Swing Thought: Changes Can Be Sweet

What makes Tiger Woods so good?

His competitive nature is no secret, not after an inspection of his resume that includes three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles, one NCAA championship, 17 PGA Tour victories, two player-of-the-year awards and more prize money than any player in the history of golf.

So we have drive covered, a facet that includes his desire to succeed in his chosen field, which is basically beating every player who shows up and winning every tournament in his sight.

Now that you mention sight, it’s 20-10, thank you, after Woods had laser eye surgery in the off-season.

But it should be pointed out that there’s more to Woods than what meets laser-corrected eyesight.

So the question remains: What makes Tiger so good?

Technically speaking, Woods appears to have all the tools. Simply put, with his huge shoulder turn, he generates tremendous club-head speed. Plus, he works tirelessly to get better.

It is no surprise to Woods’ longtime coach, Butch Harmon, that Woods has started dominating the game.

“In all honesty, he’s worked so hard on his swing, it’s so sound,” Harmon said. “Coupled with his strength, he’s just so much better. His golf swing is so much better.”

Of course, there are times when it isn’t, such as last week at the Buick Invitational, when Woods’ strong, fluid swing disappeared. Its absence might have cost Woods his seventh consecutive PGA Tour victory, but that’s the way it goes sometimes . . . even if you are Tiger Woods.

Harmon said he and Woods have reduced club-head speed in favor of better control. Woods doesn’t seem to have lost much in distance, although he is only No. 15 in driving distance after a so-so week at the Buick.

Last year Woods was No. 3 in driving distance.

Woods’ scoring average of 68.44 is third-best on tour. He led in 1999 with 68.43.

“He is extremely flexible and he is extremely strong,” Harmon said. “The combination of strength and muscular flexibility allows him to generate the speed when he needs it.

“His shoulder turn is gigantic, yet he hardly has any hip turn at all. I would say he’s probably at 70% of his capacity speed-wise.”

Harmon and Woods took apart and reworked Woods’ swing in 1998 to better control his distance, especially with irons. The basic idea was to work the club face at the top of his swing to keep it in a square position. Also, Harmon worked with Woods to keep his arms in front of his body to alter the ball’s trajectory. That matched Woods’ arm speed with his body speed, Harmon said.

The effect of everything helped control the distance Woods hit the ball and its trajectory in the air.

“All the changes were made to make him more consistent,” Harmon said.

You would have to call the Woods Swing Project a success. He won the BellSouth in 1998, then won eight times in 1999 and has won twice already this year. That sounds consistent enough for anybody.