Bubba says Tiger is going the "wrong way"

[Swampy79]

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Don't you think it is kind of pathetic that the media asks every player who wins a tournament about Tiger?  He wasn't even in the tournament.  Is it a special requirement that all interviews have questions about Tiger's swing?  Geez.

Hey, Aaron Rogers, you just won the Super Bowl. What do you think about Peyton Manning's throwing mechanics?

Granted I only started playing about 3-4 years ago, and only really started watching/paying attention to the golf channel, news, and tournaments in general, but I've got to agree with you on this one.  Every interview no matter who, involves one question or another regarding him, its sort of sad shameless fishing if you ask me. Its a large part of what is creating this seeming animosity towards tiger from other players these days, constant quotes from one player or another talking about how they don't "fear" him anymore and (personally reading between the lines here) how he's over rated or finished.  I think the other pros are just plain fed up with being asked what they think of him and its creating a bitter atmosphere that doesn't need to exist in golf.

It also concerns me that several sportscasters still seem to be bitter about the whole "scandal".  Someone needs to tell these guys to let it go, its in the past.  Everybody makes mistakes but these guys still seem to hold a grudge over it like he came to their house and personally took a dump in their cheerios or something!?  Leave the man alone and let him play the game in peace.

[Zeph]

How do people explain the difference of a feel and mechanical player? Every player is a feel playere.

What does Bubba know about how Tiger's swing is working and what he is working on? There is no doubt Tiger has made good progress the last 6 months. It's too easy to say "Just go out there and play golf". Tell that to Mike Weir or anyone in a big flunk, I'm sure they all agree that just playing golf won't fix anything.

[RichF]

Bubba Watson just put himself in the same 'TW-fanboy-firing-line' as Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer...

[newtogolf]

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Don't you think it is kind of pathetic that the media asks every player who wins a tournament about Tiger?  He wasn't even in the tournament.  Is it a special requirement that all interviews have questions about Tiger's swing?  Geez.

Hey, Aaron Rogers, you just won the Super Bowl. What do you think about Peyton Manning's throwing mechanics?

It's a slightly different comparison given football is a team sport and golf isn't.  I've heard people ask tennis players to comment on other pro's games, such as McEnroe on Conners and vice versa.  The Williams sisters get asked alot about the other, and Federer and Nadal as well.  Tiger was the benchmark of our generation of golf, and he dominated the game, and the media.  The fact he isn't winning and still is the topic of almost every interview just more clearly shows that no single player has filled his shoes yet.

[Phil McGleno]

Originally Posted by RichF

Bubba Watson just put himself in the same 'TW-fanboy-firing-line' as Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer...

Anyone who uses the word "fanboy" is most assuredly a bigger hater than anyone they're calling a "fanboy" is actually a fanboy.

People have made legitimate points, and you counter with this nonsense? Thanks for contributing nothing.

[newtogolf]

Originally Posted by RichF

Bubba Watson just put himself in the same 'TW-fanboy-firing-line' as Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer...

I think some of these guys, are just getting tired of answering questions about Tiger, especially when they win.  It's got to be a bit demeaning given the reference back to Tiger makes it sound like if Tiger was still playing at his best he'd be kicking their butts.

I think Tigers struggles are partially his own, but also there are better players on both tours who can play to his strengths.  There may not be one player that possesses all the skills Tiger has/had but the tours now have players that can outplay him on individual courses which is also making it harder for him to win.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I think some of these guys, are just getting tired of answering questions about Tiger, especially when they win.  It's got to be a bit demeaning given the reference back to Tiger makes it sound like if Tiger was still playing at his best he'd be kicking their butts.

I think Tigers struggles are partially his own, but also there are better players on both tours who can play to his strengths.  There may not be one player that possesses all the skills Tiger has/had but the tours now have players that can outplay him on individual courses which is also making it harder for him to win.

He's not playiing well enough to win against the top players. There might be events he could win, but he tends to play the events all the top guys enter, so the odds of any one of them winning are less. I think the players should speak with their agents and come up with a way to change the subject when asked about Tiger Woods. Bubba needs to stop trying stupid shots when easy shots would get the job done, and in the meantime, he might consider shutting his pie hole.

[SpacklersEdge]

Originally Posted by walk18

Yeah but he made that awesome charge with his new swing, which I think is solid and will serve him well if he can just stay healthy.

I think you mis-understood my intention.  Yes, he made that charge with his new swing, but he has made 100's of those charges with his old swing, and his even older swing.  I think that's Bubba's point.  Stop changing swigs, all it causes is a long gap in winning.  He can win with any swing given his talent and ability.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by SpacklersEdge

I think you mis-understood my intention.  Yes, he made that charge with his new swing, but he has made 100's of those charges with his old swing, and his even older swing.  I think that's Bubba's point.  Stop changing swigs, all it causes is a long gap in winning.  He can win with any swing given his talent and ability.

While true, who are you to say which swing gives him the BEST chance of winning?

Would it be better, for example, to stick with the Haney swing and win one major every three years for the next 12 years?

Or would it be better to take even two years off to get the Foley swing down and then win one major a year for the next six years after that?

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

I think the evidence (his record) shows that the swing that gave him the best chance of winning was the Woods swing, with which he used to dominate the planet (golf-wise).  Mechanically imperfect though it may have been, he was magical with it.  Now he's not.  Is such backwards progress justified by the idea that one swing methodology is more correct than another; the idea that the greatest golfer on the planet could somehow be even greater with someone else's swing?  Frankly I don't see why he ever hired anyone to help him change what he was doing.

-Andrew

Originally Posted by iacas

While true, who are you to say which swing gives him the BEST chance of winning?

Would it be better, for example, to stick with the Haney swing and win one major every three years for the next 12 years?

Or would it be better to take even two years off to get the Foley swing down and then win one major a year for the next six years after that?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Open-Faced Club Sandwedge

I think the evidence (his record) shows that the swing that gave him the best chance of winning was the Woods swing, with which he used to dominate the planet (golf-wise).  Mechanically imperfect though it may have been, he was magical with it.  Now he's not.  Is such backwards progress justified by the idea that one swing methodology is more correct than another; the idea that the greatest golfer on the planet could somehow be even greater with someone else's swing?  Frankly I don't see why he ever hired anyone to help him change what he was doing.

What "Woods swing"? He's had four now.

Furthermore, his 2000 swing was unchanged in 2001, 2002, and most of 2003... yet he didn't repeat the 1999-2000 seasons with that swing, if that's what you meant.

Again, I tend to believe he knows more about what it takes to win majors than all of us put together times a million. History will help to tell us whether he was right, but the armchair quarterbacking of those kinds of decisions never made sense to me at all.

[Kieran123]

Besides, he has stated numerous times he can't swing like he used to back in 1997 etc

His knee can't handle it.

[Yukari]

I have to agree in some aspects.  I always believed that Tiger's problem is between the ears.  As to whether he is too mechanical, I am not sure.  I think he is searching for answers in his mechanics rather than his mental side.

I think it was Lee Trevino who said it took him 2 to 3 years after the divorce to get his game back.  I suspect Tiger is the same.

[SpacklersEdge]

Originally Posted by iacas

While true, who are you to say which swing gives him the BEST chance of winning?

Would it be better, for example, to stick with the Haney swing and win one major every three years for the next 12 years?

Or would it be better to take even two years off to get the Foley swing down and then win one major a year for the next six years after that?

That's the point of this thread/forum in some respects.  It's a place for me to armchair quarterback people who are 1 million times better at me than something

That said, I agree it would be better to use option 2 in your book.  But, as a selfish golf watcher who loved to see unbelievable golf and moments, I am hoping we get option C, 2 majors a year for the next 5 or so...

[iacas]

Originally Posted by SpacklersEdge

That's the point of this thread/forum in some respects.  It's a place for me to armchair quarterback people who are 1 million times better at me than something

That said, I agree it would be better to use option 2 in your book.  But, as a selfish golf watcher who loved to see unbelievable golf and moments, I am hoping we get option C, 2 majors a year for the next 5 or so...

It is the point, yes.

I agree with the entire second paragraph.

[BallStriker]

Haney take a lot of heat around here, but Tiger performed really, really well with his golf swing under Haney's primary years......in 2004, when Haney started, Tiger was ranked 47th in GIR%...here are the years that followed:

2005 -- 6th overall in GIR%

2006 -- 1st overall in GIR%

2007 -- 1st overall in GIR%

2008 -- 1st overall in GIR%

2009 -- 16th overall in GIR%

Say what you want, but that is a pretty impressive run to me (of course I know there will come any number of responses discounting the GIR% stat and how it was all smoke and mirrors, but that's par for the course....everyone can have an opinion).

I think Bubba is right on the money.....just go out and bomb it off the tee and go find it....ditch the camera for a while and play with those great hands that god gave you.

[Zeph]

The question is, did Tiger play well because of Haney, or did Haney just happen to be his coach during a time where Tiger played well?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Zeph

The question is, did Tiger play well because of Haney, or did Haney just happen to be his coach during a time where Tiger played well?

You could swap Harmon and Foley's names into that query, except in Foley's case swap out the word "well" for "well below his previous level of play".