Running Tiger Woods thread

It's awfully convenient to blame Foley for Tiger's troubles. Since being with Foley Tiger has won 11 times, only Mcilroy has more victories.

 

Phil, Butch and Tiger taking part in a team-bonding getaway for a week would be something I'd enjoy. Whitewater rafting during the day, watching golf videos at night.

I don't think it's happening either. But someone on Twitter mentioned Butch wouldn't do it because he'd have nothing to gain from it. I don't think I agree with that part. I think it's more like he'd have nothing to lose. Think of the accolades if Tiger would actually win some majors. Butch's ego would probably get so big Tiger would have to can him again. Meanwhile, if Tiger stays winless in majors and continues to struggle, well, it's simply proof that it wasn't necessarily about the coach -- Tiger really was finished. Not even the great Butch could help.

But for the reasons you mention, I don't think it'll happen.

 

15 minutes with Lee Trevino, and he'd be all straightened out.

 

Tiger Woods top-5 percentage on PGA TOUR by swing coach

Harmon 54.3%
Haney 61.3%
Foley 27.3%

Yup, it worked out great. And since he switched to this swing because it would help him stay injury free, well, I'd say the results speak for themselves.

 

Where did I say it worked out great? I'm not so sure that percentage wasn't going to fall regardless of coach. Harmon and Haney had Tiger at his athletic peak.

I'm not saying it's a bad move but Foley takes far too much blame for an aging, injury prone golfer.

 

Tiger is ultimately responsible for whatever obsessive tinkering he did to his own swing, but no one can convince me he didn't win in spite of Foley's methods the last three years, not because of them. I actually like Foley's approach as it relates to my own game. Staying centered or even left at the top of my backswing has helped me go from about a 25 to 12 the last few years. But I'm a shitty amateur, not the most talented player in history. You don't teach an artist to paint like a robot, and obsessing over various "positions" he was getting the club in during the swing and what "numbers" he was hitting with Trackman turned Tiger into a man stuck between stations, to borrow a Hold Steady reference. One of the main reasons he and Haney parted ways is Haney's widdle feelings kept getting hurt when Tiger would subtly blame Haney because he kept getting stuck on his driver downswing and he had to flip the club to avoid blocking it way right under pressure. So what happens under Foley? He's worse than ever with the driver and has resorted to setting up left and hitting cuts on every shot because he can't rely on the action they've been working on for three years (looking at the camera after every shot, btw, not even waiting to see where the ball lands). Foley's approach works for Rose and Mahan and that's great. They are mechanical in their approach and personality. Part of what makes Harmon the teacher that he is is his ability to adapt his methods based on the player. That's why he helped both Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson even though their swings couldn't be more different. I think Foley probably took too much blame for Tiger's weird desire to constantly reinvent his swing, but it's not just injuries either. If you're terrified to hit a draw under pressure, even when healthy, it's time for a mental and physical change.

 

Tiger remains one of the most interesting athletes in the world because of the "pride goeth before the fall" aspect.

But does anyone really believe he can get it back at his age and with what he has been through? When you're talking about back trouble with a 38-year-old golfer ... has anyone come all the way back from that? Seems like Couples could compete for two or three days but then it would give out.

 

There is no all the way back. Anyone who suggests such a thing can be immediately dismissed as the heartiest of fanbois. But I still think he ought to be able to compete and win majors (just not five more). I think he did that in spite of his swing the last few years, surviving on his ridiculous focus, his short game, his experience and ability to cope with pressure.

The swing Foley was trying to teach him was much flatter than his old swing, which was fine at Firestone and Bay Hill and places where you didn't have to hit as high to hold greens. But he's been much worse out of the rough in recent years, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that he doesn't come at the ball as steep as he once did. His putting hasn't been as sharp, but really, it's been about recovery shots. He's put himself in bad spots with the putter because he's no longer super human when he misses the fairway. In 2013, even when he won five times, he was 166th on Tour in distance from the hole in shots hit out of the rough.

 

Harmon has removed himself from consideration.

http://www.sbnation.com/golf/2014/8/26/6068243/tiger-woods-swing-coach-butch-harmon

 

That was never going to happen.

 

Tiger won eight times under Foley, who became his coach in 2010. Woods didn't win in 10 or 11. Won three in 12 and five in 13.