve – there will be no way back for Tiger.
Patricknorm
Jun 22, 2015 at 4:16 pm
Your not wrong but it’s never going to happen. Tiger has burned so many bridges that there are many who are quietly enjoying this tragedy unfold. Professional golf is in a good place right now. We witnessed perhaps one of the best golfers of all time until his five win season in 2013.
Now after back surgery he’s playing catch up where the mind and body are not synchronized . Toms article is a start. Tiger is trying way too hard. He needs to try easy.
Quote attributed to former Yankees pitching coach Mel Stotylmeyer. Giving advice to wired, hyper son Todd who pitched for the Blue Jays in the mid ”90’s.
Pat M
Jun 22, 2015 at 8:22 pm
I agree about burning the bridges. A lot of people do not like him. He must dump the driver. Too many good players are playing now with no fear and no mental or injury issues. People like Spieth and the 21 year old Aussie kid who played very well.
Adam Scott’s turnaround once Stevie showed up was pretty incredible. It took a few days but Adam’s 64 on Sunday was pretty staggering.