Some conclusions are as follows:

1 . The average ball speeds and distance contestants hit their drivers is not that much different from data on the PGA Tour. The difference was 14 yards.

2 . The Michigan Amateur players launch their drives slightly lower with greater spin than the PGA Tour.

3 . One-quarter (1/4) of the Michigan Amateur players matched or bettered the PGA distance average. This probably indicates that raw distance is a relatively minor factor in determining
the difference between a very good amateur player and a tour player.

4 . Miles of Golf fit the clubs of 39 of the 64 players who made match play and 11 of the Sweet 16.

Download Michigan Amateur Driver Results

Part I is for those golfers on the fence about competing.  It offers clues that may help you decide if competition is for you.  Part II talks about preparations for competition; things like practice, gear, and knowledge of the rules.  Part III delves into the competition itself and is primarily about the thoughts that creep into your head during competition.

Part I. Is Competitive Golf for You?

“Golf” and “Competitive Golf” are almost two different sports.  Both are fun but the competitive part of the game makes it really different.  Golf is mostly about being with friends and enjoying the beauty of the game, the exercise, and the challenge.  Competitive Golf should have everything that Golf has but with the added twist of beating other players.  The addition of this little variation really changes the game.

By Competitive Golf we are not just talking about the PGA Tour, but things like the Tuesday night league at your local golf course or the city golf tournament.  Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you decide if you even want to compete:

1.      If you are reading this, you are at least interested so you passed the first test.

2.      Can you handle failure? Even Tiger Woods wins less than one-half the time.  If you want to work on humility, you should consider competing because any golf competitor will fail more times than succeed.

3.      How do you handle pressure? Do you like pressure or do you try to avoid it?  If you would like to handle pressure better, competitive golf may be good for your personal development.

4.      Do you have a handicap? There are two types of tournaments amateurs play.  One is called a “Gross Tournament” where everyone plays even up.  No one gets or gives shots to opponents.   For this to work, all the players need to play at relatively the same skill level so even if there are no shots exchanged, you need a handicap to get you in the right “flight”.  The other type of tournament is called a “Net Tournament” and here shots are exchanged to allow players of varying skills to compete and a handicap is absolutely essential.

5.      What is your knowledge of the Rules of Golf?  To compete you need to have an understanding of the most common rules like “out of bounds”, “unplayable lie”, “hazards”, etc.  There are just a few you need to know.  The others you can look up when the situation arises.

6.      Do you like to wager when you play with your buddies? This gives you a taste of what it’s like to compete, but competitive golf is still different than just betting with your golfing buddies.  If you do not like the feeling of betting, you will probably not enjoy competition.

Hopefully this will give you clues about whether you will enjoy “Competitive Golf”.

Part II.  Preparing to Compete.

Preparing to Compete in golf for most people is really fun.  If it does not turn out that way for you, you might want to reconsider competing.  Preparation for competitive golf isn’t like getting knocked around in preparation for a football game or a marathon race where you need to spend hours running.  It should be enjoyable.

These are some of the things you will need to do if you want to play your best golf in competition.  If you get really serious about competing you may want to consider all of these suggestions:

1.      Work on the weak parts of your game. To play well, all parts of the game need to be working.  If your game is reasonably good in every respect except that about one-half the time the ball comes flying out of the bunker at warp speed, I would recommend working on your sand game not perfecting a Phil Michelson flop shot.  Under pressure weaknesses in your game will kill you.

2.      Practicing versus Playing. How you allocate time between the two should depend on what works best for you but you clearly need to allocate time for both.  Hank Haney spoke to Charles Barkley about Tiger’s preparation for competition. He spends 2 hours practicing, then plays 9 holes, and then spends another 2 hours practicing.  He seems to prefer more practice over playing.  Dave Kendall, the director of Kendall Academy, who recently won his 2^nd Michigan Senior Open,  prefers to combine playing and practice.  He will often go out alone on a course and play several golf balls on each hole.

3.      Tweak your equipment. Playing your best requires that you feel good about hitting all the clubs in your bag.  When there is pressure, doubts about your equipment get magnified.  When there is pressure, confidence in your equipment also gets magnified.

4.      Know the rules.  Bone up on two things, the fundamental rules of the game and how the Rules of Golf Book is organized so that you can look up some of esoteric rules when they occur on the course.  Some of the rules you should know cold are: “out of bounds”, “lost ball”, “unplayable lie”, “playing a second ball” and “hazards”.  Be sure to put a rules book in your golf bag.

5.      Acquire either a golf range finder or GPS measuring device. Most tournaments now allow these devices.  If you do not have one, you are at a real disadvantage.

6.      Practice the gimmes. When you compete, those 3 and 4 footers you may have been conceding, all of a sudden have a new importance.

7.      Help. Just about every professional golfer has a swing coach and possibly a sports psychologist.  If you can find an instructor that can help with your game and possible act as your competitive mentor, you are in luck.  It is great to be able to bounce questions off an experienced competitor.

Dave Kendall, the director of the Kendall Academy added these comments:

• Players should do their best to develop a highly reliable style of play. Avoid high risk exotic shots. Nurture confidence by developing an arsenal of simple low risk shots.
• Constancy with the driver is more important than distance
• Make your wedge gamea high priority
• Make your putting a high priority

Part III.  The Tournament.

You have completed the preparation for the tournament and the tournament is approaching.  Here are some final thoughts and ideas:

1.      Practice Round. Most players want to schedule a round so that they can get familiar with the course; its routing, green speeds, type of sand in the bunkers, and trouble areas.  I like to end up with a strategy for playing each hole.   Prior to playing your practice round, read the local rules on the back of the score card.  These rules may or may not be in effect when you play.  Often times if you ask the golf professional or course staff, they will indicate the approximate location of the tees like middle, back, or forward.  To illustrate that my thoughts on competition are really my thoughts and may not necessarily be yours, Doug Davis, who manages the Miles practice facility is an outstanding competitor.  He was one of U of M’s best players and has won four GAM events.  He rarely plays practice rounds.  He prefers to compete not knowing where the problems lie because he feels it adversely influences his decision making.

2.      Equipment Check. An important part of being ready to play is having your equipment ready to compete.   Count the number of clubs in your bag to be sure it is 14 or less.  Clean your clubs.  Replace worn cleats on your golf shoes.  Check your foul weather gear.  Decide on the golf ball you will use and have an adequate supply because in some events you cannot switch from one model of golf ball to another during the round.  Most tournaments now allow players to use range finders or GPS units.  If you do not have one of these, you will be at a disadvantage.  Decide if you will be riding or walking and take the appropriate golf bag and wear the right shoes.  Personally, I like to have a brand spanking new golf glove for a tournament.  It is important for your confidence to know that your equipment is ready for the event.

In some events, you will receive information about the specifics on how the tournament will be conducted.  There are rules options that are at the discretion of the tournament that you need to know so read this document carefully.

3.      Warmup. To my thinking, the warmup starts when you wake up the day of the event and gets your mind and body ready for the competition.  You need to do whatever you can to stay calm and relaxed.  For me, I like to go for a short easy walk or run.  I also like to do a few Yoga relaxation exercises.  You need to think about what will make you calm and relaxed.

When you arrive at the course and start hitting balls and putting, you want to retain a calm and relaxed state.  I like to hit shots with as slow a swing as I can and with as light a grip as possible.  Competition tends to speeds things up so by practicing with a slow tempo hopefully things will be just right when the competition begins.

For most players, the first shot is an intimidating one.  During your warmup, hit a few shots that in your mind mimic your first shot.

4.      Competitive State of Mind. These are some random thoughts about your state of mind during the competition.  As you will see, some of this will get at the core of who we really are.  This is one of the really compelling aspects of competitive golf and can be a great character builder.

For this to really get interesting, we need readers to offer up their ideas about the competitive state of mind for golf.  There is a comments section after this article for you to add your thoughts.

Style of Play. We all have a different approach to playing the game.  Some golfers are risk takers and some are more conservative.  In competition, you need to play with the strategy that works best for you.  What sometimes happens is that a player who is naturally conservative in his or her play will get more conservative in competition, and for example, be short on all their shots and putts.  I see the opposite effect for aggressive players where they become overly risky.  I think you need to stay with what makes you play your best and not deviate from this in competition.

Play the Course. This means your competition is the golf course not the other players.  Don’t worry about what other players are doing; concentrate on how you can play your best on this particular golf course this particular day.  Anyone who has competed has suffered the consequences of thinking that they are not doing well and not trying their best only to find out that the field did not play well.  If the course is playing difficult for you, don’t be surprised that it is playing difficult for everyone.

Never Give Up. Playing golf when things are working is easy.  Playing when things are not working is tough.  Good players will figure out how to score well when things are not at their best.  If you just give up when things get tough, you will never figure out how to do this.  Plus, nobody likes quitters.

Play with Courage. We all have our best swings and our safe swings and usually they are not the same swing.  Have the courage to attempt our best swing and shot not our safe swing.

During a good competitive round, players get uncomfortable with the prospect of a really low score and possibly feel they are not good enough to play this well.  Understand that it takes courage to shoot a really good score and be courageous.

Mind Games. Here is a game I sometimes play when competing.  I will break the round into 6 sets of 3 holes each.  Why?  This give me the ability of getting a fresh start after each three holes (instead of 9) so if I do really well or poorly after three holes I put that aside and start the next three.  Somehow for me, thinking in three hole increments works better than thinking in hole by hole (one hole) or nine hole increments.

Tiger often refers to a mind game he plays on putts.  He calls it “trusting the line” or “staying committed”.  It is a mind game he plays to be able to aim a putt wide of the target and know that gravity really works and will bring the putt back on line.

There are tons of these mind games and other random thoughts on the competitive state of mind in golf.  Let’s share them.

• When to Start. Ideas on what you can do to determine when a youngster is ready.
• Equipment. What is necessary and what is not necessary.
• Developing Skills. Learning by watching and formalized instruction.
• Playing Partners. Getting friends involved is vital.
• Courses to Play. What to look for in courses that are best for juniors.
• Parental Involvement. Thing parents need to do and thing parents need to avoid.
• Helpful Resources. Organizations that can help a junior golfer get started.

1. When to Start. Dave Kendall, director of the Kendall Academy at Miles of Golf, feels the time to start is when the child appears interested in playing. I know of some youngsters, besides Tiger, that are totally taken by the game at a very early age, like 3 or 4 years of age. For most youngsters this is too young with most starting in the 8-12 range. For some, the right time is never because they just have no interest in the game. I am convinced that at a very early age most of us know sports we like and sports we do not like. Things you might do to help determine when and if a youngster should start are:

a. Take them to a golf tournament or watch golf on TV to see good players playing the game.
b. Give them an opportunity to hit a golf ball without giving them your ideas on how it should be done. Just let them try it.
c. Take them to a course and have them watch you play. Let them hit some shots.

If there seems to be an interest, you need to make a plan that addresses equipment, playing partners, courses to play, and lessons.

2. Equipment. The equipment to get started need not be a big expense. You can get a junior set that includes a bag and enough clubs for $100-$200. These sets will start with a lofted wood, a mid iron, short iron, and putter. Most companies have three sizes of junior clubs depending on the youngster’s height. If a junior is on the fence about playing, even one or two clubs are plenty to get started. I personally would rather see a youngster with a few clubs that are the right size and moderately priced versus a full set of expensive clubs that are too big. Golf is a hard game to learn and clubs that are not the right size can make it impossibly hard. When just starting things like golf shoes and gloves are not essential.

3. Developing Skills. Most youngsters learn athletics at a young age by mimicking what they see. Give a kid detailed instruction about the golf swing and watch their eyes glaze over and their excitement about the game fade away. If a child watches good players, most times they will pick up the game in the same natural way kids learn, by watching and trying. I like this plan. Take a child to a golf tournament, and it really does not matter if it is a junior tournament, professional, or amateur. Then take them to a range or course and let them hit shots saying little or nothing to them about how to hit the ball. My stomach gets upset when I think of all the bad golf advice I have heard given to a child from a parent. Probably the best formalized instruction for a child getting started is to have the person they will be playing with have a lesson so the child will have something good to emulate. At some point, if a child is interested in the game, you should consider formalized instruction. There are plenty of good programs in the Ann Arbor area that offer juniors instruction. See 7. Helpful Resources for information on instruction in the area.

4. Playing Partners. If a child is going to become a good player and enjoy the game, the most important thing that must happen is that he or she has buddies to play with. Parents or grandparents are OK, but they must also have golfing buddies their age. If you have one priority in getting a kid started, this is it. Get a group of kids interested in the game playing with each other and developing friendships and rivalries.

5. Courses to Play. The “best” courses in the area may not be the best place for junior golfers to get started. In the Ann Arbor area, many of the best junior players started playing at Georgetown, Huron Hills, and Brookside. What makes them good is that they are not real difficult so a young golfer can be successful relatively early in their playing career and they become accustom to shooting good scores. At these courses, kids “rule”. They can play in relative equality to adults and they can play a ton for not much money.

6. Parental Involvement. As mentioned, I am not crazy about parents giving their child golf instruction. Parents need to give thought to developing the plan for getting a child started in golf. As far as playing with your child, here are some suggestions: (1) Let them play without a lot of helpful hints or instructions. (2) Sometimes go out with your child and act as a caddie, letting your child be the boss and having the joy of being the center of attention of a parent. (3) Have the parent use limited flight golf balls so everyone hits it about the same distance. Almost Golf makes my favorite limited flight balls. (4) Set up your own course. It may be only 2 holes and you may tee off 100 yards from the green.

7. Helpful Resources.

a. Kendall Academy – offers after school, spring break camp, summer camp, beginner clinics, and private lessons. http://www.milesofgolf.com/kendall.html

b. City of Ann Arbor – offers junior golf programs through the City Recreation Department. www.a2golf.org

c. Pittsfield Township – offers junior golf programs through the Recreation Department.

d. First Tee – a national organization teaching kids golf plus life values. www.thefirsttee.org/

e. Michigan PGA – tournaments and instructional programs.  http://michigan.pga.com/index.cfm?menu=1450&openitem=1450

f. Washtenaw Junior Tour www.washtenawjuniorgolf.com

g. Livingston Junior Tour www.livingstonjuniorgolf.com

h. Meijers Junior Golf Tour (Ages 7—14) www.juniorgolf.org

i. Adams Golf Junior Tour (Ages 12—19) www.juniorgolf.org

j. Taylormade/Adidas Collegiate Tour (Ages 18—24) www.juniorgolf.org

k. Huron Hills Wee Tee’s — great place for kids and young beginners to start to play. www.a2golf.org

Computing Your Ideal Course Distance. The answer to the question of how long a course should be is real simple.  It is  28.  Just multiply the length of your average drive by 28 and that, in my estimation, is the length of a course that will be challenging but enjoyable to play.

The logic behind the “Driver x 28″ is that an ideal course will have a combination of easy, moderately difficult, and difficult holes.  Knowing the length of your drive, you can estimate how far you hit your other clubs.  For example, most golfers will hit their 6 iron 64% of the distance of their driver.  If a medium distance par 4 is a drive and #6 iron, you know the length of a good par four for you is 164% of the distance of your drive.  Having this information plus definitions for short, medium, and long holes, you can compute the total distance for an ideal course for you based upon your driving distance.

Now the only thing you need to know is the distance of your average drive.  This is a more difficult question than you might think, and as a clue, most of us overestimate.  To get a real accurate estimate, you can have the TrackMan radar units at our range measure your drives.  They are accurate to within 1 foot for every 100 yards.  Anyone who signs up gets a 30 minute free trial and this is plenty of time to get an accurate read on your driving distance.

How “Driver x 28″ Was Created. My definition of a course that is fun to play will have a combination of short, medium, and long holes.  For example, since the average course has 4 par three holes, one should be easy, 2 moderately difficult, and 1 hard.  There are generally 4 par fives so the same logic applies to par 5s.  There are usually 10 par fours so I am saying there are 3 easy, 4 average, and 3 hard par fours.

The chart below tells how far a typical player hits each club relative to their driving distance.  This information is from a TrackMan analysis of the PGA and LPGA tours.   You can see the distance for each club as a percent of the driver distance.

Club Distance as a Percent of Driver Distance.

I am arbitrarily defining short, medium and long  holes.  For example, my definition of a medium length par five is a driver, three wood, and pitching wedge.  So to compute the distance of a medium length par five relative to your driver distance the math looks like this:

Medium Length Par Five

Driver                         1.00

Three Wood              .88

Pitching Wedge       .45

Total                            2.33

If your average drive is 200, a moderate par five distance is 466 yards. (2.33 x 200 yards).  Carry this same logic for each hole and you come up with a distance of (driver distance x 28) for an ideal course length.

Questions regarding “Driver x 28″:

1.      What if there is not a set of tees that correspond with my ideal yardage? First of all, don’t expect that you will be able to match the yardage number exactly.  If you are close, within 5%, that should work out fine.  Also, there is nothing wrong with making up your own course.  Your course me be comprised of holes using different tees.  Your objective should be to play holes that always give you the possibility of hitting each green in regulation (1 for par three, 2 for par fours, and 3 for par fives).  The only downside to making up your own course is that you will not have a course rating for handicapping.

2.      What if everyone else in my group is playing from different tees than me? Hold your ground.  Everyone will have more fun if you play the proper tees.  Nobody likes to play with a frustrated playing partner.  If you are wagering, the handicap system accommodates players using different tees, so if you are playing a shorter course, you will receive fewer shots.

3.      Shouldn’t the length of the course be adjusted by your handicap? NO.   There are tons of examples of high handicap golfers who can hit it a ton.  Are they going to like playing a real short course?  The same for a low handicap golfer who is a short hitter.  Will he or she enjoy hitting fairway woods into most par fours?

4.      How well will the “driver x 28″ system work for the real long or short hitter? I am not sure, but I think it will be OK.  I would like some feedback on this question.

Miles of Golf began custom fitting clubs in 1996 with Titleist and Ping clubs. Since those early days, we have grown into one of the largest custom club-fitting golf shops in the country. In 2009, we were honored to be named Pings number one fitting account in the nation.  We are also one of four Titleist Regional FittingWorks centers in the country.

Companies We Represent. Miles of Golf is an authorized custom fitting account for all the big names in golf clubs: Titleist, Ping, Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra, Mizuno, Adams, Cleveland, and Tour Edge.

Our Commitment to Club Fitting. It is our belief that players who have properly fit clubs can play better and enjoy the game more and that there is a real difference between “any club” and “a club that has been fit for a player”.  What distinguishes Miles of Golf’s custom fitting from others is first and foremost, the knowledge, training, and experience of our fitting staff.  This staff fits literally thousands of clubs for players throughout the year and some of the best players in the Midwest, amateur and professional, come to Miles of Golf to get fit for clubs because of the reputation of our staff.

Technical Data:

The R9 as stated above is approximately 420cc in size.  It has 8 different hosel positions ranging from neutral to 2* closed to 2* open as well as 2* upright moving in 1* increments.  There are 3 movable weights in the R9 2 1 gram weights, and 1 16 gram weight.  I will get into what the positions will do later in the review.  The R9 is available in 3 lofts 8.5*, 9.5*, and 10.5*.  The stock shaft is a proprietary Fujikura Motore 65 gram shaft that comes in ladies (55gm), M flex (senior), Regular, Stiff, and Extra Stiff flexes.  The R9 TP is the Tour Preferred edition and comes with a premium shaft for $100 more.  There are many TP shafts to chose from.  The standard length is 45″.

Performance:

With the R9 out for almost a full year now, we have been able to do extensive testing and analyzing.  The ball speed off of this driver when contacted in the middle of the face is one of the highest ball speeds that we see during fittings.  Ball speed wise the R9 is comparable to the Ping drivers, or the new Cobra ZL.  I tested this driver in the 2* Open hosel position, with neutral weighting, and the stock X-Flex shaft.  With a swing speed average of 115mph, I consistently produced ball speeds of 171mph, which means that this driver is performing at the USGA legal maximum.  With a positive attack angle (club head traveling upward at impact) the R9 launched the ball high with a low amount of spin.  For me, an average of +1* attack angle produced an average 11* launch angle and 2,500rpm of backspin.  This equals high launch, low spin.  A steep attack angle (club head traveling down at impact) produced a Very low penetrating shot that spun like I would have predicted with a steep attack angle.  With a -3* attack angle I averaged 7.5* of launch with 3,300rpm of backspin.  As for the left to right adjustability, it works.  The 2* Open setting with neutral weighting was a perfect set up for me.  When I left the face 2* open and put the 16gm weight in the toe (moving the center of gravity away from the rotating shaft, slowing the rotation of the club head) I tended to push the ball on average 25 yards right of my target line.  When I put the face to the other extreme, 2* closed with the 16gm weight towards the heel (moving the center of gravity towards the shaft will speed the rotation of the club head) I hit massive hooks that averaged 40 yards left of my target.  I have to put in a little note here that I have a tendency to hook the ball to begin with.

Final Thoughts:

The R9 is a very predictable driver that can be customized to individual swings.  If a person has trouble closing the face an impact resulting in a push or a slice, then the face angle as well as the center of gravity can be adjusted to correct for swing flaws.  The head felt good, sounded good, and looked good.  I was extremely pleased with how the R9 performed on our TrackMan launch monitor, and it met or exceeded all of my expectations.  There are only a couple of downfalls to this driver: 1) The 420cc sized head isn’t as forgiving as a 460cc head, even with all of the adjustability.  TaylorMade has release a 460cc version with the adjustable hosel, but without the adjustable weights for the person who does need the extra forgiveness. and 2) An individual who buys the driver without being properly fit may not know how to adjust the club, or what setting they may need.  An individual may get frustrated because the driver may not perform up to its potential because it’s not fit properly.  This is a great driver that will fit the majority of players, but remember the most important aspect when buying a club……GET FIT!!

I can’t get him off my mind and it seems that I am not alone.  I have seen and laughed at many of the jokes, but something else is going on.  Yes, there is humor, but there are a bunch of other thoughts on things like tragedy, disappointment, fame, fidelity, hubris, forgiveness, and deception.

I would like you to share your thoughts on Tiger’s problems with the Miles of Golf community.  Assuming you pass a civility test, we will post your perspectives on the MOG Blog.  There are over 9,000 customers in the MOG community, so you will be heard.  As you may know, we have a contest with each issue of the Times.  This week’s contest awards the most thought provoking comment about Tiger a new Nike driver.  For details go to the Contest section of this newsletter.

Here is one of my thoughts about Tiger.  As difficult as it is for Tiger and his family right now, his problems don’t compare with the guy who has two children, a mortgage, and no job.

I am not sure if you have seen Tiger’s latest remarks, but they are on this link:

http://web.tigerwoods.com/news/article/200912117801012/news/

Below, are your thoughts on the story:

People may now more fully appreciate the significance of Jack Nicklaus’ historic achievements. His success was possible not only because of his great skills but also in large part to dedication to his family despite his great success.  It is here that Tiger falls short.  Golf will always be a great game IF its greatest underlying premise also endures. Those traits include honesty, integrity, and compassion without which success is hollow and meaningless.

Respectfully,

Mark Darnell

I find it curious that Tiger had enough time away from his wife to accomplish all of this infidelity. It’s not like she has to stay home to hold down a 9-5 job. Where was she during all of this?

There are always two sides to the coin. Perhaps he married her only to have children; perhaps she married him for the money. Perhaps it’s none of our business. The press seems to be scolding “bad” Tiger and sympathizing with “good” Elin; those roles may easily be reversed. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

The losers in the situation are the children, because their parents will never have trust in each other again.

R. Schleh

To me, the whole Tiger thing has left a pall on what we believe, or what we want to be real. Tiger was our (golfer’s) Santa Claus. He wore the same color red, he always came through in the clutch, he did things that seemed impossible. The only difference is, unlike Santa, who we put our faith in cookie crumbs and an empty glass of milk as proof of existence, we actually saw Tiger perform his magic.

Now we all feel we’ve been had. We don’t know what to believe. It’s like I’m a third grader again, the one who stood up for Santa when my classmates laughed at me and told he wasn’t real. But he was real, he had to be real. Right?

Imagine my disappointment later that day, when my parents told me my classmates weren’t lying. The sadness I felt then, seems an awful lot like the sadness I feel now.

Lon

Everybody falls short and makes mistakes, it will be how he responds that truly reveals his character.

Travis Clayborne

The remarkable part of Tiger’s story is NOT that he had girlfriends before or esp. after he married- the story is remarkable because of how high we- his fans, the media. Tiger himself, his coterie and IMG- placed him on his lofty pedestal, reserved for larger than life figures, and how long we kept him there.  Tiger’s precipitous fall from grace has more to do how high he started than how low he has fallen.

Reed Newland

Here are my random thoughts re: Tiger Woods:

First, I wish Tiger and his family a speedy recovery. I pray that TW is committed to the rebuilding process, and I hope Elin can forgive and turn this into a growing, bonding experience.

Second, I refuse to sit in the seat of judgement, and I have a great deal of contempt for the so-called journalists who are capitalizing on the Woods’ family tragedy. Leave him alone, give him space and privacy and time to heal. There are those who say that he chose the public eye and deserves this microscope. That is just another journalistic lure into the amoral world of celebrity gossip and news-rag sales.

Thirdly, I believe TW will gain insight and perspective that comes from making a mistake and fighting to save his marriage. He is now on a playing field where money does not spare him from heartache, and he now knows that tragedy does not recognize status or income level.

Lastly, we need to send a clear message of forgiveness to Tiger as we “forgive those who trespass against us”. May we climb down from the pedestal of judgement and sit at the table of forgiveness. Tiger deserves a second chance. Are there any here who would not plead for the same for themselves?

Respectfully,

Dave Kamke

There are a million stories in the Naked City.  Now there are one million and one.

The revelations concerning Wood’s reported transgressions stirred within me conflicting emotions: The usual; a man who had everything, a man of unparallel talent and skill, a man of character and class, a man who was just so good at his chosen profession that deep inside, we wanted him to fail.  Just to prove that he was indeed a human, we wanted him to fail, at least occasionally.  However the reality of his failure has not brought joy to anyone.  Perhaps in spite of our wish to see the human side of Tiger, this is not the human side we had in mind.

What Tiger and golf had represented to me was a glimpse of a society built on good character, hard work and perseverance.  A society far removed from today’s crude, vulgar, and classless participants.

The King is dead.  Long live the king.

Dennis G. Fassett

Six years  ago at a Monday meeting of our office I asked my fellow workers if they knew the scores of the past Saturday’s college football games, they all knew the scores, I subsequently asked them if they knew how many soldiers had died in Iraq that  week, not one of them knew.

It is time to stop thinking about Tiger Woods, think about the soldier, golfer or non-golfer who is in Afghanistan or Iraq fighting for his Country or the Father, Mother, Wife, Husband and the children that are mourning a fallen soldier.

Vic Munoz

I think it is sad. It goes to show that no matter how famous you are. How much money you have. How good you are. There are other thing in life that is more Important… being smart, being loyal and being a husband and father first. He has a lot of growing up to do. Lets hope and pray that he has learned about life like he learned about golf. After all this is done lets hope he can continue his golf career.

MORT HIRSHMAN

The disclosure of the shear number of women and tawdry affairs Tiger had seemed surreal to me. It still does. I realized quickly that the pain and suffering his wife and family were going through should be the main concern of any decent person. Because children are involved, Tiger needed to do what ever it took to try to make amends, if that is even remotely possible. It now appears that by quitting golf indefinitely, he is headed in the right direction.

As the initial shock has worn off, I’ve developed a personal, selfish sadness because something so great in the game of golf has been forever changed.  I’ve watched every tournament that Tiger has been in for over a decade, joined in his sadness when his dad passed away, was happy with him when his first child was born, worried when injuries threatened his march towards Jack’s record, reveled in his spectacular victories. But now it is all changed.  I have no doubt he will play again and probably pass Jack’s record.  But I will watch a little less and I will care a little less and that makes me very sad.

Fred Sertage

I’ll stay away from all the usual comments…

1. Anyone who is wealthy and well known can never be completely convinced that he is liked, or loved, by someone else just as a person, rather than as a rich person whom it is advantageous to know. Think of how a pet dog relates to you…the dog who loves you doesn’t know you’re rich, or poor. That’s what we all want from a mate.
2. I think there is zero chance Tiger will hit 18 majors, let alone 19 because
   1. We all peak, physically, at age 27. Tiger will be seven years past that in a few days. His best years are behind him, and he’s getting older every day.
   2. Bad experiences punish us, all of us. Palmer’s collapse at the 1966 U.S. Open is the best example, but Snead’s 8 at Spring Mill (on a par-5 hole) cost him his first chance at the U.S. Open, which ‘cursed’ him throughout his career. If he could have shot 69 in the last round of every open he played, he would have won 7 of them. Tiger’s final round at the PGA this year will never leave his consciousness.
   3. Up until now, when the other golfers were in a Tiger Tournament, each was one of the Others. They were all deluded into thinking that Tiger was superhuman; now, none of them. Especially Parnevik.
   4. Starting in the U.S. Open of 2007, Tiger’s putting in majors started to get tentative…for him
   5. He started to close badly – bogeying in – three years ago, in majors
3. Given that Tiger is smart enough to appreciate that he won’t break Jack’s record, what’s the point of him working his butt off at a game where his skills are beginning to diminish, his reputation as a man is tarnished, and he’s already won everything there is to win?
4. Tiger’s father was divorced and remarried. He was the driving force behind Tiger, and he died in 2006. My guess is that Tiger wants to surpass his father in everything, including not being a divorced man. He has children, and knows about being part of a ‘blended’ family. If he thinks he can convince his wife to stay married to him, he’ll do anything, including give up golf totally, to do it.

Nat Ehrlich

I was taught so much about character, drive and commitment by watching Tiger.

A fantasy goal, but always reaching to be like him.  Now what?

Ron Hackenberg

Tiger Woods’ Bio with spelling fixes

1976 – “Kultida, what a beautiful boy.”
“Thank You Earl.  I sure he’ll be a wonderful son.”

1977 – Tiger’s first birthday.  “Let’s go Tiger.  We’re going to Miles of Golf’s Cluboratory to get you fitted for a set of irons.”

1979 – “Dad, Johnny next is having a birthday party tonight.  Can I go?”
“It’s may I go Tiger.  Now, have finished your homework?  I didn’t see make 20 straight 15 footers and work for 45 minutes on your bunker play.  Your studies come first!”

1983 – “Dad, my class is going on a field trip to see the Capital and the Lincoln Memorial.  I need your signature on this form so I can go.”
“I’m sorry Tiger.  You know you have the 6-8 year old qualifier in 5 weeks.  This is a bad time.  You need to improve your greens in regulation from the 62% you’re currently averaging.  Maybe next year.”
“OK dad, you always know best.”

1988 – “Mom, there’s a school dance Saturday night, and Sarah from my class asked if I could go.  Would it be ok?”
“You need to ask your dad.”
Under his breath, “Oh never mind, I’ve got the city 16-18 championship next month and I have to petition the high school for eligibility of a 12 year old on the varsity team, sob.”

1995 – “Dad, I’d like to ask Ginny to the High School Prom.  Can you help me pick out a Tux.”
“Don’t you ever pay attention to your priorities?  That conflicts with your challenge match against the club president’s punk kid!  I’ve got $200 riding on that match!  The prom is just not important.”
“I understand dad.  You’re the best.  Will you be able to make it to my graduation in two weeks?”
“That’s impossible.  I have an appointment.  Your 5 iron is 1° flat and .25° strong.  I need to go to Miles of Golf and have Chris Dewitt fix it before the annual Father and Son tournament.  I know you understand.”

2007 – Rachel Uchitel
“Tiger, do you think I have nice breasts?”
“What are breasts?”
“Let’s go up to your room and I’ll show you.”
“I need to call my dad and see if it’s ok.”
“I already checked with him and he said its fine.”  (wink, wink)

And so it all began, Tiger trying to make up for years of lost time.

Rick Wiker

Tiger was raised to be a professional golfer.  He is an only child who appears to have had such a highly structured childhood that it was not a childhood at all in any conventional sense. This, when combined with the adulation that came to him at an early age, prevents him from bringing the same mature discipline to his personal life that he brings to his professional life.

Dave McDowell

Tiger and his game will never be the same. Because of what happened, he will not catch Jack’s record.

Too bad. He had it all.

John

Having experienced this exact situation myself, I understand why Tiger has made the decision to take a leave from golf.  The brevity of the situation cannot be understood unless you have walked in the shoes of those that have hurt themselves, their family, and their friends in this way.  No one will ever understand how or why someone with so much could make the decisions he has made.  He now has to live with the embarrassment his lack of judgment has caused himself and his family.  I hope and I pray that Tiger and his family can move past this traumatic time and prosper as a healthy, loving, nurturing family once again.  I know Tiger will take all the necessary time he can to ease the pain of not only himself and his family, but the golfing world and his fans.  Sure we will miss seeing his fist pumps on the 18th green when he drains a tournament clinching putt and his overall grinding nature on the golf course.  I think we as a society need to refrain  from immortalizing these exceptional athletes, it only causes us to pass horrific judgments when we find out they are not “perfect.”  Shame on us for taking liberty in creating humor in the face of one of our fellow golfer’s time of pain and suffering!

Sincerely,

Patrick Sluck

More than any emotion felt through all of the Tiger fall-out, for me, it is disappointment.  Tiger was that larger than life human being that was ordained to be above any and all.  The power of the Tiger brand was unquestioned.  Tiger equaled excellence, commitment; the highest standard in any conversation.  The Tiger brand had all of the success that anyone could ever dream of having along with a beautiful family.  He was the ultimate combination of talent and hard work who realized all of his potential and became more than just the best athlete on the globe…ever.

He was a role model for so many demographics regardless of race, ethnicity, age or sex.  Despite Charles Barkley’s position that no athlete should be a role model; Tiger was that role model for so many because of what his image stood for and for how he was marketed to us all.  From the loss he felt with his father’s passing to the incredible US Open win on one leg to his undying commitment to The Tiger Woods Foundation, we all were a part of Tiger Woods and he was a part of all of us.

In golf he was superhuman and his image was projected to be that as well.  In reality, his golf is still superhuman.  In life, however, Tiger Woods is merely human.  His image and persona were a facade.  For all that we thought Tiger Woods was and what we have found that he really is, is more disappointing than anything else.  It’s disappointment in him as a person and disappointment in all of us that we bought into the hype regarding his persona, image and brand.

So, in the end, we are disappointed that Tiger is just a person like the rest of us.  He’s not a superhero, he’s not a role model and he’s not father and husband of the year.  He is just the best golfer and athlete in the world and we will view him in that lens from now on.

Jeff Kellstrom

I’ve been told that most cats have nine lives. Mr. Woods has at had at least 12 that we’ve heard of. But when every thing is said and done, he is a “Tiger” after all.  In his next life he will have to be able to rid himself of those pesky, identifying stripes.  But then we all know how that will turn out, don’t we.

Kenn Scheffer

For what it’s worth, here are my thoughts:

On what planet could Tiger imagine that this would not come out eventually? From an outsider’s perspective, he has a remarkable, God-given talent for playing one of the hardest games ever invented. He has more money than he could possibly ever spend. He has a beautiful wife and two beautiful kids. He has physical health. He has (had) and opportunity to do an enormous amount of good with his fame and fortune. He may yet set every record for winning majors, for winning tournaments, for scoring, for putting, for hitting “impossible” shots, but now that his true character has been exposed, he’ll NEVER be another Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer, or Gary Player…..or Phil Mickelson….or Mark Calcavechia….or Kirk Triplett….or…or…

Bill Monger

I send my response to Chris’ request to the parents of golfers at Miles of Golf.  As the “news” of yet more of Tiger’s pecedilloes hit us ad nauseum on a daily basis, think about Tiger’s life and the choices that were not made by him, but the choices made for him.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not relieving Tiger of any blame in this mess.  He is a grown man after all and made those particular decisions on his own.  What I do see is a continuation of the disturbing trend of young athletes being packaged and bred for success only to have either performance or societal issues upon reaching adulthood.  The names are familliar to all of us.  Tiger, Michelle Wie, Sean O’Hair, Ty Tryon.  Things were perfect for all of them.  Parents chucking it all to make little Johnny or Susie the next greatest thing.  The best equipment, AJGA tournaments, teaching pros, sports psychologists, personal trainers and doting parent(s) walking along every shot of the way.

The missing ingredient in all of this is what is little Johnny’s or little Susie’s input in this whole scenario?  Kids are loyal by nature and want to please their parents.  So when the questions arise, do you want to play golf today? Or, do you want to hit another bucket of balls?  The answer is most likely to be yes.  As parents, we must disseminate whether that response was out of loyalty or out of a true desire to play and improve at what is agruably the greatest sport in the world?  Kids MUST be allowed in this process. They MUST learn to make decisions on their own.  They MUST be allowed to make mistakes.  Finally, they MUST learn accountability for their actions.  Make the kids good people before making them good players.

In Tiger’s case, I fear he wasn’t allowed any participation in the process of what his life was going to be.  Ditto for Michelle, Sean and Ty.  In the best case scenario, each of them were involved in awkward social situations because of decisions that their “handlers” made for them.  In the worst cases, lives become ruined as in the case of Tiger & Elin or Sean O’Hair and his father.  Oh sure, they might have success and money, but is this really how we want them to turn out?  Is there true happiness in their lives?

My dear friend Paul Haase, is fortunate to teach many of the finer junior players in the area.  Perhaps I should restate that.  YOU PARENTS are fortunate that Paul Haase is teaching your kids.  Of all of the kids he has taught over a nearly 40 year teaching career, I believe exactly ONE has gone on to play professional golf.  Conversely, the list of Universities that “his kids” have attended is among the best this country has to offer.  He says he is blessed to have the quality of person that he does.  He says he can teach anyone to golf.  He can’t help them become better people.

To close, let your kids be kids.  Make them good people.  Don’t make the game a job.  Let them enjoy the game.   If you do, you are giving them a gift that can literally last a lifetime.

Humbly Submitted,

John Pearson

Not one ounce of sympathy from here.  You summed it up in one sentence Chris when you said “his problems don’t compare with the guy who has two children, a mortgage, and no job.”  This has become an all too familiar story relative to famous (or infamous) people enjoying great wealth, notoriety, position, etc.  What causes the mental vacuum that convinces the Tiger Woods’ of the world that they are without any responsibility to their family,  their supporters, and their consumers?  I don’t know and I really don’t care, but I do know that I don’t have buy Nike products or anything else with “TW” associated with it.  As for the Nike driver you’re providing to the winning comment - here’s a suggestion, donate it to a high school golfer who’s playing with a set of used clubs, or give it to someone who can’t buy any new clubs because they lost their job this year.  The only fitting conclusion to the TW story will be to learn that he’s acquired a screaming case of aids from one of his “extra friends” and that he will no longer be a distraction to the wonderful world of golf.

Respectfully,

Larry

I agree with Chris.Many guys in a similar situation would not be as lucky.

Tiger basically wrecked a probably sponsored car, which had some windows smashed by a probably sponsored golf club.

He probably was even bleeding on some sponsored clothing.

I understand it’s rough, but “regular” guys would have it much tougher, if they ever came into this situation…..

Jens Kretzschmar

I’ve been a Tiger fan for as long as I’ve been a golf fan, but I’ve never thought of him as somehow being a better person than me.  I simply loved watching him play golf - didn’t know anything about his personal life, didn’t want to know anything.  But I guess I always assumed he was, at least, on okay guy.  Honestly, it’s not like me to pass judgment on someone I’ve never met, but if half of the story is true (and from Tiger’s own statements, it looks like more than half is true) then he is NOT an okay guy.  We’re not talking about a brief, celebrity fling or one lonely night on the road here.  Ten mistresses in two and a half years isn’t simply human weakness - a youthful mistake anyone could have made, or one chalked up to the pressures of being famous.  No matter who you are, that level of disregard for your sacred vows shows a serious lack of moral character and integrity - two traits we can usually take for granted in golf.

I’m a pretty rational person and I hope I can separate the man from the golfer, and still enjoy watching him win tournaments when he returns.  I’m certain there will be many fans who can’t or won’t.  The huge crowds will still be following him at every event, but a lot more people will be rooting against him now.  Will there be hecklers shouting in his backswing?  Tense confrontations between Tiger (or rather, Tiger’s security detail) and members of the gallery, or emotional outbursts between pro-Tiger and anti-Tiger golf fans?  The question of whether to forgive and forget - or at least to ignore - could be a polarizing force in a sport where, for the most part, everyone is used to being pleasant and getting along.

Respectfully submitted,

Dan Plonka

As this holiday time brings thoughts of family, home, goodwill and kindness; for Tiger Woods I expect it to be a very, lonely time. He has shown little regard for that, which most people are thankful to have in their life.  Especially at this time of year. Money and fame combined with personal selfish have made for a somber, holiday season for Tiger. Let’s hope Santa’s gift to Tiger Woods isn’t just a stocking full of coal but a nicely, wrapped box of moral fiber and humility.

C.T. Meagher

Tigers education in opposite sex relationships was never developed in his youth, and his wealth and acclaim has fostered his experiencing it in a harmful and injurious way.

One of the great anomalies in life is in that often times the need to excel in any one endeavor leads to travesty in others.

Garo Tread

In response to Chris Mile’s comment comparing Tiger’s “woes” to the poor guy with two kids,  a mortgage and NO job…personally I think Tiger’s WORSE OFF, because the other bloke probably still has his integrity intact, and that’s something all Tiger’s $$$Millions can’t buy back.

C.H. Koenn

How much has race played a part in the media hype over Tiger’s infidelity?

If Tiger’s wife was black, would the media hype been the same?

Below are excerpts from a Jason Whitlock column (FOXSports.com national columnist):

When I talked with sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards, he addressed the racial dynamic more seriously.

“If Elin were black, this would be on the scale of Mike Tyson and Robin Givens,” Dr. Edwards explained. “It would’ve lasted a while and then it would just go away.”

That may sound preposterous to some, but it’s not. The media and the public overreact to whatever crimes/unfairness befall an attractive white woman (Natalee Holloway). Jordan, Ali and Magic all managed to play on their black wives without receiving much criticism. Shaquille O’Neal just finished off the remaining credible pieces of his marriage to a black woman by allegedly having an ongoing affair with Gilbert Arenas’ fiancee. No one cares. But this brown-skinned golfer is facing ruin because he cheated on his white wife.

“You’re getting reverberations of O.J.,” Dr. Edwards said. “White America, corporate America feels betrayed. Tiger was accepted and given all the perks and benefits and now they feel betrayed, the same betrayal they felt with O.J.”

Harry Laughlin

Some have criticized Tiger for being duplicitous, since his public image was so clean-cut before these recent events.  I tend to disagree.  Criticize him for his transgressions, ok, but don’t blame him for appearing “holier than thou.”

It occurs to me that Tiger never set himself up as a paragon of virtue.  His public image was mostly clean-cut, excepting the occasional cuss word after a bad shot.  This positive image was created primarily by his penchant for privacy, not by any attempt to claim virtue.

Although his golf has always been very public, he worked hard at maintaining personal privacy, sticking to golf and not even venturing opinions on issues outside of the golf arena.  He also surrounded himself with people who respected his privacy, at times casting out those who became too public (for example, his former caddie Fluff Cowan).

His success at maintaining a very private personal life – combined with his virtuoso golf game – led the public to assume his personal life was as virtuous as his golf was virtuoso.  Now we know he’s not more virtuous, but when he returns to golf he will again be a virtuoso.  This not does not make him duplicitous, just more human.

Brent Rector

My wife and I were Tiger’s biggest fans.   We still are.   Unfortunately, he proved to be just as human as the rest of us, maybe more so because of his fame and wealth.  It happens so often that it should be predictable.   When the rich and famous start believing in their own press clippings, when they believe they are above all “normal” moral codes, and no one has the guts to tell them any different, they can be in for a very rude awakening.  Unfortunately, this happened to Tiger.  That being said, I hope that Tiger and Elin learn from this and, hopefully, work it out.

Jim MacBain

A STEP FORWARD

Promises are made to be broken.  At least that’s what Aesop said around 580 BC.  Yes… THAT Aesop.  The one with the fables about the Tortoise and The Hare, The Ant and The Grasshopper and so on.  So we can safely say that people have been breaking promises for, well let’s see… at least the past 2500 years (and certainly longer if you take into consideration the Greek, Egyptian and Chinese civilizations at their peaks).  Business promises.  Political promises.  Promises of fidelity and morality.  These verbal contracts – if you will – that outline how a person will act or behave with regard to another person.  I promise to deliver this furniture to your house.  I promise to find you a job when I’m elected.  I promise never to hurt you.  I promise to love and to cherish you until death do us part.

“I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children.”

We like to say that a man’s word is his bond.  After witnessing broken promises by so many people – private and public -  just in my lifetime, I wonder is there anyone we can believe?  Does humanity just not have the ability to make and keep promises?  Is a promise something that is too good to be true?  Is a promise really just a collection of words that create the illusion of stability between people?  Between business associates…  Between lovers…  Between a husband and a wife.  Is the mirage most visible when the “promissee” feels safe and cared for and the “promissor” seems important and worthy of trust?

“I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness.  It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try.”

To me, a promise is something that is still rather special and is not to be made lightly.  It is an expression of the faith we have in another person.  It is the extension of trust that we give to others.  A promise is a reminder that the only thing we truly possess in this life is the ability to give the best – or the worst – part of ourselves to other souls on this planet.  This duality of light and dark resides within all people.  The light in humanity makes a kept promise something special because the darkness in humanity makes it something very fragile.

“I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding.”

We’ve all seen the light in Tiger Woods.  His athletic accomplishments elevated him to the status of a god in our society.  His means have allowed him to provide wonderful things for underprivileged children.  He is living the dream for the rest of us.  He has money, athletic skill, worldwide fame, good looks, a big house, a big boat, a beautiful wife and two healthy children.

The darkness in Tiger helped break the promises he made to everyone.  He broke the inferred and actual promises he made to his business associates, his fans and his wife.  He is no longer someone to believe in.  Another young god fallen from Olympus.  He is – after all – simply human.

“Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.”

We are all human.  We all step forward and fall back.  Tiger is the only one who really knows if he’s truly sorry for the promises he’s broken.  Should he have done things differently?  I think so, but the obstacles on his path in life are different than mine.  I do not hold him in quite the same awe as before, but it is not my place to judge him during his struggle in this life.  And we all have struggles as human beings.  Two steps forward and one step back.  Shouldn’t we encourage each other to take that step forward?  Then there’s extra room in which to support each other when we inevitably fall back.

- Jack Carlson

Tiger has a good heart and what has happened will go away.  His good deeds far surpass his bad deeds.  He will come back as good as ever. Golf and us need that to happen.

Mark A Calcatera

What I find the most remarkable about Tiger is the number of great golfers who rose to number two in the world only to fall back in the pack while he remains number one. What a testament to consistancy dedication to practice. I hope we see him back on the course sooner than later.

Jeff Zeldes

What is greatness?

I found myself asking this when the stories erupted about Tiger and his personal life ( preceded by something extraordinary in his professional life: throwing his driver which ricocheted into the crowd during tournament play in Australia ).

After that, all the superlatives about his supernatural skill and concentration and his ability to handle distractions came unraveled.   He was unable to handle the distractions of vice, greed, and pride.

Greatness, I think, is about making wise decisions in moments when no one is watching as well as when literally everyone is watching, when one executes the minute particulars of everyday life with the same precision as the 82 yard gap wedge.  Because when all is said and done, what you do or don’t do ends up being about…choice.  Judgement is something you get to use first, but then gets used on you when people look at what you’ve done and determine what kind of person you are - great, or not so great.

Sean Kesterson

Thought #1:  Education, fame, fortune, the foundation, sponsors, privacy ….Tiger stated many times that his mom was the disciplinarian and his dad was responsible for his training.  I’m wondering how long it’s going to be until we hear from some woman that she was Earl Woods mistress years ago.

Thought #2:  I think Tiger’s hiding because he has some extensive facial and/or teeth injuries that are healing or requiring corrective procedures.

submitted by

Vicki Holland

Tiger Woods has been hailed a fine, respectful, historically mindful, rule abiding master of this game we all love, called Golf.  Golf is a game of integrity.  It is well known that Golf, and its time honored rules, are mostly self–assessd. Therefore, I would have hoped that Tiger would have “carded a better score” for him and his family if only he would have called this penalty/“transgression” on himself much “earlier in the round.”  His only worry now is that he must deal with this rule violation with his “foursome”(wife Elan and children Sam and Charlie) and his foursome alone. Golf is game for life.  It should teach us all, from a 10 handicapper, husband and father of four from Chelsea, Michigan to arguablely the greatest golfer that has every put a club in his hand , how to be forthcoming, humble and contrite.

PS. I sure hope his young family, his life long foursome, will allow Tiger the same latitude that my weekend golfing foursome allows me on the first tee…..

“A mulligan.”
Jonathan F. Lane

When the scandal erupted I wasn’t really shocked.  When you see Tiger on the golf course it is obvious he is the most competitive golfer out there and everyone seems to defer to him, with the possible exception of Vijay Singh.  He seems to have ice water in his veins at times and I began thinking that while this makes him a great golfer, if he can’t “turn it off” off in his private life it could lead to problems.  Perhaps that is why Phil Mickelson seems more human than Tiger.

Charlie Pierce published a piece in GQ in 1997 revealing Tiger’s juvenile behavior back then.  The gist of his story back then was that the young Tiger cussed, told dirty jokes and chased women.  Tiger’s agents at IMG mounted a big push back and it appears no one actually followed up much on the story.

My wife also believes that it may have something to do with the way he was raised.  He was such a phenom perhaps he didn’t have a real childhood and if you saw his father in public he seemed like a dominant personality and his mother seemed to deferential.

We are used to seeing these stories on other pro athletes so maybe it is just golf’s turn.  I think it will be more interesting to see how the PGA does without him.  So no pity for Tiger, he dug his own hole, but empathy for his wife and kids.

Brian Fitzgerald

Tiger built his life on golf and he did it very well.  He has been the best clutch player to ever play and now he has to build part of that life over again.  Those who say that he has ruined our view of his accomplishments, makes me laugh.  Not sure what his out side life has to do with his professional life.  I am dissappointed, surprised, and caught of guard, YES.  I enjoyed watching him play golf, hitting shots that no other person on the golf course that day could pull off.  I have never, nor will I ever understand this concept of stalking famous people.  Before Tiger I was a shark fan.  I saw Greg norman play at the Buick Open, I watched him play a few holes and then I moved on.  Tiger is famous for golf, he is still a great golfer and hopefully he will get his personal life around and return to golf a better man off the course.

Ralph Kridner II

Leo Durocher [who?] said it all: nice guys finish second. In order to be a successful competitor in any sport, it is NECESSARY to have the kind of personality that is not only untroubled by being disliked, but desirous of it. If you are a winner, you will be disliked – even hated – by everyone you beat, and the more you win, the more their envy grows. It took almost 34 years for Tiger to develop his personality, with the aid of his parents. He has embraced it. Can he change? Only by becoming someone else, who is not the best golfer on the planet.

Case in point: Nick Faldo overcame his early nice-guy “Nick FOLDo” loser persona and became Nick the P****. He transformed himself BACK into his earlier self by being paired with his erstwhile sworn enemy, Paul Azinger. Now he’s Sir Nicholas, KBE. 

Tiger has no Mr. Nice Guy to revert to. He doesn’t need the money, or the rigors of playing Tour Golf, and it’s doubtful that, at his advanced age competitively (remember, he’s been a Tournament-playing Golfer for 24 years). My bet is that he’ll attempt a comeback (irresistible) and then, when he realizes that he’ll never be the best again, go away from golf.

Finally, Earl Woods, his father, predicted in a 2001 interview that Tiger would win 14 majors! Smart guy, that Earl.

Nat Ehrlich

Like many other people I felt this huge sense of betrayal.  Gosh, I wonder how his wife and close (not in the know) friends felt.  As I thought about it, I felt silly for feeling betrayed.  I like to think that I am beyond putting athletes on pedestals and projecting my ideal of what they are, but that is exactly what I did with TW.  Why?  Probably a perfect storm.  Foremost is the immense talent mixed with immense drive.  I always think that this is what it must have been like to watch Babe Ruth in his prime.  Then there were all of the other things: his multi-racial background.  His everyday socio economic status.  His youth.  His mind.  Then we had IMG/Nike craft all of this and more into The Perfect Human Being Golfer Philanthropist Family Man image.

Shame on me for willfully ignoring all the signs of selfishness and narcissism that were put in our face every day.  His repeated dissing of fans seeking autographs.  His notorious reputation for ridiculously low tipping of clubhouse attendants and anyone else who served his needs.  His glares when anyone breathed wrong during his swing.  His absolute unwillingness to refrain from his foul language while on TV.  His childish anger when anyone had the audacity to analyze his swing and suggest a flaw.

If you want the clearest juxtaposition of the difference between a golfer who seems truly a good person and a golfer in love with himself, go to YouTube and find the recording of Justin Leonard’s victory speech after winning the Open.  Then compare it to any victory speech by Tiger.  One is humble, gracious and genuinely overcome with emotion at the realization of an accomplishment.  The other merely pretends at these things.

Is Tiger an awful person?  Yes.  Here is the guy known as a deep thinker on the course, always thinking many steps ahead, always seeing the big picture, always wondering how each move will play out in the long run.  Yet when it came to his wife and two children he did not think past the end of his…um…nose.  Only an awful person would engage in such reckless behavior knowing that the result would be the utter public humiliation and devastation of his wife.  And, (as Margie said in FARGO) “for what?”  Cheap (in the human, not the economic, sense) thrills.

I will watch when he comes back.  I will enjoy his golf, just as I continue to watch Woody Allen movies knowing what a bad person he is.  But it won’t be the same.  That’s not his fault, it’s mine.

Joe Burke

Dear Tiger,

I don’t think we really know who you are!

In addition to chronicling your many outstanding accomplishments on the golf course, the media has portrayed your image as one of integrity. As were millions of others, I was drawn into recognizing you as this icon.

I understand the special privileges confronting you. Not so strange based on the myth of the celebrity. You helped yourself to the candy. The choices you made were simply because you could and you couldn’t resist. You have proved to be merely human and have indeed erred.

The lesson here is a troubled and difficult one for us, the public. And we cannot help you. You made the bold decisions you did. Now can you make the tough decisions?

We want to hear from you.

I want to know who you really are.

Tim Bortles

The disclosure of the shear number of women and tawdry affairs Tiger had seemed surreal to me. It still does. I realized quickly that the pain and suffering his wife and family were going through should be the main concern of any decent person. Because children are involved, Tiger needed to do what ever it took to try to make amends, if that is even remotely possible. It now appears that by quitting golf indefinitely, he is headed in the right direction.

As the initial shock has worn off, I’ve developed a personal, selfish sadness because something so great in the game of golf has been forever changed.  I’ve watched every tournament that Tiger has been in for over a decade, joined in his sadness when his dad passed away, was happy with him when his first child was born, worried when injuries threatened his march towards Jack’s record, reveled in his spectacular victories. But now it is all changed.  I have no doubt he will play again and probably pass Jack’s record.  But I will watch a little less and I will care a little less and that makes me very sad.

Fred Sertage

I send my response to Chris’ request to the parents of golfers at Miles of Golf.  As the “news” of yet more of Tiger’s pecedilloes hit us ad nauseum on a daily basis, think about Tiger’s life and the choices that were not made by him, but the choices made for him.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not relieving Tiger of any blame in this mess.  He is a grown man after all and made those particular decisions on his own.  What I do see is a continuation of the disturbing trend of young athletes being packaged and bred for success only to have either performance or societal issues upon reaching adulthood.  The names are familliar to all of us.  Tiger, Michelle Wie, Sean O’Hair, Ty Tryon.  Things were perfect for all of them.  Parents chucking it all to make little Johnny or Susie the next greatest thing.  The best equipment, AJGA tournaments, teaching pros, sports psychologists, personal trainers and doting parent(s) walking along every shot of the way.

The missing ingredient in all of this is what is little Johnny’s or little Susie’s input in this whole scenario?  Kids are loyal by nature and want to please their parents.  So when the questions arise, do you want to play golf today? Or, do you want to hit another bucket of balls?  The answer is most likely to be yes.  As parents, we must disseminate whether that response was out of loyalty or out of a true desire to play and improve at what is agruably the greatest sport in the world?  Kids MUST be allowed in this process. They MUST learn to make decisions on their own.  They MUST be allowed to make mistakes.  Finally, they MUST learn accountability for their actions.  Make the kids good people before making them good players.

In Tiger’s case, I fear he wasn’t allowed any participation in the process of what his life was going to be.  Ditto for Michelle, Sean and Ty.  In the best case scenario, each of them were involved in awkward social situations because of decisions that their “handlers” made for them.  In the worst cases, lives become ruined as in the case of Tiger & Elin or Sean O’Hair and his father.  Oh sure, they might have success and money, but is this really how we want them to turn out?  Is there true happiness in their lives?

My dear friend Paul Haase, is fortunate to teach many of the finer junior players in the area.  Perhaps I should restate that.  YOU PARENTS are fortunate that Paul Haase is teaching your kids.  Of all of the kids he has taught over a nearly 40 year teaching career, I believe exactly ONE has gone on to play professional golf.  Conversely, the list of Universities that “his kids” have attended is among the best this country has to offer.  He says he is blessed to have the quality of person that he does.  He says he can teach anyone to golf.  He can’t help them become better people.

To close, let your kids be kids.  Make them good people.  Don’t make the game a job.  Let them enjoy the game.   If you do, you are giving them a gift that can literally last a lifetime.

Humbly Submitted,

John Pearson

- Thank you to all who have submitted their thoughts on the Tiger Woods story.

]]> http://www.milesofgolf.com/blog/golf-news/the-tiger-story-and-your-thoughts/feed/ http://www.milesofgolf.com/blog/golf-swing/understanding-efficiency/ http://www.milesofgolf.com/blog/golf-swing/understanding-efficiency/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:33:28 +0000 Dave Kendall http://www.milesofgolf.com/blog/?p=272 Let us use this off-season to improve our bad habits and replace them with new good habits supported by good concepts.  Here we are going to look at what makes an efficient golf swing.

An efficient swing understands the important relationships between these concepts:

EFFORT:  Percent of maximum energy expended

RELIABILTY:  Percent of center of the clubface contact consistency

DISTANCE:  Percent of distance relative to all things happening perfectly

DIRECTION:  Percent of directional consistency

There are all kinds of relationships between these concepts and here are but a few:  If our desire to create distance is inconsiderate of our need for reliability and direction, our percentage of mistakes goes way up.  There is a high correlation between excessive effort and a high number of mistakes.  Conversely, the shorter we hit the ball, the less we can afford mistakes.

Highly efficient players understand the following table.

EXAMPLES:

100 % effort = 50 % reliability = 90 % distance = 50 % direction

80 % effort   = 80 % reliability = 90 % distance = 80 % direction

60 % effort   = 90 % reliability = 80 % distance = 90 % direction

Try to find the BEST combination of effort, reliability, distance and direction for your game.  For most  players, this means putting a higher value on reliability and direction and less on effort and distance.

Increasing our potential for distance will be attained by a chain reaction involving the right amount of speed, from the right place, at the right time. This is not attained by moving everything as fast as we can.  We will discuss speed, as well as other vital attributes of efficient golf, further in future articles. If our level of effort can be reduced, it is easier to attain balance, rhythm, timing, and clubface awareness.  Speed will become easier to create once we possess these vital attributes.  These attributes are most often learned and maintained by practicing at much less than full effort.  If we cannot control our level of effort, it will be almost impossible to attain efficiency.