GOLF DIGEST HAS PUBLISHED AN EXCERPT of The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods by Hank Haney with Jaime Diaz. This book is bound to be an interesting read, a peek into the cloaked world of the era’s greatest golfer.
Following are five revelations released last week. You can read the full book excerpt here. And you can listen to a podcast with Haney’s pen man, Diaz, here.
1. Tiger’s troublesome left knee affected his golf swing.
Haney says that trying to protect Tiger’s left knee while maintaining top swing performance was not simple.
Comment: This doesn’t surprise me at all, especially with the benefit of hindsight.
2. Tiger feared the driver.
Haney says that he realized Tiger wasn’t as fearless as he looked. That was certainly true with the driver. Tiger joked with Haney about being named Woods.
Comment: Several people have said through the years that Tiger is a head case with the driver. Someone once said he had driver yips. I believe anyone who watched him play on a regular basis would be able to tell he lacked confidence with the driver.
3. Catching Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 professional majors added pressure.
Haney: “Tiger’s actions indicated he believed he had less time to do it than everyone thought.”
Comment: You bet it added pressure, and still does.
4. Tiger’s extreme workouts that included parachute jumps, hand-to-hand combat exercises and four-mile runs wearing combat boots risked his left knee.
Comment: This is what I don’t understand about Tiger. Why do all that stuff? Obviously, he enjoyed the intensity and wanted a life outside of golf, but didn’t he realize he was risking his golf career? Or did he think he was indestructible?
5. Tiger was obsessed with the military.
Haney says that Tiger was thinking about becoming a Navy SEAL. “It was clear he had a plan.”
Comment: I guess this explains all the knee-obliterating workouts and answers my above questions.
The thing with Tiger's left knee…is Haney's way of trying to cover for the fact that Haney made one of the longest hitters on the tour almost the shortest hitter on the tour.
Under Haney,Tiger went from a guy who was a decent driver off the tee to the most erratic driver off the Tee eventhough he won majors.
Tiger left Butch cuz Haney sold Tiger that he,Haney can make Tiger "own" his swing,it never happened & it's why JhonnieMiller so upset about the direction of Tiger's swing under Hank pleaded on TV for Tiger to get rid of Haney…..within a week Haney "supposedly" resigned as Tiger's coach.
Folks check Tiger's driving stats under Haney & Butch and see the marked difference…..Tiger was much better under Butch's guidance.
Haney never admits anything,just remember all the denials by Hank that he was not offering swing tips to Tiger after Tiger called it quits with Butch….BTW,Haney was working behind the scene with Tiger even before Tiger made it official that he left Butch.
And for Haney to now write a book about one of his students or clients,well,how unprofessional is that. you were the coach,mentor & now you do this,that's low folks.
On the crazy workouts. As a therapist, most of tthe workouts really won't destroy your knee. Its the combat boots that is a little screwy.
On fearing the driver. Like Dve Pelz says, no one golfer is good at every part of the game, usually they are really good at one and so so on the others. I can understand him laacking that confidence with the driver.
How much of the book is true or an embelishment? Is Tiger seeking litigation?
-Daniel
Anon: The stats suggest that Tiger wasn't a good (accurate) driver with Harmon or Haney. I have a hard time accepting the Tiger was a better driver with Harmon argument. Except for 2000, Tiger's numbers are not good.
Dating back to 2000, here are Tiger's driving accuracy statistics:
2000: 71.22% Rank: 54
2001: 65.48% Rank: 145
2002: 67.52% Rank: 107
2003: 62.71% Rank: 142
2004: 56.13% Rank: 182
2005: 54.58% Rank: 191
2006: 60.71% Rank: 139
2007: 59.83% Rank: 152
2008: 57.86% Rank: (not listed)
2009: 64.29% Rank: 86
2010: 57.21% Rank: (not listed)
(Source: TigerWoods.com)
Armchair Golfer….Tiger's driving stats under Butch never went below 60% accuracy.
With Hank,Tiger's driving accuracy was in the mid 50% range.In addition,Tiger knowing he was erratic,hit more 3wood off the Tee than ever.
However,under Hank,Tiger won more majors.
Thanks Armchair…this is a good one.
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Daniel-NewbieGolfer,I don't think Woods is interested in litigation remember he is still trying to put a yr's worth of scandal behind him.
All I know is Tiger is great for the business of golf and especially the PGA Tour. Viewership of events is much greater if he is in the hunt. Our game needs him to be competitive to rejunvenate golf in general