Thursday
Apr162009
Tiger's Temporary Woes
Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 01:38AM
Jaime Diaz has an interesting piece in Golf Digest detailing Tiger Woods’ recent Masters struggle. He walks us through what may be Tiger’s most frustrating Masters tournament and hints at a rift with swing coach Hank Haney. The week was punctuated by Woods being outplayed by Mickelson on Sunday and another idiotic remark by caddie Steve Williams. Once again, at the event and course that best suits his game, Tiger did not get the job done.
But what was different? In his first three events Tiger was clearly gaining confidence in his rebuilt left knee and his game. He should not have won Bay Hill. That was a gift from Sean O’Hair. But he played better and hit the clutch shot when he needed it. However, aside from a short stretch of holes on Thursday and Sunday, at Augusta Tiger never seemed in rhythm. His face carried a permanent scowl and his posture revealed tension and anger. As Diaz notes, the majors are all that matters to Tiger. Perhaps they matter too much.
Jack Nicklaus, Tiger’s historical target, also believed the majors were infinitely more important. He scheduled his year in a manner that allowed him to have the greatest chance to achieve his peak performances on the four major weeks of the year. He prepared hard and played hard, and like Tiger he had the vast majority of the field beaten before the first ball was struck. But while Nicklaus was an exacting and patient player, one had the sense that no matter the situation Jack never lost sight of the fact that he was playing a game. His behavior and sportsmanship were impeccable. He won more than anyone else because he had the best game and the best attitude.
Not so, Tiger. If any average Tour player behaved as Woods, they would lead the Tour in fines. Tiger routinely tosses (or throws) clubs, tosses expletives and stomps around in anger and petulance. One of the amazing qualities he possesses, much like John McEnroe in his prime, is that he can instantaneously go from irate to calm. Seldom, if ever, has his anger over a shot clouded his judgement or affected the next shot. However, much like McEnroe, Tiger plays his best and most engaging golf when he plays with an obvious joy and curiosity. Clearly there was no joy for Tiger at Augusta.
One interesting aspect of Tiger’s uncommon game is that he often reacts to stress in the most common of ways -- he swings too hard. Time and time again at Augusta his golf swing seemed too forced and too rushed. His swing barely resembled the swing he revealed in his first three tournaments of the year. In those events his swing was controlled grace. Too often at Augusta it was violence, and that lead to the recurring agonies of the two-way miss and the lack of distance control. With the power and control of his ninety-percent swing, one wonders why he would ever try to swing full out. It’s golf’s law of diminishing returns, and it turns out that it affects the world’s best player in the exact way it affects a fifteen handicapper.
However, when Tiger plays with joy, there is no more awesome sight in sport. He can control a golf ball in a way that only a handful of players in history have done. He can hit shots of such brilliance that one can only laugh. Often he laughs with us, or flashes that childish grin that suggests he has surprised himself. But when he plays with no joy, there is little reason to watch at all.
During the telecast of Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer told the famous story of how, after the young Arnold threw a club in anger, his father simply and quietly altered his son’s on-course behavior forever. Palmer played as hard and cared as much as anyone. But he became the King because the way he conducted himself.
Tiger Woods has a keen understanding of the history of the game that supports him. He is determined the best the records of all who have come before. Let’s hope that at some point in the near future he becomes similarly determined to live up to the game’s legacy of sportsmanship. He just might find that doing so will serve his personal goals as well as the game of golf.
But what was different? In his first three events Tiger was clearly gaining confidence in his rebuilt left knee and his game. He should not have won Bay Hill. That was a gift from Sean O’Hair. But he played better and hit the clutch shot when he needed it. However, aside from a short stretch of holes on Thursday and Sunday, at Augusta Tiger never seemed in rhythm. His face carried a permanent scowl and his posture revealed tension and anger. As Diaz notes, the majors are all that matters to Tiger. Perhaps they matter too much.
Jack Nicklaus, Tiger’s historical target, also believed the majors were infinitely more important. He scheduled his year in a manner that allowed him to have the greatest chance to achieve his peak performances on the four major weeks of the year. He prepared hard and played hard, and like Tiger he had the vast majority of the field beaten before the first ball was struck. But while Nicklaus was an exacting and patient player, one had the sense that no matter the situation Jack never lost sight of the fact that he was playing a game. His behavior and sportsmanship were impeccable. He won more than anyone else because he had the best game and the best attitude.
Not so, Tiger. If any average Tour player behaved as Woods, they would lead the Tour in fines. Tiger routinely tosses (or throws) clubs, tosses expletives and stomps around in anger and petulance. One of the amazing qualities he possesses, much like John McEnroe in his prime, is that he can instantaneously go from irate to calm. Seldom, if ever, has his anger over a shot clouded his judgement or affected the next shot. However, much like McEnroe, Tiger plays his best and most engaging golf when he plays with an obvious joy and curiosity. Clearly there was no joy for Tiger at Augusta.
One interesting aspect of Tiger’s uncommon game is that he often reacts to stress in the most common of ways -- he swings too hard. Time and time again at Augusta his golf swing seemed too forced and too rushed. His swing barely resembled the swing he revealed in his first three tournaments of the year. In those events his swing was controlled grace. Too often at Augusta it was violence, and that lead to the recurring agonies of the two-way miss and the lack of distance control. With the power and control of his ninety-percent swing, one wonders why he would ever try to swing full out. It’s golf’s law of diminishing returns, and it turns out that it affects the world’s best player in the exact way it affects a fifteen handicapper.
However, when Tiger plays with joy, there is no more awesome sight in sport. He can control a golf ball in a way that only a handful of players in history have done. He can hit shots of such brilliance that one can only laugh. Often he laughs with us, or flashes that childish grin that suggests he has surprised himself. But when he plays with no joy, there is little reason to watch at all.
During the telecast of Bay Hill, Arnold Palmer told the famous story of how, after the young Arnold threw a club in anger, his father simply and quietly altered his son’s on-course behavior forever. Palmer played as hard and cared as much as anyone. But he became the King because the way he conducted himself.
Tiger Woods has a keen understanding of the history of the game that supports him. He is determined the best the records of all who have come before. Let’s hope that at some point in the near future he becomes similarly determined to live up to the game’s legacy of sportsmanship. He just might find that doing so will serve his personal goals as well as the game of golf.
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