Johnny Miller: "Tiger is a very good putter, but not a great putter."

[ioaz81]

johnny miller is an ass, he talks way too much crap. i think he just likes to hear his own voice, quite honestly. he's got no class, and no consideration for the feelings of others. i take his words with less than a grain of salt.

I kinda agree with his statement. If you really pay attention to Johnny Miller, he is an ass. He has such a pompousness about him.

[PEZGolf]

Yeah, exactly. Similar to what you said, wouldn't it be easier for a feel player to lose their putting as they get older than a player who is more 'technical', and I guess you could say 'mechanical' in his approach?

To answer your question: No, a "feel" putter is less likely to lose his touch than a mechanical one: witness Crenshaw, Bob Charles, The Boss of the Moss, etc. Payne Stewart was a feel putter and admitted it. In his win in the US Open at Pinehurst #2 in 1999, when he was 42 years old, he one-putted five of the last six greens, including the go ahead birdie on the 71st green, and "the putt to be remembered forever" on the 72nd hole for par and the WIN. Mike Hicks, his caddy, summed up the long putt on the 70th green this way: "It was impossible to read; it was impossible to make. It was a double breaker, that went up the mound, and then slid down it. When it went in, I said to myself----this is destiny. This is really something special." Hogan got the yips so bad that he could not bring the putter back, and was frozen over the ball. Snead, who was a natural at everything he did, used side saddle until banned, then went croquet style. "Any way that gets the ball in the hole", he said. Tom Kite was mechanical in everything he did in golf and was forced to go to the long putter. Natural putters hate the belly putter, long putter, etc. because they want to feel the stroke.

[$2 Nassau]

Wait, are you telling me that Johnny actually took a minute or two to discuss something else besides himself? I'm calling b.s.

[DavidFehertysBike]

Well if you "putt for dough" and Tiger has dominated the tour for the last decade, wouldnt that mean he is a great putter? He has won more than his boys Mickleson, Crenshaw, and Charles combined.. I dont get what Miller is saying here other than he wants attention by mentioning Tiger in a negitive way.

[beachbreak]

This book has got to be 5 years old with probably almost a year in the writing makes this thought about Tiger's putting maybe 6 years old?

Johnny may not feel the same today.

For a clutch putt, if my choices were Tiger, Crenshaw, Charles, Jack, I would take Tiger with Jack a very close second.

I saw Crenshaw in his prime and he was awesome, but how many clutch putts did he have of the magnitude that Tiger has had?

That said, NOBODY hit their irons better than Johnny Miller in his prime. Tiger included.

When he got hot he could knock down every stick.

Johnny suffered the yips at a young age and battled the putter throughout his career.

If he could putt like Tiger or Jack he would have won so many more tournaments.

[iacas]

I've seen Crenshaw putt. And Charles too. The untold secret is that when they didn't putt well, they missed cuts or didn't show up on the leaderboard. Their putting is best described as "streaky." Loren Roberts, too. They have ups and downs, and sometimes the stretches lasted for weeks or months - both the good ones and the bad ones.

[bogeyhitter25]

I wouldn't say that Tiger is the best putter of all time. It showed at the US Open this year. And you'll probably think he didn't putt good because "The greens were too slow". If the other 59 players that made the cut could adjust, I think the greatest player there ever was should be able to adjust as well. Just look at his stats. He was T26 in putting. And it's not like he was nailing every green (T11 out of 60 in GIR).

Tiger Woods is definitely not the best putter of all time. But he's one of the best clutch putters of all time.

[jamo]

Johnny Miller..... the John Madden of golf

[muggs]

If I have to choose between Phil and Tiger to make a clutch putt to win a Major- I'm taking Tiger every single time. I'm sure Miller would do the same thing...so what matters more and what makes someone a "great" putter- a prettier stroke or the ability to make clutch putts?

Miller runs his mouth...

[shortstop20]

Johnny will always be Johnny. I don't care what he says, Tiger couldn't fit all of his trophies in a single stall garage. I'll take that any day over being the best putter.

Look at most any sport and you will see that usually the best all around player/team wins. Golf is no exception because Tiger is the best all around player.

[DavidFehertysBike]

Johnny Miller..... the John Madden of golf

lol. I find it amusing whenever Miller picks apart Tigers game. It just comes off to me like some guy saying to a playing partner that the "arcing method is the only real way to putt" while the guy with the stait back and through method is pummling him by 15 strokes.

[Trav]

lol. I find it amusing whenever Miller picks apart Tigers game. It just comes off to me like some guy saying to a playing partner that the "arcing method is the only real way to putt" while the guy with the stait back and through method is pummling him by 15 strokes.

The most accurate way to characterize Miller on this point. We've all had to play with the expert who knows best, even though the truth is obvious.

Woods may not be the greatest putter ever day in and day out, but who do you want on your fantasy team for that 15-foot putt on 18 to send the match to a tiebreaker? It's a surprise when he doesn't make it.

[uttexas]

Johnny likes the artistry of a long, rhythmic paintbrush back and through stroke. Similar to how he likes the "reverse C" look of a follow through.

Jack certainly didn't have a pretty putting stroke, but he putted great (especially clutch putts) late into his career.

I really like Miller because he is a trouble maker. He's just trying to stir the pot a bit with this (and other) comments.

If I could pick any golfer to sink a five footer to win a member-guest, it would be Tiger (certainly not Phil)

[AmenCorner]

I haven't read the book but it seems the point about its antiquity might help reconcile the comments. I would agree that Tiger is a better putter now than 5-6 years ago. Perhaps JM would agree. Regardless, I'd would never think of betting against Tigers putter on a Sunday. He is as clutch as they'll ever be.

[David in FL]

I'd never really thought about it so I looked at his putting stats for the last 5 or 6 years. He tends to be in the top 3d or so in putts per GIR and putts per round, but nothing that jumps out and screams "the best there ever was".

I wish there was a stat for % of really, really clutch putts made though......I bet he'd be right up there!

[SubPar]

That statement proves Johnny Miller is a good golf analyst but not a great golf analyst.

SubPar

[chad1043]

^^^ Very Funny...

[Trav]

That statement proves Johnny Miller is a good golf analyst but not a great golf analyst. SubPar

A new clubhouse leader....