Tiger's swing

Zach Heusser · August 16, 2007

at the PGA

Watching Tiger at the PGA it sure looked to me like he went back to his Harmon swing from 2000. He looked closer to the ball, and his left arm was steeper at the top. Did anyone see what I saw??

ferrispgm · August 16, 2007

Actually, the reason his swing was slightly steeper was to hit the ball a little higher. Everyone was saying how flat his swing was at the British...but that was to hit the ball lower. Tiger frequently changes his swing plane slightly to adjust the ballflight. When he stands really close to the ball, he hits a more penetrating shot because it allows his body to stay on top of the ball more. At the PGA he was close to the ball, but not really any different than what he has been all season. Let's not forget that Tiger rarely ever hits a stock shot with his irons, he is always trying to maneuver the ball into the hole in some fashion. His driver swing looked the same, just that he wasn't going after the ball as hard and therefore was hitting it much straighter.

Jim_0068 · August 16, 2007

Changing your plane angle to alter ballflight is not the brightest idea in the world, i learned it many years ago before i taught and tiger found out at the british. I can hit the ball as low or high as you want using a scott hoch backswing.

ANYWAY

KascoPro, it is SIMILAR to the 2000 swing with a slightly different backswing. However currently, he is still underplane on the downswing (most of the time but saves it well compared to 2000), his grip is weaker than in 2000 and he also rotates his left arm much more in the backswing than in 2000.

bombaway · August 16, 2007

I agree with Jim that changing the plane angel to alter ballflight is not the brightest idea in the world. ferrispgm, when Tiger stands closer to the ball his swing is steeper so he can't really get a more penetrating ball flight that way because that will hit the ball higher. For Tiger if he stands farther away from the ball his swing plane gets more rounded and he will get a more penetrating flight that way.

ferrispgm · August 16, 2007

What I am saying is that standing closer to the ball allows him to "stay on top of the ball" more...thus producing a lower shot. I know that a steeper swing in general will produce a higher flight...but when you stand that close to it and keep your body centered over the ball it's impossible to hit it high.

Zach Heusser · August 16, 2007

Actually, the reason his swing was slightly steeper was to hit the ball a little higher. Everyone was saying how flat his swing was at the British...but that was to hit the ball lower. Tiger frequently changes his swing plane slightly to adjust the ballflight. When he stands really close to the ball, he hits a more penetrating shot because it allows his body to stay on top of the ball more. At the PGA he was close to the ball, but not really any different than what he has been all season. Let's not forget that Tiger rarely ever hits a stock shot with his irons, he is always trying to maneuver the ball into the hole in some fashion. His driver swing looked the same, just that he wasn't going after the ball as hard and therefore was hitting it much straighter.

I understand the reason. I was curious if anyone else noticed, and what they thought about it. In my opinion he hits the ball better this way.

Zach Heusser · September 9, 2007

Anyone else here Brandel Chamblee last night talking about how Tiger has gone back to his old swing??

Jim_0068 · September 10, 2007

It isn't old perse' but it is similar. He is still playing with a weaker grip than before and is still going up a different plane in the backswing. However he has definately curbed the "too over-rotated left arm" which i have been complaining about for at least a year and a half. That combined with his putting latley is why he's playing so well.