Tiger Woods - is it time for a coaching change?

[iacas]

For one thing, I never believed it was a complete coincidence that Mickelson woke up and won his first major at a period when Tiger was slumping, post-Harmon. During that 2003-2004 window when Tiger didn't win a major, Mickelson and others did not feel as threatened and the confidence surged. Mickelson responded with the 2004 Masters win and that carried over to great form and two more majors

And how would you explain post-Masters 1997 through pre-PGA 1999?

I would explain it the same way I would 2003-2004: he was working on a swing change. In 1997-1999, it was with Butch Harmon. His only "slump" wasn't with Hank Haney.

Nicklaus' swing never varied much, certainly not as awful as Tiger's swing can look at its worst.

Nicklaus made a fairly dramatic change in 1979 (IIRC). He says so in several places. Most recently I read it in that Jimmy Roberts book about slumps.

Brandel Chamblee made that point late last week when Tiger missed the cut, that Nicklaus, Hogan and other alltime greats didn't have the ball striking lows that Tiger finds. It shouldn't be happening in his early 30s.

I said on the podcast and I said here before: I think he's going through a mini swing change. It's that simple. And everyone who's leaping off bridges for him not making the cut (by one, ten strokes back of the LEADER) need to calm down and realize that Tiger still has a lot of golf left in him to get to 19 or 20 career majors.

Sheesh, it's like he's become David Duval all of a sudden or something. Who cares about Ben Hogan - Tiger's obliterated every Hogan record out there. Instead of comparing Tiger to Hogan, perhaps Chamblee should have been talking about how Hogan should have re-worked his swing earlier on in his career or something. Maybe then he'd have had the success Tiger's had. Simple truth is that Tiger's re-worked his swing TWICE and come out on the other end a better golfer. Of course he hit it badly in the middle - and I think this is another one of those times. Shouldn't be as long, but it's streaky right now, and wind and tough conditions and major pressure have put MORE pressure on Tiger... which you don't really want to do with a swing change.

[flanagan]

I have heard more than one ESPN sportswriter say Tiger should go back to Butch Harmon. And just not for missing a cut this past week, but because of how wild and inconsistent he has been under Haney specifically with the driver.

Who and when? Let's make sure the premise is accurate.

[Dr. Manhattan]

Nicklaus' swing never varied much, certainly not as awful as Tiger's swing can look at its worst. Brandel Chamblee made that point late last week when Tiger missed the cut, that Nicklaus, Hogan and other alltime greats didn't have the ball striking lows that Tiger finds. It shouldn't be happening in his early 30s.

Yeah and neither Jack nor Hogan had a short game anywhere near as good as Tiger's.

[AmenCorner]

Tiger doesn't need a new coach, nonsense. Furthermore, he doesn't need Butch Harmon. Anyone who saw that swing knows it was too laborious. I think his swing now looks much more natural, repeatable, and sustainable.

The people calling for a swing change are the same people calling for a football coach to be fired after a team misses the playoffs one time in 5 years. My prediction stands that Tiger will gobble up Hazeltine.