Tiger's Problem?

[Bo the Golfer]

I voted putting to give it some #'s but you can argue either side- I agree with the notion that his shots from the tee's are really putting pressure on the his putter-back in 2000 he seemed to make everything he looked at-I expected his putt to tie at Oakmont was going to go in but he's just leaving himself to many important putts from too far away-I wish my game was so off as he's won three times, is the Fed Ex Cup points leader and #1 in scoring average-I expect he will figure this out and go on another crazy run of wins in the next year or so

[GoingfortheGreen]

I think Tiger's had a real weird year. Yes, he's won a few times, and just missed at a few of the Majors. At first it seemed like his flatstick wasn't working. Now, after seeing bits of R4 of the Open Championship, I'm not so sure. Some of his approach shots (whatever few I saw) seemed loose. To see Tiger miss the greens with certain irons that he's usually money with, was surprising. It will be interesting to see him at the Bridgestone - he has completely owned this tournament. If he struggles here, I would guess that something's wrong. Most pros would die to have the year Tiger is having, but we the public expect so much more from him...

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Maybe you missed his interview after The Open? He was asked why he didn't win. And he said that he wasn't sharp enough and that he wasn't able to get the approaches close enough. He also said that he didn't have a problem with holing putts at all.

Maybe I'm thinking of a different interview but I saw one with him and he was pretty much saying everything you mentioned but he was talking about that particular day. I don't recall him saying that when referring to the entire championship or the state of his game. But again, I may have missed that interview. It seems to me at least that he blames his putting more than anything else though.

[Roody]

When I read the thread subject I thought to myself "Tiger's got problems? Being a gazillionaire who is the most-recognized athelete on the face of the planet, having a hot wife, and a game that any of us here would cut off our left leg for are problems? I wish I had those problems".

But I digress. Personally, I think Tiger's problems are with his driver. I can't remember watching a tournament in the past year or so where I didn't see him hit at least 3 or 4 awful drives ("awful" is a relative term of course). It just seems like he's been having a hard time getting off the tee this year.

And anyone remember a couple years back when Mickelson said that Tiger was playing with "inferior equipment"? I seriously doubt that's the problem, but it makes you wonder a little.

[iacas]

And anyone remember a couple years back when Mickelson said that Tiger was playing with "inferior equipment"? I seriously doubt that's the problem, but it makes you wonder a little.

He was using a steel-shafted, tiny-headed driver. He was using inferior equipment.

Goodness I hope that old "non-slam" slam goes the way of the dodo soon.

[Roody]

He was using a steel-shafted, tiny-headed driver. He was using inferior equipment.

See, and I thought when Mickelson said what he said, that he was referring to Nike equipment as a whole as the inferior equipment. I think that's the way a lot of people took it.

[iacas]

See, and I thought when Mickelson said what he said, that he was referring to Nike equipment as a whole as the inferior equipment. I think that's the way a lot of people took it.

Yeah, a lot of people took it that way... doesn't make it right, as you know.

[Big Lex]

I'm voting for putting.

Erik's points are excellent, and of course we all know that putting and the long game affect one another, so it's always a bit of both.

But I think in his case the putter is what's keeping him from winning majors. I think his ball striking since 2005, averaging over weeks and months, is similar to where it was in the 00-02 time frame. He was straighter with the driver then, but he's always been erratic from the tee.

But his putting is nowhere near where it was in 00-02.

I think the bigger root of all of his 'problems' is his obsession with improving his ball striking. He's allowed his focus to shift off winning and to method, and I think that kills great golfers.

[J.P.]

Ok, I will give my thoughts, but first let me say that Tiger has had a pretty darn good year - we just expect him to close some of these seconds and top 10's out with wins.

I'll approach this like you are supposed to approach a golf hole. Green back to the tee. Tiger is not scoring as well as he used to because of poor proximity to the hole. End of story. He is an awesome putter, and if he could get is approaches closer, he'd appear magical again with the flat stick.

So, what about those approach shots? Well, he is third in GIR, but that is misleading. Hitting the green is not the object of the game for tour professionals - getting it close is. He may be hitting many greens, a testament to his skill considering where these approach shots are coming from, but he is coming from places he cannot be aggressive with. Why?

Driving. Off the tee, Tiger has lost his advantage over the field. Tiger used to be 300 + in the middle. Now he is 300+ in trouble. I remember Azinger saying a few years back that Tiger was so long that it came to 2 to 4 club difference by the end of a hole. Accuracy went without saying. Now, the pressure to produce power and length has pulled focus away from precision driving and shot making. Put a steel shaft back in the driver.

So, the answer is Tigers "problem" is "Tee to Green".

If we give Tiger 12 fifteen foot birdie putts a round, who here thinks he won't make half?

Now he just has to go out and get himself those opportunities.

[getinthehole]

His tee game is his problem, especially the driver. I hate to see it when his game is amazing everywhere else, then his driver just messes up the whole round for him.

[Clubswinger21]

I dont really see anything wrong with his game.. i might get myself in to some trouble for saying this but i think the issues are with his new swing. The reason he hits such poor tee shots with his driver is because of his position at the top. Even though it is almost flawlessly down the line and on a near perfect plain. It is so open he cant get it back to square consistently. As a result he's sprays alot of drives and winds up playing for pars instead of birdies. If he hit 80% of his fairways every round he would probably win every tournament he played in. To back my statement up, Gary player pointed this swing issue out on the golf channel academy last year. Though some will likely disagree I believe it is whats keeping him from dominating like in past years.

His recovery is so good, he's still able to easily be the best player in the world. If he gets this worked out its going to be scary how much he wins. But nows the time for Phil and Jim to start playing well.

[erniebanks]

Focus, Focus, Focus,
Since Earl died he doesn't his primary driving force.
He needs that push that Earl gave him.
"The Tuxedo" will be back, but not until he has a motivator in his camp.
Maybe we have to wait until he is asked “Did you win daddy?” for the old Tiger to come back.

BTW, Black Thai(tie) suggests tuxedo, thus his new nickname.

[laconic517]

imo he swings way too hard on his drives, if you watch other players who kill the ball they dont look nearly as out of balance and control as him (when he swings super hard, when he swings normal he looks great) I think his iron game is off, maybe its from him trying to work the ball both ways too much, I was under the impression he played mostly a draw during 2000-01 but could fade it too, now he likes to hit both a lot depending on the pin, he also doesnt seem to stick it very close anymore with wedges. Sometimes i dont understand his par 5 strategy either, he seems to just bomb the drive even when he doesnt need to, then occasionally goes for the green and misses badly and struggles to get up and down from a horrible lie next to the green. He does it too sometimes on drivable par 4's too which i dont understand, his wedge game is so good, if the fairways arent brick hard I dont see why he doesnt give himself an easy pitch shot compared to some horrible shortsided chip shot.


Also i see him blaming his putting a lot nowadays, but if you have 20-30 footers all day and you hit a ton of greens it can be harmful psychologically imo, because all you see is miss miss miss you might start to press(Although hes played for so long and is so good it shouldnt affect him, but id be willing to bet it does). A lot of times when I hit a ton of greens if im not making a lot of them I start questioning my stroke or i start pressing for putts, its frustrating having all these birdie putts and having none of them go in.

[erniebanks]

OK, 8 shot lead with 2 to play? Hell only I could blow that lead!

[mcecki]

I think he must have figured a few things out today, Pretty amazing those chips in.

[WhiplashSmile]

Sheesh!!! Even the great Golden Bear didn't win every tournament. I don't care who you are you will not win every tournament.

Just something for the folks that think Tiger is supposed to win every time out.....

After Nicklaus won the 1967 U.S. Open, he did not win another major championship until the 1970 British Open at the Old Course at St Andrews. Moreover, his best placing on the tour money list for the years 1968-70 was second, with his lowest placing of fourth, his worst placing on the list since he turned professional. During this period, Nicklaus also had to deal with the death of his father Charlie Nicklaus in 1970. Soon after this tragedy, Nicklaus won the 1970 British Open, defeating fellow American Doug Sanders in a playoff round in emotional fashion. Nicklaus threw his putter up well into the air after sinking the winning putt, as he was thrilled to have won The Open at the home of golf, St. Andrews.[5] He describes this period in his life: "I was playing good golf, but it really wasn't that big a deal to me one way or the other. And then my father passed away and I sort of realized that he had certainly lived his life through my golf game. I really hadn't probably given him the best of that. So I sort of got myself back to work. So '70 was an emotional one for me from that standpoint. ... It was a big boost."[6]

What if Tiger doesn't win another major for the next 2 or 3 years? Does that really diminish his legacy in any way shape or form?

That said, with Tiger playing so much the rest of the season and the way he figured out his game this week we just may be in for something very special. What's he playing? Something like 6 out of 7 over the next 2 months or so? This could be fun to watch if he keeps everything grooving like it was this week and expecially today. Did I hear Rorry say for tiger to "Bring it!"...Looks like he just might.

[iacas]

What if Tiger doesn't win another major for the next 2 or 3 years? Does that really diminish his legacy in any way shape or form?

Tiger's already had two 10-major winless streaks, tying Nicklaus' two 10-major winless streaks (I believe). Tiger's came when he was changing his swing.

[WhiplashSmile]

Speaking of swing changes...

Is it routine for professional golfers at the top of the game to change their swings 2, 3 who knows how many times before it's over? That's something I haven't completely understood. What was so wrong with Tiger's swing either of the previous times he's overhauled it? Has his strength changed to the point that he can do more or less with what he had prior? Or, is he just a tinkerer and changes things from time to time? Is he even able to go back to one of his previous swings and make it work? Seriously, I don't understand the swing changes at his level. I'm just trying to get a consistant swing...