Woods doomed for failure before ever getting off practice range
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Updated: Tue 6/22/2010 2:23 am
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It's a process. It's a long process. We heard those words from Tiger Woods several times during the week of the 110th United States Open at Pebble Beach. At no point were these words so accurate as just prior to Tiger making his way to the 1st tee to begin his final round.
The Golf Channel conducted pre round interviews, broke down the day ahead and put the camera on players as they were warming up. This went on for at least an hour leading up to the network coverage of the final round on NBC.
What may have gone unnoticed by many, was Tiger's body language when shown warming up on Sunday afternoon. It was just an hour before his tee time and Tiger was going through a routine like many players by hitting short wedge shots, then moving up through his bag to warm up his body and mentally prepare. While some players will try to replicate a few key shots they will be faced with later in the day, the main priority this close to tee time is making sure your body is loose and your tempo is good. But on this day, Tiger had far more going on.
Tiger grimaced after he hit a wedge shot and then before hitting another ball he carefully practiced the routing of his arms and timing of his transition and shoulder rotation. He then hit another shot and outwardly demonstrated his frustration for where the golf ball went. He again manipulated the club to the position he was expecting at impact and practiced putting the club in this position with half swings before making another attempt to execute the swing he was longing for.
Here's the problem with all of this. He was about to tee it up in the most important round of his season with a chance to win his 4th United States Open Championship and he was concerned about his mechanics. He was trying to wear two hats, both coach and player, during a time when he needed to be just the player. Sure, his swing might not be exactly where he wants it, but this isn't the time to be in "practice" mode. It's time to figure out what you have for that specific day and build a game plan around playing with that swing for the next 18 holes.
If Hank Haney or Butch Harmon or any club professional who teaches this game were standing behind him at that moment, they wouldn't be putting technical thoughts in his mind. Rather, they would be talking to him with words that would encourage a good tempo and timing. Words and thoughts to prompt an ease of mind and clarity, not technical jargon or referencing positions of the shaft half way during the back swing. It was time to play the game and Tiger wasn't able to separate himself from teacher to player.
It's OK to teach yourself. In the modern age of video analysis and Tiger's obvious understanding of the golf swing, he can definitely diagnosis his own faults and implement the necessary corrections. The time for this is on the range after a round or during a dedicated practice session when you aren't concerned about where the golf ball ends up. An hour before you are putting the ball in the air in competition, it's all about where the ball is going and nothing about fixing your golf swing.
If Hank, Butch or Brian Fogt were standing behind Tiger, the message would have been something like, "Let's think tempo and balance, tempo and balance." If Tiger pushed back and wanted to get technical, I can hear Haney saying, "Let me coach and you play". While Tiger might not be missing the expertise of a Haney or Harmon, he his missing the guidance and focus. Until he figures out how to balance this dual role of coach and player, he's never going to return to the Tiger of old; even if he still has the physical skills to do it.
