Tiger Switching to Method Putter

[elvis14]

Well, your probably right. After all the guy does have a soon to be ex wife to support. But with that said I hope he putts lights out this week regardless of what putter he is using.

Wow, I have the opposite reaction. I hope he putts horribley this week regardless of what putter he is using. It's hard to find a guy I want to root against more. Go "the field".

On a more appropriate note, I hit the Nike Method putter around a bit in Golfsmith this weekend (along with a few others). It's a nice putter and everything but a price point of $250, I'd never even consider buying one. If I wanted to switch putters I'd put a new grip on my old Ping Anser!

[kafka01]

He's won 2 opens on the same greens using the SC- and now he needs a new putter because they are slower- yeh right!!

It must be desperation... Didnt he had this putter in his bag since ´99 and won pretty much everything with it? Didnt he even always use the same grip (a Ping grip) for his putter, just to keep everything "constant".

And now a new putter? Good luck with that...

[rudygu]

I think he just wants a change of pace. I use a couple of different putters just because one feels more right on any given day. It's not that unusual, even on Tour. Using the same one for 12-13 years like Tiger has done is far more unusual.

He kept his putter and routine constant for a long time because it worked. Now that it's not working, it only makes sense to mix it up.

[kafka01]

It's not that unusual, even on Tour. .

You are right, but the best putters in this game usually are married to their stick for a long time, the guys who have trouble with consistent putting will change around a lot - that should tell you something.

[mjtoal]

Tiger's relationship with that Cameron Newport is the longest one he has had with anything or anyone for a while. I doubt the Nike will last as long.

[Fat Slice]

If he has lost confidence in his putter, that means he has lost confidence in his putting, which means he won't be holing the monsters - period. Once that happens, he *has* to change putters. Of course it's psychological, but psychological things do manifest themselves on the golf course, good and bad, and he's looking to get back on track. We'll see how it goes.

[ry1808]

It's not like this isn't without precedence for Tiger. Back in 1998 I think he swapped his TeI3 for a Ping Anser he borrowed from Mark O'Meara for the Open at Birkdale I believe. Because of the extremely hot weather we've been having over here the past few weeks they won;t be able to cut thr greens really short or they may burn up and be crazy, so yeah they will be a bit slower than usual.

From Yahoo news:

Woods previously had used a Ping Anser 2 that once belonged to Mark O'Meara, who finished one shot ahead of Woods at the 1998 British Open at Royal Birkdale. O'Meara later joked with him, "Why do you think it was my backup?"

[Ash1974]

Yeah just read that here in the UK on the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/8814503.stm

Says it is just to help with the slower greens as the ball comes off the face faster, so he does not need to make any putting adjustments?

[imtomtomim]

From the last few times I've watched him play on tv, he seems a bit ... stabby when he's been putting. He's been getting a couple skidders because his putting tempo isn't as smooth. Lack of confidence may be exactly it, but anyways, he has not been getting the ball rolling. Plus, we all know, the Method 001 was built to look like his newport 2 with the dot in the middle.

It's just seems a bit backwards for me though as he said it was for slow greens. I thought you wanted more loft on slow greens to get you up just a touch higher and fast greens, you use the less loft (as in the grooved putters) to leave it on the ground getting end over end. Whatever... I just hope it works. I love to see great performances by great players.

[c. lassiter]

Aren't the method putters pretty much the same kind of shape and design as the scotty he was using anyway?He putting has been terrible since he came back, and this seems like a slightly desperate move.It's not the tools..

If you think this is a "desperate" move, then apparently every tour pro has been desperate at one time or other, as most of them have tried various putters, many going to belly length, some using unconventional grips, etc.

[Tiger Spuds]

If you think this is a "desperate" move, then apparently every tour pro has been desperate at one time or other, as most of them have tried various putters, many going to belly length, some using unconventional grips, etc.

I don't know of any other pro who's used the same putter for 11 years straight.For anyone else, it's normal to experiment, but Tiger's been so good for so long with that thing.I'm just making the point that he's the problem, not the putter.His putting right now is as bad as it's been since he's turned pro, and this is an attempt to do something about it with a Major championship two days away.So in many ways, yes, it's desperation.

[losingmyedge]

I don't know of any other pro who's used the same putter for 11 years straight..

Ben Crenshaw with Little Ben?

Loren Roberts?

[nike_golf]

Sh*t. Now I have to get a Method putter.

[iacas]

He's won 2 opens on the same greens using the SC- and now he needs a new putter because they are slower- yeh right!!

Yeah, exactly... smells fishy or goofy or something.

[Tiger Spuds]

Maybe Nike offered to pay for the divorce if he agreed to change.

[DavidFehertysBike]

Maybe Nike offered to pay for the divorce if he agreed to change.

Zing!!!!!!!

[rudygu]

Yeah, exactly... smells fishy or goofy or something.

Nike has been pushing the hell out of the Method putters. For months, Stewart Cink and Paul Casey have been pimping them on Twitter, etc. I'd bet it's just a perfect storm of Tiger lacking confidence in his putting and Nike pushing/offering incentives.

Normally he'd just tell them to shove it, but maybe with his recent putting woes he's a little more open to it.

[CG031]

Wow, I can't believe he switched from the Scotty. Just baffling to me. I honeslty thought the day he switched from that putter it would be the day he gave up golf!