Tiger Needs To Retool His Game
Tiger won last weekend at Bay Hill, just his 3rd tournament after an 8 month layoff. So what could he possiblly need to fix in his golf game?
After all he looks on track to win the Masters in two weeks. It has nothing do with directly striking the ball. It’s his temper!
Tiger has always had a bit of a temper, which is surprising given the way he learned the game. Somehow I don’t see Earl Woods allowing a young Tiger to throw a club. The only thing I’ve ever heard Tiger say is his father allowed him to be mad for 10 seconds and then he had to move on.
Fixing his temper probably won’t effect his game much, but it will effect his legacy. I’m sure most of us have thrown clubs, but it really goes against the nature of the game.
I don’t remember greats like Jack, Arnie, Gary or Lee ever throwing clubs. I can’t see Harry Vardon, Old Tom Morris or Alister MacKenzie doing it either.
And what about Tiger as a role model? How many young golfers are running around pumping their fists everytime they make a putt over 10 feet. Will they all start throwing clubs because they ‘great one’ is doing it?
Last week at Arnold’s tournament Tiger did quite a bit of club throwing. On Sunday he threw one over his head in the fairway and almost hit Stevie. ’Right On’ to Stevie for letting Tiger pick up his own club. Then there was the incident after he hit one from a trap and threw his club at his bag. Stevie was standing there and it was hard to say whether he hit him in the process or not.
Tiger may still be able to kick Phil around the course, but I’ve never seen Phil throw his gear. Grabbing your head and saying how stupid you are is a much better response.
Tiger does so many things better than anyone else who’s ever picked up a golf club. And isn’t he the guy with the will of iron? Then he should be able to take on anger management and fix that part of his game. When that happens he’ll really be the whole package!
Related posts:
- You, Me and Tiger’s Transgressions
- Could It Be That Tiger Smells Blood In The Water
- Golf Swings: Tiger vs. Tom
- Tiger Versus Jack
- Tiger – Forgive or Condemn?
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Comments
Hey Justin,
I am not sure what that is about. I can understand the perfection Tiger demands of himself but part of maturing is the understanding that you cannot control everything. Your GOING to get some good ones and some so so ones. Just like heads is inseparable from tails on a coin good shots live also in the land of not-so-good shots.
Doug
Isn’t there a PGA rule against this kind of behavior? There are rules about what one can wear on the course, and isn’t the personal conduct of the players at least as important?
I remember a few years back a fan got thrown out of a tourney for asking Rory Sabatini if he still thought Tiger was “beatable.” Cursing and throwing clubs seems much more offensive to the game, not to mention visible to a large audience of young and aspiring golfers.
In tennis, they warn people for abuse their rackets and then start penalizing them. I think the PGA should do the same.
Tim, I don’t think there’s a rule in golf about throwing clubs, but there should be! Maybe, like so many of the games rules it ought to be self-inflicted. You throw a club, then you are supposed to call the infraction on yourself and take the penalty. It would make a more sense than the crazy rule that forces you to take a penalty when the wind blows the ball on the putting surface after you’ve soled your putter. Just ask Padraig!
Did you see Tiger going on and on about the wind at Augusta. In that one way, overthinking the wind, he’s a little like Phil.
I too thought that was really interesting to see him react to a bad shot by throwing his clubs. After the second time they showed it I really wondered what his father would think. I have a temper and get upset when I don’t play as well as I should but I have never thrown a club!