![]() ![]() Maybe not as well as Tiger but it is the one area where having his strength and speed are not requirements to being able to hit these shots. The genius is in his ability to picture what he wants to do and change his release to produce the shot that he wanted. I have seen him hit several different shots and different heights of shots with the same backswing. The bottom line is that Tiger had mastery of all these shots and could change the trajectory/spin at will by changing his release. If he wanted to add spin, he opened his stance more. If he wanted to hit a chip and run he’d bow the left wrist at impact. If he wanted to hit a lob, he cupped his left wrist on the backswing and flipped it. If you’ll go back to John Andrisani’s book “The Short Game Magic of Tiger Woods” published way back in 1998, Tiger used all sorts of swings to produce the shots he wanted. Given that in other sports, should the 2nd greatest golfer of all time be asked to keep things simple by having one release type for all shots? The elite athletes are always able to do what is required and adapt to each different situation. Does a pro surfer surf each wave the same way? No. ![]() In tennis, does the player hit each forehand with the same motion whether the ball is high or low, crosscourt or down the line? Of course not. Does a basketball player shoot the same way on each shot whether there is a giant 7’ 4” center in front of him or not? No. Do we ask a baseball pitcher to use the same release for a fastball as a curve or slider? No. If we take this idea to other sports, it just does not make any sense. But do we really want to use the same swing for everything from putts, to chips/pitches and all the way up to the driver? Is it possible to be the best driver (distance) and have enough distance/accuracy with irons and have the best wedge game by using one type of swing? People are attracted to simple ideas because many times simple is better. It's the same motion just smaller.” Sounds like he drank a Big Gulp of Kool Aid maybe? You just can't have one swing and not have another they are all interrelated.” He added, “You want to have the same type of swing with the putter all the way up to the driver. It's the whole release pattern…how I release the putter, how I release the short game, how I release irons, drivers, they are all related. But, did everyone forget why he changed it in the first place? Not likely.įrom March 2011, here’s what Tiger said, “I have to change everything. Now, after two years of trying to change Tiger’s putting stroke, Foley says, “Maybe you should go back to your old putting stroke?” Then he wins at the Chevron World Challenge. His normally tremendous putting has been quite inconsistent lately. Did it make him better? How about the opposite? We’ve now seen Tiger chunk a pitch shot into the water on a simple little 50 yard shot. Under the guise of making things simpler by transforming Tiger’s release in his full swing to the same as in his chipping, pitching and putting, Sean Foley changed Tiger’s whole short game mechanics. But Tiger Woods had a tremendous short game from the time he was a teenager and kept improving it until a couple of years ago when he started “fiddling” with it. Thus, he developed his short game later in his career as he began to lose his edge in driving distance. The greatest golfer of all-time, Jack Nicklaus was so dominant with his long game that he didn’t need a great short game when he was younger. ![]()
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