Tiger's Tale

If you’re a golf and/or sports fan the odds are high that you either watched, read or heard about the 13 ½ minute press statement given by Tiger Woods on Friday February 19. In probably the most anticipated, highest rated TV news coverage since the OJ Simpson verdict some fifteen years ago, Tiger finally appeared in front of a worldwide TV audience.

Did he wait too long to come forward? Did he reveal enough detail? Rather than ask all the other million “did he” questions I’m coming out of my own self induced silence to tell my story and give my own 2 cents on what I saw and some of what I think. For starters, I believe Tiger put himself in a no win situation, at least from an announcement perspective. Also, from an article I read in January, Tiger lied about what didn’t happen on Thanksgiving night, when he said his wife Elin didn’t hit him.

Before I watched the speech, I had already pre-named the title of this article ‘Lip Service”, because I expected it to be nothing but a bunch of doubletalk he needed to say to pacify everyone. Tiger stood nervously in front of his mother and a worldwide audience hungry to learn the details of his infidelity and when he would return to the world of competitive golf on the PGA Tour. What they got was neither.

Instead, he delivered an emotional and carefully selected collection of words that told us things we never heard from him before. He revealed that for 45 days from the end of December to early February, he was in inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues he now faces. With lots of conviction, Tiger appeared to be sincerely sorry as he apologized to his family, friends, fans, and business partners about his irresponsible and selfish behavior.

He pointed out that his real apology to his wife Elin will not come in the form of words; it will come from his behavior over time. As Tiger looked directly into the camera he told the media that although the couple has a lot to discuss, what we say to each other will remain between the two of them. He explained that he has a lot to atone for and there is one issue he really wanted to discuss. Then he made an error, that might end up becoming his eventual public downfall when he delivered this statement; “some people have speculated that Elin somehow hurt or attacked me on Thanksgiving night. It angers me that people would fabricate a story like that. Elin never hit me that night or any other night. There has never been an episode of domestic violence in our marriage, ever.”

I want to be clear when I say that I really don’t care about Tiger’s personal life and that what happened between him and his wife has nothing to do with the enjoyment I get from watching him play golf. But, his comment completely contradicts an article that appeared on January 6, 2010 by Pat Burns the former NHL coach and Florida police officer. After Tiger crashed his SUV into a tree in late-November, Burns reached out to his local police buddies to get the inside scoop on what really went down that night. According to Burns, Tiger was knocked in the face with a golf club by his wife and was left with a deep cut on his cheek. Apparently, he went to watch television ... then suddenly, bang! A nine-iron in the face!

As he left the house running without shoes, Elin followed him with the club. After he drove off in his Escalade she broke two or three windows. That's why he hit the tree. She took him by ambulance to a hospital in Orlando where she called his agent, who suggested that they meet. Once there, the doctors said he needed plastic surgery to repair broken teeth, but only one institution could do it, in Phoenix Arizona. They flew to Phoenix for emergency dental and plastic surgery, making him unavailable to local police after the news broke. This explains Tiger’s absence when the police wanted to meet him the following days.

During his speech, Tiger became very self-critical, revealing how he stopped living by the core values that he was taught to believe in. He knew his actions were wrong, but convinced himself that normal rules didn't apply to him. He never thought about who he was hurting, instead thought only about himself. He ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by and thought he could get away with whatever he wanted to. Tiger went on to say that he had worked hard his entire life and was entitled to enjoy all the temptations around me. As the rock band Queen wrote in their song “We are the Champions”, thanks to fame and fortune and everything that goes with it, he didn't have to go far to find his temptation.

Tiger admitted he was wrong. He was foolish and that he doesn't get to play by different rules. “The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me. After a lot of time to think about what I've done, it’s time to make amends and start living a life of integrity.” He made it a point to explain how he drifted away from Buddhism, which teaches how to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. He lost track of what he was taught, then went on to say how hard it was to admit that he needed help, but realized he did.

Tiger repeated that the issues between he and his wife were their business. He appeared upset that the media made up things that never happened; like that he used performance-enhancing drugs. Also, he didn’t appreciate things written about his family and how his children were followed to school. Unfortunately, this is the price and everything that goes with fame, that celebrities often have to pay. Nick Faldo, commented on the Golf Channel during the Accenture Match Play how the British tabloids treated him similarly after his divorce many years ago.

Finally, the question about when Tiger would return to the PGA Tour was explained with this comment; “I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game.”

Now that it’s several weeks later, we’ve learned that Tiger has returned home from more time in therapy and has started working out and hitting balls. The speculation is that he’ll return in time to play in The Masters, in his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles. My guess all along was that he’d play at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill tournament, so he’d have a few tournaments to prepare for The Masters. Since there’s been no official announcements, it’s only a guess.

60 Second Golf Tip:
Hitting down on the ball is probably the most important ball striking fundamental and probably the most misunderstood, especially with the driver. In his March 3 Hit Down Dammit newsletter, Clive Scarff a teaching professional from BC Canada (where they recently held the Olympics) gives a simple explanation with pictures to one of his subscribers.

Here’s the question from his Letter of the Week, that I often hear from my customers. “ I am now hitting down well with my irons, but struggling with the driver. I think I am having trouble with the bigger transition a driver requires - can you help?” Here’s the beginning of the answer. “I get a lot of letters about troubles with the driver, and in my experience especially on the teaching tee, it is because people treat the driver as a different animal. Even though they struggle with the driver, most golfers insist on treating the driver differently, and when success is not found they don't think to mimic their iron swing, they look for an even more different remedy for their driver.”

For me, hitting down on the ball always came naturally. Although it’s a more controversial subject with the driver, I found that accelerating into the drive with my Thumbs rotating Down at the ball on a descending angle, returns the best results. It’s also why I’m good with my fairway woods. For beginners, hitting up seems to make more sense, but it’s not the correct way to hit a golf ball. Simply put; for better ball striking, combing the Thumbs Down rotation with hitting down on the ball squares the club and produces more powerful, more accurate and controlled shots, more often.

If you want to improve your ball striking and improve your game, I highly encourage you to sign up for Clive Scarff’s “Hit Down Dammit” newsletter and purchase his DVD series. You can do both and receive a $10 discount at http://www.string-thing.com/thumbs_down.htm. For another great game improvement value, the Pro edition of Thumbs Down, Golf Instruction Made Simple costs less than a dozen premium golf balls. “Teach Yourself” the same ball striking POWER MOVE used by all the best players in the world at http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/Products/Products.htm. It includes 2 videos, drills, do’s and don’ts, plus a one-on-one virtual lesson with me. The Pro Plus System includes the Impact Bag, with 3 hours of personal instruction. I look forward to working with you.