Tiger Woods Driving The Ball

[rtparty]

You should have watched the replay of the 2000 PGA that was on last week. His driving in that period of time was really good.

Steel shaft in the driver?

 

[Trout Bum]

According to Hank Haney, it has never been his strong suit, but in this day and age of short memories, do his fans (as well as detractors) think that with a small loss of distance over the years, he needs to be able to hit driver well again to win?

Now keep in mind before the whole "He's done" stuff, he is about 9 rounds out of back surgery, and nobody would expect any athlete to be at the top after that. But his driving since working with Foley is as bad as I can remember it. This picture kind of sums it up.

I honestly don't know, he may be only a few rounds into playing again but he looks worse every time he tees it up. I do Believe that the Foley swing is to difficult for him to repeat over and over but I'm no longer convinced it Sean's fault. Tiger just isn't the same and he has lost hat belly fire that gave us so many great memories of him hitting the shot when he needed it. The driver is just a symptom of other issues.

 

[lightningbolt44]

I honestly don't know, he may be only a few rounds into playing again but he looks worse every time he tees it up. I do Believe that the Foley swing is to difficult for him to repeat over and over but I'm no longer convinced it Sean's fault. Tiger just isn't the same and he has lost hat belly fire that gave us so many great memories of him hitting the shot when he needed it. The driver is just a symptom of other issues.

The guy has constantly been beaten down by fans the media etc even before a couple years ago and the events that took place. To me he looks like a guy that is defeated and that has finally cracked him.

I absolutely hate the Foley swing and really don't understand why he sticks with it but that is not the real issue in my opinion as well

 

[Jman]

He just needs to be able to put the ball in play. He looks lost with driver in his hands

Agreed entirely. Just keep the thing in play, if that means a shorter club and slight loss of distance, so be it, dude can recover with the irons. Just my take though.

 

[jhstew1]

 

[JB]

The guy has constantly been beaten down by fans the media etc even before a couple years ago and the events that took place. To me he looks like a guy that is defeated and that has finally cracked him.

I absolutely hate the Foley swing and really don't understand why he sticks with it but that is not the real issue in my opinion as well

The flip side is one could say that since the death of his father, he has been surrounded by nothing other than yes men (generalization) and been lauded for everything he did from eat dinner to work out. His fans defend regardless and his detractors do the same. Objectivity for some reason cannot be viewed.

 

[widespot]

Foley ain't swingin' that club. Tiger is. With some exceptions golf has always been a game for the big hitters. Tiger is still good, but he can't hit fairway woods as far as others hit driver anymore and he struggles with the driver. It seems like to me, watching on TV, that yes he needs to drive it better and hit better draws off the tee when he needs to.

On a side note. I've never figured out the whole "duck hook club let go" follow through. When I seen hackers do this at the range I just laugh.

 

[PhillyV]

The guy has constantly been beaten down by fans the media etc even before a couple years ago and the events that took place. To me he looks like a guy that is defeated and that has finally cracked him.

I absolutely hate the Foley swing and really don't understand why he sticks with it but that is not the real issue in my opinion as well

To touch on the Foley swing, is it just me or is it every time he gets comfortable with a new swing he starts to lose it? The Harmon swing got off to a blazing start and even early in the Haney swing change once he got used to the grip change he started to win a lot again. Then he parted ways with Hank and after his comeback he went with the Foley swing and went on to win 9 tournaments. And again he's losing it. It probably is due to the time off and his back issues but it's just odd seeing this trend of him

 

[Paladin]

Like Freddie said, he needs to get to where he can eliminate one side of the course. His attempts at a cut are fine, but he's too inclined to double-cross it right now, so he's not really taking away one side of the course.

Also worth noting, much of his being longer and more wild without it being as penal came with old wedge groove design. Bomb & gouge doesn't play the way it used to. Admittedly, in his hey he was longer and less wild off the tee. He needs to either get more effective at managing his cut off the tee, or find a new shot shape. The thing is, I think his short game last year was his biggest strong suit, and I attribute a lot of that to his work with Foley...but he needs to find someone or something new when it comes to the big stick, because that's just not working.

 

[EnglishTurn]

I have said it all along and I firmly believe that he needs to drop Foley like a bad habit. When you see guys like Fowler moving to Butch Harmon and all the improvements it's made in his game I wonder why Tiger is sticking with Foley. I don't think the back surgery is what's causing his problems this weekend, as he's had issues with the driver for some time. Based on how he's hit the ball off the tee at Firestone CC this weekend I think his driver has potentially cost him a chance at defending his title. If he doesn't get that part of his game figured out then I think we'll continue to see him struggle week in and week out.

For arguments sake, if he drops Foley than who does he pick up? If anyone? Why can't he just do it alone, or at least try?

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

 

[BigTex]

If you believe the strokes gained driving analysis that Mark Brodie shows in his book Every Stroke Counts he needs to fix his driver swing if he wants to get close to his peak form. In his analysis it is more important for a pro to be long than straight, and right now Tiger is neither. Everyone talks about how great a putter Tiger was in his prime, but statistically he was a great putter because his iron game was the best on tour. He was simply closer to the hole after his approach. With his wayward driving he cannot attack pins the way he once did since he is in trouble or at least in the rough making it harder to judge distance and spin. Lately, his stats on the par 5s have been abysmal. Largely because he cannot attack the pin on his second shot because his tee shot puts him in a more defensive position.

 

[blugold]

For arguments sake, if he drops Foley than who does he pick up? If anyone? Why can't he just do it alone, or at least try?

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He did try that once. After Haney. Before Foley. It went poorly.

 

[Tadashi70]

To touch on the Foley swing, is it just me or is it every time he gets comfortable with a new swing he starts to lose it? The Harmon swing got off to a blazing start and even early in the Haney swing change once he got used to the grip change he started to win a lot again. Then he parted ways with Hank and after his comeback he went with the Foley swing and went on to win 9 tournaments. And again he's losing it. It probably is due to the time off and his back issues but it's just odd seeing this trend of him

The foley swing was ingrained, then the back surgery. Now it's shortened and that like trying to stop a jack hammer with your hand. Tiger wants to hit hard and this swing won't allow it. I know he wants longevity on tour but maybe he just gets after it to get the record and retire.

I think he can win with a shorter swing and will. But life has not been easy since he tried to build a swing for the future.

 

[PhillyV]

The foley swing was ingrained, then the back surgery. Now it's shortened and that like trying to stop a jack hammer with your hand. Tiger wants to hit hard and this swing won't allow it. I know he wants longevity on tour but maybe he just gets after it to get the record and retire.

I think he can win with a shorter swing and will. But life has not been easy since he tried to build a swing for the future.

Maybe all the Navy Seals training in the early 2000s was not such a good idea?

 

[Tadashi70]

Maybe all the Navy Seals training in the early 2000s was not such a good idea?

I can't speak to that but I know two seals that are healthy and injury free. His injuries are all golf related. And it just happens it's been one after another since 2009.

 

[golfinFF]

I think he has to get down to a one way miss, so he can play for it. You can make an attack plan for the hole your on if you don't know where the heck the ball is going off the tee.

Driver hasn't ever been his strongest part of the game but it was consistently inconsistent now it's just inconsistent.

 

[Paladin]

Maybe all the Navy Seals training in the early 2000s was not such a good idea?

Those guys train for injury prevention (as much as realistic training can). The last thing any of them want is to blow a wheel deep in the bush.

Tiger's never had a swing many would describe as "flowing." By now his swing has been such a mix of workarounds for injuries that have moved stress from one part to the next. His Achilles turned into a ticking time bomb trying to baby his knee, his back worsened after trying to take stress off his left leg, etc...but his fix seems to ultimately come back to just shortening his swing, which is like saying you're going to make a gun less explosive by having the hammer not cock back as far. Until he can create a consistent swing that's, quite simply, less violent, he's going to continue having health problems, to say nothing of his inability to find consistency when he's swinging trying work around his numerous injuries and hot-spots.

 

[checkered]

He definitely needs to get some consistency and trust in that driver. I haven't paid much attention to him recently as I've never really been that fond of him. I do think he has it in him to sort things out, I just don't know if the current route he's going is the answer.

 

[O'Carroll]

Actually it was outside 150-yards where he was so good. If I recall correctly his strokes gained between 175 & 225 were almost double the next closest player during his second run of majors from 2005 - 2008. Tigers still long enough he doesn't need a driver to get it into that range.

I've told my friends Tiger needs to adopt a game like Zach Johnson. Throttle back off the tee to find the fairway and rely on your irons and short game. Wasn't long ago when Tiger was one of the if not the best iron player over 175yds. I think he should go to his stinger "if" he can and work on irons and short game.

Has Tiger ever been a great driver of the ball? My memory says no but could be wrong.

I don't see a lot of shots lost for him with the driver. His irons aren't spot on and his short game is no where near what it used to be.

Drive for show, putt for dough. Tiger needs to get his putter going again.

I may be mis-remembering, but this is how I remember the dominant Tiger. It wasn't the driver, it was the ability to put the ball on the middle of the green from ANYWHERE and drop a putt from ANYWHERE.

For arguments sake, if he drops Foley than who does he pick up? If anyone? Why can't he just do it alone, or at least try?

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Instructor or no instructor...to me, he seems to have lost something inside himself. The fire that burns in his belly, or the killer instinct that resided in him...he just seems.......beaten to me.

 

[blugold]

I may be mis-remembering, but this is how I remember the dominant Tiger. It wasn't the driver, it was the ability to put the ball on the middle of the green from ANYWHERE and drop a putt from ANYWHERE.

He was the poster child for bomb and gouge.

Groove rule? Hmmm

 

[Michigan Slice]

I may be mis-remembering, but this is how I remember the dominant Tiger. It wasn't the driver, it was the ability to put the ball on the middle of the green from ANYWHERE and drop a putt from ANYWHERE.

He was the poster child for bomb and gouge.

Groove rule? Hmmm

Was this agreeing or disagreeing? lol

 

[Supersport]

I am reading Haneys book right now and EVERY thing that they are pointing out on tv right now is exactly what Haney brings up as his biggest issues.

Getting stuck
moving down
moving head back
straight rear leg at impact vs bent.

It it almost spooky to hear what Haneys concerns are and then see breakdown of his swing.

I should also point out that I do to mean to be critical. I would take all of tigers bad swings per round and welcome them to my game.

 

[JRod]

I am reading Haneys book right now and EVERY thing that they are pointing out on tv right now is exactly what Haney brings up as his biggest issues.

Getting stuck
moving down
moving head back
straight rear leg at impact vs bent.

It it almost spooky to hear what Haneys concerns are and then see breakdown of his swing.

I should also point out that I do to mean to be critical. I would take all of tigers bad swings per round and welcome them to my game.

This is my biggest problem too. When I start locking out my back knee I hit the ball like Tiger drives it.

 

[blugold]

Was this agreeing or disagreeing? lol

Agreeing.

Just adding a thought to your thought.

 

[PhillyV]

Those guys train for injury prevention (as much as realistic training can). The last thing any of them want is to blow a wheel deep in the bush.

Tiger's never had a swing many would describe as "flowing." By now his swing has been such a mix of workarounds for injuries that have moved stress from one part to the next. His Achilles turned into a ticking time bomb trying to baby his knee, his back worsened after trying to take stress off his left leg, etc...but his fix seems to ultimately come back to just shortening his swing, which is like saying you're going to make a gun less explosive by having the hammer not cock back as far. Until he can create a consistent swing that's, quite simply, less violent, he's going to continue having health problems, to say nothing of his inability to find consistency when he's swinging trying work around his numerous injuries and hot-spots.

Have you read "the big miss"?