What’s Wrong With Tiger?
By Joe Wilkins
Today I had a very interesting conversation with a golfing friend of mine, Punny Brittane. Like this writer, Punny is getting up in years, and no longer hits the ball as far or scores as low as he used to. But we both can still play a fair game, with occasional scores in the high 70’s, with Puny doing it more frequently than me. Today, February 25, is quite cold in Atlanta, so, instead of playing, when we ran into each other at our golf course, Mystery Valley, in Lithonia, Georgia, we spent a couple of hours socializing.
As these things usually go, we eventually began to speculate about Tiger Wood’s game. It is evident to all, that Tiger is struggling with his game as never before, and such problems remind us of ourselves. It is an axiom of the game, that most golfers always wish they could do better, ignoring that their score on any particular day is the best that was possible at that time. It is what it is!
Punny and I finally concluded that when people take up golf for the first time, they are “blessed” with a certain level of natural ability–which varies quite widely among participants. Some people become quite skilled quickly, with others not doing so well, but they all perform initially at levels commensurate with abilities, dictated by height, weight, strength, coordination, temperament, sense of rhythm, and whatever else our DNA has given us. And it is quite clear that Tiger got a full share of all the above.
Additionally, it is important at what age the person takes up the game. If a young golfer gets good instruction early, practices under professional supervision, likes the game, then he maximizes the abilities he was born with. However, if he takes up the game later in life, even if he is possessed with good abilities, he will likely not be able to develop as well as the younger phenom.
In any event, no matter what swing he winds up with, that swing becomes “his swing,” and once it becomes programmed in his brain and muscles, he is pretty much stuck with it for the rest of his life. And hopefully it will be a good swing, with which he will be pleased, because it cannot be changed without monumental effort, which most golfers cannot and will not do.
Given all this, Punny and I concluded that Tiger had a great swing when he first came on tour, as evidenced by the many tournaments he immediately started winning. So good was he with his total game, that he was immediately compared with the greats of the past. And he was that good! However, we concluded that he soon made a major mistake. Deep within his psyche, there was this demand to be even better–or, even perfect. Yes, Tiger was searching for the perfect swing, which we contend is an impossible task. So, after a couple of years, he began fooling around with his swing, which, fortunately, due to obsessive dedication, instruction, and practice, served him well. However, Puny and I contend that he did not do any better than he would have if he had left well enough alone and stuck with the swing that he first brought to the tour.
Eventually he got too obsessive with swing methods and theories, switched to instructors who initially bought into his Quixotic goals, and, perhaps, they too believed that the perfect swing was attainable. Tiger certainly kept on winning at a record pace, and it was predicted that he would exceed Nicklaus’ major wins easily, so it was easy to believe that he could achieve such a goal. But, alas, it is now clear that such achievement is no longer possible, due to physical injuries and growing older. There also also also may well be psychological issues, as reflected through his marital and other personal problems.
So where does that leave Tiger? Well, Punny and I are presumptive enough to offer him some suggestions. First, we think he needs to rediscover that swing he had before coming on tour. Learning-theory principles show that the old swing is still in him, and, rather than let its old memory traces inhibit any new swing changes, go ahead and make friends with it again. So, he needs to disregard all those methods that no longer work, and get his mind returned to where it was when he first came on tour. This will require acceptance, some memory work recalling his old swing, and freeing up his “spirit.” As he goes about this process, he will soon learn that he will be unable to recapture his old swing exactly as it used to be, because of injuries and aging, which will dictate some needed modifications, but these changes should only be those which will complement the touch and feel of the old swing. An example would be, that since he has had spinal surgery, he will not be able to take the club back as far as he used to, so just let the club go where it will, while feeling in his mind the swing of his youth. The body, with its limited flexibility, will only go where it can, just let it go where it will, while keeping the feel of the old swing.
To sum up, the “natural” swing we are born with–or the one that was developed in our youth (hopefully under the guidance of an expert)–is the one we are stuck with the rest of our lives. Tiger seeks perfection in his golf swing, but he listens to too many different expert’s opinions as to how to achieve it. He needs to listen only to himself at this point in his life. He got all the instruction he needed when he was a youth, and he should surrender to that reality and quit trying to change something that resists changing; instead, nurture and accept it as a friend. To quote Catholic priest, Father David Rider, “If you are who you should be, you’ll set the world ablaze.” All striving, amateur golfers know that their basic swing rarely abandons them. And remember, golf is not a game of perfect!
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