The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods (35 page)

Chances are it will mean that he’ll eventually have to do something he has never done before: come from behind in the last round to win a major. As good as he’s been mentally, it will take a slightly improved mind-set—more patience and acceptance of imperfection—than he’s normally displayed.

A final factor to consider is that, whereas Jack Nicklaus’s final few majors were won in a historical vacuum and were essentially padding to his record, Tiger will face ever mounting pressure and scrutiny the closer he gets to number 19. Assuming the erosion of age, for Tiger, the sooner he can get to 18, the better.

To propel the chase forward, I believe Tiger has got to get a major in 2012. Without one, his winless streak in Grand Slam events will stretch to 18, which will force him to feel he has to go faster at a time when age is slowing him down. Nicklaus was able to win four majors after turning 36, but three of them came by age 40, with the last one, at age 46, a miracle even to Jack. Bottom line: The odds don’t currently favor Tiger catching or passing Jack. But he can make them better than even with a major in 2012. If Tiger again gets good enough to win one major, he’ll be good enough to win a few more.

The part of me that believes in his genius still thinks he can do it. A study of geniuses through history shows their most distinguishing characteristic was a willingness to pay any price until the goal was achieved. Tiger had that. The question is whether he still does.

Unlike the Tiger who in his 20s and early 30s was virtually indomitable, today’s Tiger has discovered that in life real disaster lurks. Plans don’t come true. Things can go wrong. That realization creates doubt, and in competitive golf doubt is a killer. I’m sure what Tiger went through will mature him as a person, but there’s no guarantee that it will help him as a golfer. The big miss found its way into his life. If it’s ingrained, primed to emerge at moments of crisis, his march toward golf history is over.

The game at the very highest level is a mystery. I thought working with Tiger might provide the key to solving it, but he was too inwardly directed to share it. Of course, he may not have understood the source or the nature of his own gift. Genius is delicate, and it doesn’t come with an instruction manual.

Recently, I was watching Arnold Palmer being interviewed by Charlie Rose. Naturally, Arnold was asked whether he thought Tiger would come back, and I was struck by the depth and passion in his answer. Arnold has always been a big supporter of Tiger’s, but he didn’t sugarcoat the verdict.

“Not sure about that,” he said. “Once you vary, and you lose that thing—what is it? Sometimes it’s hard to put in place. What is it? I’m not sure I know. I’m not sure Jack [Nicklaus] knows.… When you have a disturbance in your life that’s major, can you get it back, can you get that thing you can’t put your finger on and get hold of it and choke it and keep it? Boy, that’s a tough deal.… It could be a psychological thing. You say, ‘Well, I’ve done it.’ Then you say, ‘I want to do it again.’ But it isn’t there. You can’t find it. You can’t grasp it. You can’t hold on to it.”

No other golfer or athlete has seen more slip through his grasp than Tiger. But the biggest miss of all gives him a chance for the biggest recovery. It’s a destiny that would match his greatness.

I wish him well.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My sincerest thanks to:

Jim Hardy, whose interest in a young golfer on a very cold day in Chicago inspired me to be a teacher.

John Jacobs, the finest and most important teacher in the history of golf, for the example he set, and for his time and encouragement.

Mark O’Meara, the greatest student and friend any instructor could ever have, who changed my life by allowing me to teach him for 25 years.

Corey Carroll, for his friendship and insight.

Tiger Woods, for an incredibly rewarding six years.

Jeremy Aisenberg, a tireless agent with great judgment.

Steve Johnson, a loyal and always reliable business partner.

Rick Horgan, a wise and artful editor.

Nathan Roberson, for his patience with revisions to the manuscript.

Tammy Blake, for her guidance through the marketplace.

Tina Constable, Crown Archetype’s dynamic publisher, whose vision gave this project life.

Jerry Tarde, Mike O’Malley, and Kathy Stachura of
Golf Digest
, Geoff Russell of
Golf World
, and Sam Weinman of
Golfdigest.com
, for their support and assistance on this project.

Finally, to Jaime Diaz, my collaborator, for his dedication and skill in helping me put this book together.

TIGER WOODS’S WORLDWIDE PERFORMANCE RECORD
WHILE HANK HANEY WAS HIS COACH
March 2004 to May 2010

GLOSSARY OF GOLF TERMS

Across the Line

With the clubshaft parallel to the ground at the top of the backswing, and looking down the target line from behind a right-handed golfer, the clubshaft points to the right of the target, is therefore “across the line.” From this position, the tendency would be for the golfer to swing on an “in to out” path, producing either a shot that curves from right to left or a push to the right. When I first began working with Tiger, he was slightly across the line at the top of his swing.

Draw

A shot, when hit by a right-handed golfer, that curves slightly from right to left. Because a draw carries less backspin than a fade, it tends to hit the ground harder and roll farther, making it the ideal shot for distance. Powerful players tend to be wary of regularly playing a draw because a misdirected draw can roll farther into trouble. Short hitters tend to favor a draw as a way to gain needed distance. A shot with significantly greater right-to-left curve is called a
hook
.

Fade

A shot that, when hit by a right-handed golfer, curves slightly from left to right. A fade is often favored by the most powerful touring professionals because, while it sacrifices some distance due to the relatively high backspin it carries, it tends to be the best shot for control due to the softness and backspin with which it lands. A shot with significantly greater left-to-right curve is called a
slice
.

Hook

See
Draw
.

Laid Off

The opposite of
across the line
. Looking down the target line from behind a right-handed golfer, the club shaft points to the left of the target, thus is “laid off.” From this position, the tendency would be for the golfer to swing on an “out to in” path, producing either a shot that curves from left to right or a pull to the left. I wanted Tiger to always err more toward a laid-off position at the top of his swing.

Links Course

Links courses are located almost exclusively in the British Isles. Each year, the British Open is held in either Scotland or England on one of nine classic links courses. The term
links
refers to the relatively thin strips of land—often amid dunes—that “link” the sea with more fertile growing areas. Links are where golf began several centuries ago. The characteristics of links golf include firm, fast-draining turf that allows for a lot of roll, nearly constant wind, gentle undulations, and few trees. There are fewer than 200 true links courses in the world.

On Plane

In an ideal swing, the correct swing plane retains the angle of the shaft at address. An important distinction in an “on plane” swing is that the shaft actually travels along multiple parallel planes. On the backswing, it travels above—but parallel to—the original plane angle established at address, and on the downswing it travels below but parallel to the original plane angle. When Tiger’s swing was at its best, he was on plane.

Pull

A shot that, when hit by a right-handed golfer, does not curve but is hit straight and left of the target. It is typically caused by moving the upper body more quickly than the lower, causing the right-handed player to pull the shot left.

Push

A shot that behaves opposite of a pull. It does not curve but goes straight and right of the target. It may be caused by moving the upper body too slowly, resulting in a shot that is pushed out to the right.

Saw Across

A term Tiger and I used that refers to an intentional “out to in” downswing path that produces a controlled fade or slice, primarily to reduce the possibility of a “big miss.” I recommended that Tiger use this technique with his driver in particular whenever he felt uncomfortable or lacked confidence on a tee shot. Although playing the shot meant sacrificing distance, even when it missed the fairway, it usually wasn’t by much.

Slice

See
Fade
.

Stinger

A term coined to describe the low-flying tee shot that Tiger favored when getting the ball in the fairway was the priority. The shot was particularly effective for him in the windy conditions and fast-running fairways found at the British Open. Tiger performed the shot best with his 2- and 3-irons, but he was also proficient with his 5-wood and 3-wood. My unfulfilled goal was to get Tiger to confidently and consistently perform the shot with a driver.

Strong Grip

Marked primarily by a left-hand position (in a right-handed golfer) in which the thumb rests on the right side of the club handle. At address, the golfer would look down and see at least two knuckles showing on his left hand. In a strong grip, the club tends to be held more in the fingers. A strong grip is good for creating power, but because it allows the hands more play to turn counterclockwise through impact, it carries more potential for wild shots to the left.

Stuck

The position that occurs on the downswing when the lower body gets too far ahead of the upper body, leaving the arms and hands behind. The club can then no longer be released to square with a simple rotation of the body, but must be “caught up” with compensating arm and hand actions in the hitting area. Highly gifted players like Tiger can often “save” shots in this manner, but not with real consistency. A more reliable downswing would have the hands and arms coming down more “in front” of the body. Players who are
across the line
at the top of the backswing are more likely to get
stuck
than those who are
laid off
.