Tiger swing to last a career, or not?

I just watched this video of Tiger and Butch on a golf channel show that must be at least 10-11 years old. They discuss the changes tiger made to his swing in 1997-99. Seems it was to build a swing that would last a career. So what went wrong and made him have to change the swing that was supposed to last a career?

Tiger stated in the video that he knew even after the 1997 masters win that he would need to change his swing as it relied to much on chance when it came to a repeatable accurate swing that could be used under pressure. It makes sense and this clearly illustrates what the changes were and the results from 1999-2008 clearly show they were the right thing to do. Even during the period from 2002 to 2009 he made small changed to his swing but now he has gone and changed the whole thing, for the time being not for the good of his game.

Was it injury or did he somehow become unable to implement the mechanics of it? It seems from he stated in the video that all the changes in 1998 reduced the impact and energy of his swing, and therefore the forces on his body. This is why I know think it seems strange that he would change again instead of recapturing what clearly worked so well during the greatest spell of golf anyone has ever enjoyed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50uj4WzKQrA&feature=related

:yawn:

It seems a fair question to ask, s_r. If the subject doesn't interest you (and to be fair, the clue was in the subject title), then just don't bother reading it - seemples

Mac, I think it's inevitable he will need a smoother, silkier swing if his body is to stand the immense pressures exacted on it. Old Father Time catches up with us all and it's the long practice sessions where these guys hit hundreds of balls per day that take their toll. Seve's swing looked majestic when he was a young man, but the 'reverse C' finish (his trademark) left him virtually in traction and fore-shortened his career by several years well before his more recent serious health issues. As he approaches his forties his joints won't stand the strain of that frenetic downswing so Tiger will have to either calm it down, reduce the amount of practice he puts in, or accept that he has less than 10 years of pro golf left in him. I also think he baulked up way too much and lost some of his elasticity.

Noshanking

I get your points but if you go on to watch one of the later video's he explains how the 1999 swing was designed to reduce the pressure on his spine and also to reduce the more violent hip turn of his youth.

It was also meant to get has arms out in front of his body and stop him having to rescue shots where he got caught behind his body rotation and hence reduce the strains on his body. It is clear this should have given him a swing that could last to at least the end of his 30's. He also stated that the swing would also give him greater control and consistency. AS far as I can see he got it spot on.

My thinking is that the knee and ankle injury must have come into play when deciding to change his swing in 09/10. So has he managed to injure his knee in the relentless pursuit to bulk up?

If he could physically reproduce his swing circa 2000 then surely he would. Or at least the slightly tweaked 2004 swing that he worked on with hank haney.

There are virtually no professional golfers around who swing with the amount of inertia that Woods did/does that aren't going to require major swing changes through his career in order for joints, backs etc to cope.
It's fine if you are Tom Watson or Fred Couples but if you lash at it like Woods does it's clear that the swing of his youth was never going to last into his late 20's and 30's once wear and tear and dare I say it as someone born in the same year, age sets in.
As shanking says, he's bulked up way too much, just as it's detrimental to be in the laughable and embarassing shape of Shane Lowry or Elliot Saltman, it's probably just as harmful to be over developed like Woods. There is no reason for a golfer to be so over developed.
He's played much of his life as if golf were a truly athletic sport, he can't keep doing that for much longer. Swing changes are inevitable for a player of his type.

I asked this question on 606 - has he over played the physical aspect in golf? Increased fitness, flexibility, core strength etc does help but bulking up to his size surely doesnt? Who else has his physique right now? IMO all his working out and bulking up just encourages him to swing on the limit too often. Whats the point in that if the important shots are on the green??

My point is and you will hear butch and tiger talk about it if you watch all the video's is his 1999 swing has all the elements needed to combat physical wear and tear. One of the main points of his 1999 swing is that he could swing under control at 80% of full power. Now contrast this to his current swing where he seems to be totally leathering the ball.

So what is it about his 1999 swing he is so keen to abandon, given that it would solve all his problems. It took a lot of the strain out of his lower body and spine. So if people are making the argument that he needs a swing to protect his body, he already had one over ten years ago.

I am pretty sure that Tiger is suitably flexible, if his general conditioning was getting in the way of his golf then he would do something about it. I am pretty sure he leaves no stone unturned in his preparation and since nobody on here is an elite athlete I suspect it is nothing more than pointless speculation. Tiger is built like a boxer and boxers like Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins remain in fantastic condition and capable of performing at an elite level well into their 40s. His build isn't the problem, the way he chooses to swing at the ball may be a different story. However, for every Seve, there is a John Daly.

I have always said that the only problem with Tiger's swing is his inability not to thrash at the ball. If he just wound it in a bit, he would hit the ball straighter and more consistently without putting all the stresses and strains on his body that smashing a golf ball in excess of 320 yards causes.

He has always had plenty of length but he seems to like being the longest of the tee. It ain't gonna happen anymore, there are too many DJ's, Bubba's etc out there now.

Tiger, if you are reading this (yeah right!!), calm it down a bit and just concentrate on hitting fairways and greens*

* payment accepted by Paypal, cash or personal cheque supported by bank card

I've always wondered this too D4S.
Woods seems to think that being a muscle bound meathead and swinging at a million miles an hour is the way to be the longest hitter.

Just look at Laird, Watney and Jason Day, big hitters but they don't feel the need for a preposterous boxers physique.

Perhaps if he spent less time in the gym and more on the practice ground he might just get some of his form back. Although as far as i'm concerned I hope he doesn't as golf is a far more interesting game without any player dominating and without the intolerable Woods centric coverage.

Look at Ernie Els' swing - I bet he hasn't changed it that much over the course of his career. Smooth as silk, almost effortless, yet he still gets the ball out there a fair distance. I bet you Tiger's quite heavy - anyone with his sort of muscular development is bound to be 16 stone at least. You couple that with his frenetic downswing and that equals immense pressure on his joints (especially his knees and ankles). If you are hitting hundreds of balls every day with a full swing that is bound to exact a heavy toll. I can understand why a golfer occasionally puts that extra 10% in (reaching a long par-5 in 2 shots or a long carry over bunkers) but to go full-bore on every drive and long shot does seem a bit excessive to me

Redrage wrote:I am pretty sure that Tiger is suitably flexible, if his general conditioning was getting in the way of his golf then he would do something about it. I am pretty sure he leaves no stone unturned in his preparation and since nobody on here is an elite athlete I suspect it is nothing more than pointless speculation. Tiger is built like a boxer and boxers like Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins remain in fantastic condition and capable of performing at an elite level well into their 40s. His build isn't the problem, the way he chooses to swing at the ball may be a different story. However, for every Seve, there is a John Daly.

So, he's built like a boxer and yet he's a golfer? Sounds sensible to me.....not. Being fit and flexible is one thing; having a physique unsuited for your sport is another. If he's over-bulked (and I'd say he was) it's as poor (almost) as being a bloater. I don't think TW has been using his head very well for some time now.

Whether he is over bulked or not for golf I still think his physical regime, which must be quite heavy given his appearance, helps to encourage this thrashing at the ball.

Like Mac I question his strive to be bigger and change his swing when he should have been concentrated on how to swing easy. He thought it would be easier to find a way to swing full tilt all the time rather than relying on timing but I'm sorry all golfers no matter the level require to work on timing.

S_r - Laird, Watney, Day and I'll add Woodland are all great examples of players who hit the ball a long way but always look like there is plenty more left in the tank. Day perhaps the quickest looking swing but it still looks under control.

navyblueshorts wrote:

Redrage wrote:I am pretty sure that Tiger is suitably flexible, if his general conditioning was getting in the way of his golf then he would do something about it. I am pretty sure he leaves no stone unturned in his preparation and since nobody on here is an elite athlete I suspect it is nothing more than pointless speculation. Tiger is built like a boxer and boxers like Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins remain in fantastic condition and capable of performing at an elite level well into their 40s. His build isn't the problem, the way he chooses to swing at the ball may be a different story. However, for every Seve, there is a John Daly.

So, he's built like a boxer and yet he's a golfer? Sounds sensible to me.....not. Being fit and flexible is one thing; having a physique unsuited for your sport is another. If he's over-bulked (and I'd say he was) it's as poor (almost) as being a bloater. I don't think TW has been using his head very well for some time now.

So what physique 'should' a golfer have? The point which you have clearly missed is that there are few athletes as well trained as boxers, they are built for strength, speed and flexibility. Useful attributes in golf imo. Furthermore, he is hardly alone in his quest for fitness, look at the shape Westwood has gotten into, Vijay, Villegas or Casey for that matter. The best person to decide what condition he should be in is Tiger and his team of specialists that no doubt work with him, not the keyboard warriors that the majority of which couldn't run 10k or do 20 press ups.

navyblueshorts wrote:

Redrage wrote:I am pretty sure that Tiger is suitably flexible, if his general conditioning was getting in the way of his golf then he would do something about it. I am pretty sure he leaves no stone unturned in his preparation and since nobody on here is an elite athlete I suspect it is nothing more than pointless speculation. Tiger is built like a boxer and boxers like Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins remain in fantastic condition and capable of performing at an elite level well into their 40s. His build isn't the problem, the way he chooses to swing at the ball may be a different story. However, for every Seve, there is a John Daly.

So, he's built like a boxer and yet he's a golfer? Sounds sensible to me.....not. Being fit and flexible is one thing; having a physique unsuited for your sport is another. If he's over-bulked (and I'd say he was) it's as poor (almost) as being a bloater. I don't think TW has been using his head very well for some time now.

Has he ever used his head?

He's never been the sharpest of tools in the shed has he? First of all he changes his preposterous christian name to something even more ridiculous. He insists on some stupid unfounded superstition of wearing red on the final day (i'm sure lots of golfers have these, but his persistence is laughable). Shocking course management with his driver and a completely crazy habit of swinging as fast as humanly possible despite the inherent dangers of the shot. Boring, unimaginative interviews answered with a typical stock answer lacking any humour, instinctiveness or spontanaity and a manipulation of press coverage because he isn't clever enough to realise that they will always get to the bottom of a story not to mention the transparency and naivity of his shiversomely embarassing stage managed "press conferences" because he hasn't the brains to answer anything that isn't pre prepared. I honestly can't see the appeal of this guy. He was once a peerless golfer, now I think as many people have seen through him as those who are still his lickspittles.

Astonishingly brilliant golfer who continues to decimate the record books: 15 Professional Majors, 70+ PGA tour victories, and the mental strength of game that has enabled him to maintain his lead into the final round that's been unmatched.

Lots has been said about his recent form, so let's look at his latest effort. Tiger didn't win, but was the highest placed American. Higher finish than Kaymer (MC), Westwood, Mickelson ...

Continues the decimate the record books.....!? In the past maybe but not for a while.... what was the last record he decimated?

And he has 14 Majors...

With regard to Tiger thrashing the hell out of the ball, and boldly going where nobody's been before, much said on here about him bulking up too much etc. This is sureley backed up by watching the ladies on tour. Some of these girls are whip slim and stand 5 foot tall with no muscle, yet through a slow steady swing they can generate a lot more distance than me. They use timing and technique and never thrash the ball. Luke is one of the shorter hitters on tour but yet when he hits the fairway can rip the field apart, and to be fair, Tiger was brilliant from fairway to green, so why he feels he has to kill himself to out bubba Bubba is beyond me. Maybe too much testoserone helped destroy his marraige and career

Rossa - You're right, 14 professional majors. My bad. Only active golfer to win all 4 professional majors, golfer that won the most majors in the past 10 years (5 years too I believe), fastest to 50 tournaments, fastest to 70 tournaments. That's recent enough for me!

He won all 4 majors by 2000, granted he's repeated the feat twice...but no majors in approaching 3 years... not recent
Got to 50 PGA wins in 2006... not recent
Got to 70 PGA wins in 2009...nearly 2 years ago, 1 win since... not recent

My point stands... Tiger has done nothing except be a top 20, or top 10 player if being kind, in the last 18 months... Which is why i questioned the comment, "golfer who continues to decimate the record books"... he has done entirely the opposite... ceased to decimate the record books... for now anyway

Redrage wrote:So what physique 'should' a golfer have? The point which you have clearly missed is that there are few athletes as well trained as boxers, they are built for strength, speed and flexibility. Useful attributes in golf imo. Furthermore, he is hardly alone in his quest for fitness, look at the shape Westwood has gotten into, Vijay, Villegas or Casey for that matter. The best person to decide what condition he should be in is Tiger and his team of specialists that no doubt work with him, not the keyboard warriors that the majority of which couldn't run 10k or do 20 press ups.

No, I doubt boxers are trained for the sort of flexibility needed for golf and even if they are (they might be, I have to admit) I doubt you'd have ever seen Holyfield able to swing a club like Vijay in his prime.

There's undoubtedly some benefit in being 'fit' for playing top golf in some of the hotter climes (in particular) but I don't think TW's recent muscularity has helped his game one iota.

As to TW's 'specialists', I wouldn't trust them as far as I can throw them if his PR team are an example of what they're capable of.

Re. muscularity and distance, I give you Jamie Sadlowski. Athletic but hardly bulked up and you should see how far he can hit it:

http://bensoncheng.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/jamie-sadlowski-golf-swing.jpg

super_realist wrote:Has he ever used his head?

Good question!

We aren't talking about PR, we are talking about personal trainers and Nike represent elite athletes in every kind of sport... so I am pretty sure the guys Tiger is involved with know exactly what they are doing. To say it interferes with his golf is laughable... John Daly, Craig Stadler, and younger versions of Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson were bloaters and it didn't interfere with their success. So your body condition really shouldn't matter. Tiger has been muscling up for years it isn't recent and the only thing that has gotten in the way of his golf is off the course issue or injury.

Westwood actually said of his fitness regime that has got him into his now acceptable shape that he wished he'd done it a dozen years ago, testament to the fact the he thinks being in better shape would have been far better for his career, so while being a fat bloater can get you so far if you have a lot of talent, it might hold you back to some degree. Something former tubbies Westwood, Mickelson etc clearly agree with.

However I believe that it is also just as detrimental if you bulk up too much. Look at the top people in any sport. You don't see a swimmer with the physique of Stallone in his prime, or a heavy weight boxer with the body of Nigel Bond , or a cyclist with the shape of Usain Bolt because it wouldn't be good for your sport. So why does anyone think being musclebound to a laughable degree like Woods would be beneficial in a game where the attributes of touch, feel, finesse and timing are far more important than physical strength and explosive power. Woods probably has enough natural talent to be fairly competitive right now despite his hilarious body although you wouldn't know it by his "just about top 40 " performances of the last 18 months, I just wonder how much better he could/would be if he spent more time on the things that mattered such as practice, putting and course management rather than "kissing his guns" and pointing to which way the beach is in the mirror.
In the worlds most sedate "sport "like golf, honing your body to such laughable degrees is bordering on the sad and desperate.

All golfers get older, and age has a large dominance in all golf swings.

A golf swing in someone in their twenties will change as they move into their 30s and 40s, it has got to, as the body gets older. No matter what training and dieting a 40 year old does, he will not have the swing of a twenty year old, I am afraid that age takes no prisoners, but it is the same for everyone

super_realist wrote: So why does anyone think being musclebound to a laughable degree like Woods would be beneficial in a game where the attributes of touch, feel, finesse and timing are far more important than physical strength and explosive power. Woods probably has enough natural talent to be fairly competitive right now despite his hilarious body although you wouldn't know it by his "just about top 40 " performances of the last 18 months, I just wonder how much better he could/would be if he spent more time on the things that mattered such as practice, putting and course management rather than "kissing his guns" and pointing to which way the beach is in the mirror.
In the worlds most sedate "sport "like golf, honing your body to such laughable degrees is bordering on the sad and desperate.

Are you seriously trying to suggest Tiger doesn't have touch, feel or finesse? Now that is laughable. We all know you loathe him (whether you choose to admit it or not) but you are reaching now.

I didn't say he didn't have any, I said that those attributes were far more important for a professional golfer than being a meathead, like all professionals he does have those attributes, although clearly not currently at a level that a lot of players currently do, perhaps if he spent less time "working out" and being a narcisist he might be able to enhance and develop the level of touch and feel that has been largely absent for two years.
I don't think he's ever had much finesse, he's always displayed more brawn than finesse.

I'm happy to admit I loathe the guy, I don't see too many redeeming features about any aspect of him, either on or off course. What I dislike more though is the way grown adults adulate him.

super_realist wrote:perhaps if he spent less time "working out" and being a narcisist he might be able to enhance and develop the level of touch and feel that has been largely absent for two years.

This is more tosh. If you are in the habit of keeping fit like Tiger has spent his whole adult life doing, physical conditioning doesn't take up that much time out of your schedule. It takes just as much time to do lighter weights as it does to lift heavier weights. You've already conceded that physical conditioning is a requirement of a modern golfer. There is a lot wrong with Tigers personality but you can't fault his approach to his golf.

Tigers physique has undoubtedly had an effect on the need to make swing changes as with such muscle its not as easy to be as flexible as he was, but no doubt hedoes flexibility work too, Tigers swing of 1997, 2000 and 2005 was never going to last a lifetime due to the excesses it caused on his lower body, thats why I can see why he is making the changes he's doing with Foley as he is putting far less stress on his hips and more importantly for him his left knee so this new swing is one that can last him for a lifetime once he's grooved it, for me the only thing Woods needs to learn is he doesnt need to hit every driver as hard as he does.

If you were to talk about golfers with the ideal physique I would personally shy away from Woods as for me his build is more like a figthers build for power and endurance, I think the ideal modern athlete golfer would be a Villegas he is toned and supple and on the inside the PGA tour you get a good isnight to his training methods and how their design to maintin muscle tone and flexibilty with out getting to bulked up and restricting movement

Redrage wrote:We aren't talking about PR, we are talking about personal trainers and Nike represent elite athletes in every kind of sport... so I am pretty sure the guys Tiger is involved with know exactly what they are doing. To say it interferes with his golf is laughable... John Daly, Craig Stadler, and younger versions of Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson were bloaters and it didn't interfere with their success. So your body condition really shouldn't matter. Tiger has been muscling up for years it isn't recent and the only thing that has gotten in the way of his golf is off the course issue or injury.

I'm just using his PR people as an example of specialists and how pants they can be. Just because he's with Nike doesn't necessarily mean they're all flawless re. conditioning. TW is TW. I wouldn't put it past him to ignore advice he's being given (by Nike people or others) simply because he's TW.

You think he's fine. I think he's over-developed for golf. Can we agree to differ?

Maverick wrote:If you were to talk about golfers with the ideal physique I would personally shy away from Woods as for me his build is more like a figthers build for power and endurance, I think the ideal modern athlete golfer would be a Villegas he is toned and supple and on the inside the PGA tour you get a good isnight to his training methods and how their design to maintin muscle tone and flexibilty with out getting to bulked up and restricting movement

Think you're near the mark there Mav.

Mav hits the nail on the head. If you want to be fit you should at least be able to withstand 4-5 days of competitive golf in varying climates and be flexible enough not to have unnecessary strain in your swing. If you want to be a gym freak and play golf then you do it the Villegas way, not Tiger's cartoon human V shape way.

Look, Tiger still plays good golf, just not brilliant golf and I dont think its all solely down to being over bulked up. I would like to remind people of my orginal point that started this debate - I think his take on golf fitness encourages his attitude of slashing at the ball with everything he has. Was it Snead that coined the phrase 'Loose as a goose'? Its pretty hard to stay loose if you're big and ripped. Not impossible, but hard. I would suggest that whatever Villegas, Watney, Donald, McIlroy etc do in the gym is about ideal for today's golfer. Even Woodland and Vegas who look incredibly strong do not have the gym rat body of Tiger.

I would hazard a guess and say Tiger's gym regime just puts him on the edge of being too bulked up. He's able to compete fine when everything is in working order but I bet its a hell of a warm up session he has to go through. Remember there is a difference between being too bulked up and too fat like the likes of Stadler. You can still be flexible and fat. Being bulked up and still be flexible requires a lot of maintenance and if you dont get it right it equals injuries.

I've been helping out quite a bit at my local gym with the spin classes (helping to choreograph the music and taking part of the class - purely so I can letch at the laydees in the front row naturellement ) . Anyway as recompense for my efforts the fitness instructor took me through a programme a couple of weeks back to help my flexibility and golf swing. He had me working on my core strength (back stretches, abs) and dynamic movement (swinging a medicine ball from my right ankle quickly up to left shoulder and then swap and lift from left ankle to right shoulder). Also had me doing this exercise using the pulley with both hands. We worked on light weights while sat on fit-ball and squats with medicine ball, all aimed at balance and flexibility. At no point in the proceedings did he say to me, 'right what you need to do now is bench press 120kgs while making a large grunting sound like a syphilitic ape'

Noshankingtonite wrote:At no point in the proceedings did he say to me, 'right what you need to do now is bench press 120kgs while making a large grunting sound like a syphilitic ape'

Perhaps he hears enough of that as you sit in the back row of your spinning class?

LJ:

They banned me from the back row They got fed up getting complaints from laydees having their derrieres constantly letched at and also having to get the mop out to wipe up the drool surrounding my bike

Noshankingtonite wrote:LJ:

They banned me from the back row They got fed up getting complaints from laydees having their derrieres constantly letched at and also having to get the mop out to wipe up the drool surrounding my bike

That's harsh.

May I suggest an alternative however. You're allowed to put a bag in the room right?

http://www.wondcam.com/bag-camera.html

Just drop that into a sports bag and away you go!

LondonJonnyO wrote:

Noshankingtonite wrote:LJ:

They banned me from the back row :wah: They got fed up getting complaints from laydees having their derrieres constantly letched at and also having to get the mop out to wipe up the drool surrounding my bike :whistle:

That's harsh.

May I suggest an alternative however. You're allowed to put a bag in the room right?

http://www.wondcam.com/bag-camera.html

Just drop that into a sports bag and away you go! :thumbsup:

I wish I had the confidence to think that you have not already deployed that back in some poor woman's bathroom.

Villegas and Tiger have quite different frames, Villegas is at least 5 inches shorter and isn't particularly broad.

I have no problem with people taking the view that he is over developed, it's an opinion and we all have them, but the people stating it as fact are simply in no position to do so.

McLaren wrote:

LondonJonnyO wrote:

Noshankingtonite wrote:LJ:

They banned me from the back row They got fed up getting complaints from laydees having their derrieres constantly letched at and also having to get the mop out to wipe up the drool surrounding my bike

That's harsh.

May I suggest an alternative however. You're allowed to put a bag in the room right?

http://www.wondcam.com/bag-camera.html

Just drop that into a sports bag and away you go!

I wish I had the confidence to think that you have not already deployed that back in some poor woman's bathroom.

I'm sorry. I was watching the cctv and missed this. What's the point you're making?

LJ:
What a great idea I could deploy this in a subtle fashion at the back of the room to capture the derriere shot - you would get blokes @rses too, but you'd have to edit that out. That means I can still continue to ogle from my advanced position at the t!ts of the women in the mirror at the front of the room, whilst reviewing the rear shots at a later stage - brilliant! I'm really glad I take my fitness seriously - no pumping iron for this callsign

His upper body seems to be the least of his worries at the moment.

There is an arguement that the lower body has to support all that upper body muscle and its actions. I'm sure someone has said as much? Brandel Chamblee maybe? He doesnt like Tiger but he may have a point. I'm sure Tiger has built up the muscle around his knees as best he can in order to provide them more support but can you put too much pressure on them with to big a torso? I dont know.

Lairdy that's exactly the case whatever work you put into the upper body you have to match with the lower as its the legts that have to support the load and deal with the tension caused by iit in the golf swing, I meyself next friday am under going to indepth knee surgery and with the help of a sports physio have put together a recovery program for after and have got a workout routine prepared to help cope with the stresses afterwards. It seems to have been a point of neglect of Tigers and his teams that this knee is not what it was as point out by JVD last night. I can see why he has gone stack and tilt to help the knee but he is not fully embracing the change and that is evident by the way he still thrashes at the ball!

On another note I think I've strained my medial and I'm bricking it! Def strained ankle ligaments but I'm not worried about that so much as the knee. Made it into work today so cant be that bad (just got some odd looks limping towards the office) and will rest it for the next week or so before I try any golf.

Swing to last a career.

His swing can't last 9 holes, never mind a career.

Poor Tiger...

I actually feel very sorry for tiger and all the true golf fans who are being denied the chance to see his great talent.

Lairdy wrote:On another note I think I've strained my medial and I'm bricking it! Def strained ankle ligaments but I'm not worried about that so much as the knee. Made it into work today so cant be that bad (just got some odd looks limping towards the office) and will rest it for the next week or so before I try any golf.

I tweaked my medial a few weeks ago as I was recovering from a foot injury. Gave the golf game a miss for a couple of weeks and used an elastic bandage on the knee for a little light support. Didn't take too long to get over it so cheer up

I have a feeling Tiger's career will now be littered with injuries, which is a great shame.

Catching Jack's major record must be seriously in doubt now.

Davie wrote:

Lairdy wrote:On another note I think I've strained my medial and I'm bricking it! Def strained ankle ligaments but I'm not worried about that so much as the knee. Made it into work today so cant be that bad (just got some odd looks limping towards the office) and will rest it for the next week or so before I try any golf.

I tweaked my medial a few weeks ago as I was recovering from a foot injury. Gave the golf game a miss for a couple of weeks and used an elastic bandage on the knee for a little light support. Didn't take too long to get over it so cheer up

Cheers. Ankle and knee were very sore this morning. I've torn ankle ligaments before and I was worried I'd done them again but I know now they are just strained. Never had any knee injuries so I was more worried about it. Both have loosened up throughout today so hopefully just some rest required. Means I can soley concentrate on putting for a few weeks!

to use a car analogy, you can't go upping the bhp from 200 to 400 without upgrading the chassis, suspension, shocks, rollbars, brakes, drivetrain, etc, etc. and if those parts have had an accident or 2, you really should consider whether it's wise to do so. perhaps better to hone your driving skills with 200bhp than write off your knackered car because all that power puts you in a ditch backwards.

i remember seeing a super slo-mo video of his swing absolutely flat out a few years ago and the torque pressures he was putting on his body were incredible (perhaps i should talk about torque rather than bhp!). it was something like him still being on his backswing as his lower body started moving into the downswing. whatever, it looked like the average person would snap several ligaments doing it.

Ahh the old elasticated tubigrip bandage. How I'd love to srap one of those on and play 18 I'm going mad now 2weeks without golf and another 12 to 16 to go. My surgery is next friday to repair the damage to my ACL and remove the cyst that has occured due to knee fluid leaking through the tear.

Tiger needs to take a serious step back from the game and re-asses his swing and body completely and either decide to play much less like olazabal or start from scratch and that would include tirmming off some of the excess muscle