Tiger is nearly there with his A game

Tiger Woods will win a PGA event very soon, possibly as soon as this week at Bay Hill. He is oh so close to his A game, and the only thing holding him back are his nerves. He was just slightly off his game on Sunday, which is understandable, since he hasn't been in the hunt in five years. But, he still played remarkably well. Consider that his playing partner, Brandt Snedeker, shot 78 in the final around, overnight leaser Corey Conners shot 77, and even Justin Rose struggled to a 72. Tiger shot 70, and that was mainly because he kept leaving himself long birdie putts. But, he even managed to hole one of those (a 44 footer) when the pressure was on! I was most impressed with Tiger's ability to hit shots from left to right and right to left ON COMMAND. After the round, he admitted that he's playing golf by feel again, and not mechanically. That was ever so evident with his short game. Remember when he had those epic short game struggles the last couple of years? And, how he would work on his "release" on his short shots to help with the full swing changes he was making under Sean Foley? None of that ever made any sense. Tiger's short game and putting are spot on right now. The next step is the driver. Many people are considering him to be a favorite at Augusta now. But, Tiger hasn't won there since 2013 for one key reason...the driver. While Augusta has wide fairways that are hard to miss, it is still critical to hit it in the proper position off the tee. Approaching those greens from the proper angle is critical to scoring at Augusta. Driving it off the tee is nowhere near as easy as it may look to the viewer. Success off the teen requires a player to be able to shape his tee shots from left to right AND right to left. Tiger's inability to do that consistently well since his last victory in 2005 is why he has not won since. That first tee shot has absolutely killed him, and it has set the tone for many of his rounds. I suspect this year will be a little different. I expect him to drive it much better. The key will be how well his 42 year old nerves hold up on those greens. So far, his putting has been excellent. But, let's face it, Innisbruck is not Augusta. At the same time, there is a history of older winners at Augusta...Jack Nicklaus at 46, Ben Crenshaw at 43, Gary Player at 42 and Mark O'Meara at 41. It's been quite a while since one of the old timers won at Augusta. But, with Phil Mickelson's win last week, and Tiger's 2nd place finish this week, perhaps 2018 will be the year of the old timer at The Masters.

Hey, Tiger is playing pretty good golf again!

Well, another year has past, so it must be time for another comment on the game of Tiger Woods! LOL Seriously though, my intention is to start posting more regularly again. I've hardly played any golf myself for the last six or seven years, but I am itching to get back to it this year. What better way to jump back in than to talk about the latest comeback of the greatest player of all time? Tiger showed significant progress this week after missing the cut at Riviera last week. The one aspect of his game that has a few analysts raving is his swing speed. Apparently, he is up around 125 mph with the big dog in his hand...that is quite astonishing for a 42 year old who doesn't make a living competing on the long drive circuit. I also heard the comment that for Saturday's round, Tiger was the leader in proximity to the hole by an astonishing 10 feet! On Sunday, Tiger looked like he was going to make a bit of a run, with a few birdies in the first eight holes, drawing within three of the lead. Alas, his game leveled off a bit, and Tiger finished at even par, eight behind the two leaders, Justin Thomas and Luke List. Tiger was happy with his play, and now all the golf writers and commentators have high hopes of a strong performance for Tiger at Augusta in April. What's my assessment? It's all about the driver. Augusta forces a player to drive the ball well, and to do that, it's necessary to curve it both ways. Tiger has not won at Augusta since 2005 because the driver hasn't allowed him to be in position to attack the pins in most years. Going at those greens from the wrong angles just makes the course play too hard. Only because of his intimate knowledge of every bounce on that course keeps him competitive. Where Tiger may actually have a better shot in a major this year is Shinnecock Hills, site of the U.S. Open. By U.S. Open standards, Shinnecock is a short course, playing to about 7,000 yards. As a result, Tiger won't need to hit too many drivers. Given that his iron game appears to be rounding into form, don't be surprised if Tiger makes a run there. A good indication of where his game and mind are will be at Bay Hill. He obviously loves the course, winning there 8 times, and most recently in 2013. That year, he hit few drivers, but putted his eyes out. If Tiger puts together another similar type performance on a track he enjoys, then I'll expect him to seriously contend at the U.S. Open, if not sooner at Augusta. By the way, I revived my old golf instruction website at Scott Cole Golf. The site will be focused on instruction, golf fitness and travel. Check it out soon!

World Golf Rankings - Bunching Up At The Top

The World Golf Rankings are really starting to bunch up at the top. The top 10 are as follows: 1. Jason Day 2. Rory McIlroy 3. Henrik Stenson 4. Dustin Johnson 5. Hideki Matsuyama 6. Jordan Spieth 7. Adam Scott 8. Justin Thomas 9. Sergio Garcia 10. Patrick Reed Only 1.2 points separate the top 5 golfers. The guy making the biggest move so far this season is Hideki Matsuyama. I really thought he would jump up another spot after his win in Phoenix this weekend, but he is within a whisker of DJ and Henrik. I don't mean to put pressure on the kid, but he's looking like the most likely candidate to be the first Japanese golfer to win a men's professional major. It's pretty clear he's already the best Japanese player of all time, given his success on the PGA Tour. Yes, that is where I place most emphasis. It will be interesting to see who becomes the favorite heading into Augusta. Justin Thomas was on a roll, but missed the cut at Phoenix. Spieth is playing consistently well, but has yet to get a win. He's still got to figure out the driver in my opinion. Jason Day is off to a so-so start, along with DJ, and Rory is injured, so this list is likely to see a big shakeup in the coming weeks. Tiger's Woes Continue Meanwhile, Tiger's latest comeback hit another road bump as he withdrew from Dubai with back spasms. I didn't get to see him play, but reports are that he looked old and injured during the round, although it was indicated that the spasm did not set in until the evening after the round. I think it would be great to see him round into some kind of competitive form, but this seems to be getting less likely in the near term. I believe his next event is scheduled for Riviera, a tournament he has rarely played. It's played fairly tough in recent years, so we'll see where he is with his game. Another missed cut would have to be damaging to his psyche. Take Advantage of this Weather! If you live in the Mid-Atlantic, you are probably jumping with joy that you've done little snow shoveling this year. Incredibly, the one major snow of the season in this neck of the woods was at the beaches and to the south in Williamsburg. So far this year, I've only picked up a shovel once after a sleet storm in Southcentral PA. Haven't had to bother so far here in the DC Metro. With that said, it's supposed to be over 60 again tomorrow. If you are able, get to the range and hit some balls. Keep in mind though, it's never a good idea to start ripping drivers during the first practice session or two. I usually just hit a bucket of wedges the first time out, then go up to about an 8-iron the second time. Fundamentals are what it's all about early in the season. If you can get some work in now, I guarantee it will pay off in the Spring. So get to it! If you are stuck up in the northern tier where it is still pretty cold, perhaps it's time to think about getting a golf simulator. There are some good buys out there, and you can learn more about them at Golf Simulator Headquarters. Check it out! That's a wrap for this post. I am getting the itch back so you can expect more in the foreseeable future!

Tiger back to competitive golf, but for how long?

Tiger Woods played his first PGA Tour event of the season last week at one of his favorite venues, Torrey Pines. Unfortunately, he missed the cut after rounds of 76 and 72. Yesterday was his first round in the European Tour event in Dubai, and that didn't go well either...+5. I read a tweet by Golf Channel instructor Martin Hall today that suggested it looked like Tiger was swinging to avoid pain. Not a good way to play golf, and certainly not a good way to try and play competitively. Let's face it, he's rusty. Nothing wrong with that after a long layoff. It was reported late last year before he played his Hero World Challenge event that he had shot a 64 at Seminole in FL, which is arguably the best track in FL. Hank Haney tweeted that if Tiger indeed shot a 64 there, then he could definitely win his own event at the Hero World Challenge. Well, that didn't work out too well either...one decent round out of four. Now it looks like he may miss his second consecutive cut. I really haven't watched him play, but for a few holes last week. Still has the two-way miss off the tee. This is due to the fact that he clearly wants to play a draw. That's a mistake. Tiger just needs to get it in the damn fairway off the tee and he can be dangerous any given week. His iron game was so good at one time, and it is easier to get those irons dialed back in than the driver. He's got two more events in the next three weeks, and then I suspect if he's not competitive he may go back to the drawing board. He always said he would not play if he didn't think he could win. Well, he clearly can't win right now. Well, enough about Tiger. What does the tour look like so far this year? Well, it looks like a bunch of young studs are dominating and I think they are ready to leave some of the old timers behind. It looks to me that only a handful of the old timers can still compete with these young guns...Phil, when he can keep it in play and putt...Henrik, and Justin Rose. These young guns...Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm and a few others are going to make life difficult for even Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rickie. I guess I could even throw DJ into the old guy mix since he is over 30. He can still hang for sure. But, it's clear these young guns have no fear and are ready to dominate.

Is Tiger Done With Competitive Golf?

Ever since he withdrew from the Safeway Open a couple weeks ago, there has been much speculation that Tiger Woods' career as a competitive golfer may be over. He added to that speculation with a recent interview where he suggested he is going to focus more on his businesses. Prior to withdrawing from the Safeway Open, Tiger indicated that he was feeling fit, and not feeling any issues from the three back surgeries he's undergone over the last couple years. However, when he withdrew, he indicated that his game was "vulnerable." Analysts such as Brandel Chamblee and Hank Haney suggested this meant Tiger was still struggling with his short game issues. In 2015, prior to hanging it up for the year due to back issues, Tiger was clearly struggling with his short game. In fact, he ranked last on the PGA Tour in scrambling and in sand saves...not what we were used to seeing. Some of his shots around the green that season were downright dreadful early in the season. This suggested he may actually have a case of the "chipping yips," a more rare form of the yips than the putting yips. While the putting yips can be solved by changing the grip from some sort of conventional grip to the grip now employed by Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson (a form of the "saw" grip), the chipping yips are a more difficult issue. Is it possible to overcome? Sure, especially for the greatest player in the game. However, I suspect that Tiger is simply ready to move on with his life. I never envisioned Tiger being a fixture on the Champions Tour, although he is still ten years removed from that. While we'd surely love to see Tiger playing at the top of his game against today's young guns, I'm not sure he has the desire to put in the work anymore. It looks like Tiger may be moving more in the direction that Greg Norman took his career. Norman battled his own injury issues, and ultimately made few appearances on the Champions Tour. He is also a wildly successful businessman, and I can see Tiger accepting a new challenge of building a business empire. He's certainly smart enough, so it will be interesting to see what happens! In the meantime, let's up one of these young guns can step up and dominate for a few years running.

What Makes A Good Golf Swing

Some published statistics suggest that the average golf handicap is essentially the same as it was forty years ago. This is in spite of all the new technology in equipment and in the world of golf instruction. How is this possible? One reason is that most golfers, including those who teach the game, do not have an understanding of what makes a good golf swing. One comment you will often here from an amateur golf when they watch a tour pro or any very good player is that they make every shot look effortless. That is exactly what a good golf swing looks like…effortless. Indeed, some of the more unusual golf swings on tour, such as Jim Furyk’s or Kenny Perry’s, even Lee Trevino’s, look effortless. All of these players have been great ball strikers with unusual looking swings. With that in mind, the appearance, or shape of a golf swing, has nothing to do with what makes a good golf swing. Unfortunately, that is what most instructors think, and as a result, that is what most amateur golfers think as well. A good golf swing is one in which there is a clear rhythmic sequence of events taking place. This sequence of events occurs with athleticism and balance. This athletic, balanced and rhythmic swing is what allows a good golfer to repeat the movement over and over again, even as the stakes are high. How can the average golfer, or worse, learn how to develop a good golf swing? First they must learn the proper sequencing in the golf swing that allows the speed of the club head to increase through impact, and allows the club to be square to the intended target line at impact. This sequence has nothing to do with the position of the golf club during the takeaway, or the swing plane, or the grip or set up. This sequence is actually found in other athletic movements, and this is why some professional athletes who specialize in these other athletic movements, excel at golf. Consider the other sports, or positions in various sports, where those athletes have a higher likelihood of success at golf. Quarterbacks, pitchers and hockey players are more likely to be good golfers than other athletes. I am talking about scratch golfers, not those that can break 80 now and then. Examples of these athletes are former pitcher Rick Rhoden, former quarterback John Brodie who played on the Champions Tour, Phil Simms, Tony Romo, John Smoltz, and hockey players Dan Quinn, Mario Lemieux and Grant Fuhr. Have you ever watched a baseball game, or a football game and heard the comment that the pitcher or quarterback “is in a good rhythm?” And we almost always hear that when a golfer is leading a tournament. Good pitchers make pitching look effortless, just like good quarterbacks in a good rhythm make hitting a receiver down field look easy. The funny thing is, just like in golf, these pitchers and quarterbacks look different from one another in how they get the job done. Think about the movements in pitching and throwing a football. There is a larger or small wind up which results in the back foot acting as a brace, which in turn creates leverage, and then an unwinding of the body that starts with the lower body. This is pretty much the exact opposite of what most golfers do. Most golfers do not create any leverage in the back swing because they do virtually all of the work with the arms, and then they do all of the work in the down swing with the upper body as well. As a result, even large, reasonably athletic and fit people have trouble hitting a driver as far as the average tour pro hits a three-iron. If you want to begin to build a good golf swing, think of these two athletic movements that most of us have done at one time or another… skipping stones across a pond and throwing a Frisbee. These movements are very similar to that of the golf swing. If you can get your mindset away from trying to control the golf club, and instead focus on developing the proper athletic movements involved in the golf swing, along with good rhythm and balance, then you will be well on your way to building a good, sound, repeatable, effortless golf swing. www.yourgolfswingfix.com

Learning Golf - The process

I have played very little golf over the last ten years, even after I started teaching a few years ago. That is now changing. I've come to the realization that I can practice all I want and really not get better if I only play once a month. I joined a semi-private club 30 minutes away this year, a brand new facility, due to its value, and to force myself to play. Well, life kinda got in the way in May and June, when I only played once. My game suffered mightily. Last week I played three times, and showed signs of improvement each day. During that stretch, I have given a few lessons, but have hit very few balls due to a bad left thumb. Today, I played again, and got back to fundamentals. I recognized that I was getting lazy with my posture. My low back tends to be a little rounded so I got back to trying to keep the spine straighter with better posture. The only other thought to my swing was to fire the hips hard in the down swing. The result was the best ball striking round I have had in years. Now it is just a matter of better distance control with the irons, which has been made a little complicated by longer distance than what I am used to. This is the process that every golfer goes through. There must be a balance between playing and practicing. For me, I have practiced a ton over the last few years as I have worked on improving my swing. The process began with my lesson with Hank Haney in February 2009, and then continued with my ongoing research. During this time I discovered a process in which I employ in my teaching, and the results for those students who employ it are quite dramatic. I continue to look forward to making more improvements. As I am 46, my goal is to one day play in the Senior U.S. Open. I never reached my potential at my physical peak, but I am smarter now and continue to hit the ball longer than most of my contemporaries. So, there is the goal! Set goals for yourself, develop your process, and you will get to where you want to be! Scott Cole www.yourgolfswingfix.com