GolfTEC in Oklahoma

Welcome!
I write this as Tiger has just completed the first five holes in the Bridgestone WGC in four under. I would say it's unbelievable, but we've come to expect that from him. It will be interesting to see if Paddy can bounce back-- wouldn't surprise me if he did, and hope he does.

I've maintained for a while that with all the physical talent Tiger has, that what separates him from the other top players (by a wide margin), is his clearly superior mental toughness. Like Nicklaus, he is a ruthless competitor that is able to impart his will on lesser beings. He know he's the best, and he knows that the other guys know he's the best. It is almost like he starts out on Sunday with a three stroke advantage, regardless of what the scoreboard says.

We use a lot of video of tour players in our instruction, and personally I show less of Tiger's swing than most want to see. He does things in his swing that I would not want the average golfer to try to emulate. That said, his lower body position to the top of the backswing is the best, as there is little change in knee flex and zero hip sway. If you want to copy something from Tiger, make it his putting stroke. I believe it is the best I've ever seen, and by no coincidence he makes more putts under pressure than anyone else (again, much like Nicklaus, with better mechanics).

This is my first post, and I'll be back in a day or two to sort out the final result.

Fairways and Greens,

Pat McTigue, PGA