Tiger's Driving..??

*Xt1ncT*

Tiger misses more fairways than almost everyone at the top of the money list - just as well for the others probably, 'cos when he hits fairways he hits greens, when he hits greens he makes lots of birdies.

So, why does he miss so often?

Poor equipment?

Poor technique?

Combination of both?

Let's face it, the Nike SQ is not the biggest driver on tour - so if he used one of the R7 range or maybe the Ping G5 would he it more fairways? I wouldn't have thought his Nike contract makes it compulsory to play all Nike equipment, I mean he has Nike plastered all over himself anyway.

Thoughts?

*cold*

Couldn't afford a fitting..

**iacas**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xt1ncT

So, why does he miss so often?

He doesn't make the "head still" swing we see in the swing portrait.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xt1ncT

Let's face it, the Nike SQ is not the biggest driver on tour

Uhm, yes it is. It's 460 cc just like most of the others. The r7 425 TP is widely used and, you guessed it, only 425 cc.

*Xt1ncT*

Quote:

Originally Posted by iacas

Uhm, yes it is. It's 460 cc just like most of the others. The r7 425 TP is widely used and, you guessed it, only 425 cc.

OK sorry, I'll make myself clearer, I meant biggest selling and most widely played

*ragontona*

I think for a little bit he was drunk with desire to get longer, sacrificing accuracy for the ability to get down there further and be able to dig out with a wedge.

I think The Open showed him that he's unbeatable when playing from the short stuff, hitting fairway woods and long irons off the tees, much like he did in 2000.

I doubt it'll stick though. He'll be bombing away again soon enough.

**iacas**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragontona

I doubt it'll stick though. He'll be bombing away again soon enough.

I think Tiger is smart enough to do whatever he feels gives him the best chance to win, and with a greater than 28% winning percentage (including two mini-slumps for swing changes), I trust him enough that if he pulls out driver, it's because he's calculated it as being the right play.

I just watched the 1993 PGA at Inverness. Norman and Azinger hit four 3-irons between them off the tee at #18 and #10 in their playoff.

*cdriver*

Aren't all of us "drunk with power"? How many times have I pulled out driver when a 3 iron or fairway wood was the smart thing to do. Fortunately for Tiger, his iron game is so good that even from the rough, he can hit the green and get his par.

It must be tough to rein in all that distance you know you have in your bag to play conservative golf, even if the check is for a million bucks. I can hardly make myself do it when there is only a quarter on the line...LOL

To the point, I believe he misses because of faulty technique. Swinging that hard means you have to be perfect to keep the ball on line. I just can't believe that a change in driver would make that much difference. Does anyone have his stats when he was playing Titleist??

**iacas**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdriver

To the point, I believe he misses because of faulty technique. Swinging that hard means you have to be perfect to keep the ball on line. I just can't believe that a change in driver would make that much difference. Does anyone have his stats when he was playing Titleist??

They're irrelevant. He was using a different ball, a different swing, a shorter, heavier steel shaft, a smaller clubhead, course conditions have changed,... etc. There are too many variables.

**georgep**

I'd say that the reason Tiger hasn't hit more fairways is that he doesn't always have to. When your scrambling is a good as his is, I think it would be hard not to just go ahead and bomb it out there. There are courses where bomb and gouge works (Bay Hill, et. al), and those where it doesn't (Winged Foot).

However, since he rediscovered the 2-iron (and the fairway) at Hoylake, it will be interesting to see how much the driver stays in the bag going forward. Of course, that lesson didn't have a lasting effect for Mickelson, so we'll see. Maybe Bomb and Gouge was just a fad (not likely), or maybe it's just a technique for some courses..