No one is truly sure of what lies ahead for Tiger Woods. The legendary golfer is still nursing an Achilles injury that threatens to sap the last bit of energy he has left for the sport. Years of different injuries have affected Woods’ game plenty, but he has always battled back. This time could be different.
Despite the new major injury, Woods has not said anything about retirement just yet. A reason for that may be his dream of playing alongside his son, Charlie Woods, in a professional tournament. Charlie is 16 years old, so there’s a ways to go before that could happen realistically. Tiger has to bide his time if that’s his goal, but the sport has given him plenty of leeway due to his accomplishments.
Before this injury, and before many other ones, Woods had already begun divulging some of his secrets to success. With age catching up to him, he felt it necessary to explain what he’s had to change, which could prove as a guide for aging golfers who feel their bodies changing their game.
Tiger Woods explains how his iron game has changed as he’s gotten older
Back in 2020, Woods wrote an article for Golf Digest where he detailed everything that had to do with his iron game. In Woods’ eyes and own words, “I’m always confident with an iron in my hand“.
- The first thing I do is take a good look at the lie. Is it anything out of the ordinary? Is it above or below my feet? Is it in a divot? If it’s in the rough, is it a flyer? Once I assess the lie, I shift my focus to the green complex. I like to let the course dictate what type of shot I’m trying to hit. Where is the exact spot I want the ball to land?
- A good thought for me, and one that should help you make solid contact, is to keep your shoulders, hips and knees stacked on the same vertical plane throughout the motion. I play the ball a bit farther forward in my stance than the average tour pro–it’s just my preference–and as a result I tend to sweep my irons more than dig.
- Once I’ve completed my backswing–which almost always stops short of parallel because I’m concerned with hitting the ball the right distance, not the farthest distance–my main thought is to push down into the ground and clear my hips… My other thought is to not let my hands get stuck behind me, which leads to having to save the swing and manipulate the face with my hands–that’s no good. The best way to avoid getting stuck is to not let the lower body out-race the hands on the downswing. My thought is to have everything synced when I reach impact.
Those major points of teaching from Woods could be of great value to players on the tour who experienced success in the past but don’t have the same physical tools as once before. In a way, Woods is setting them up for success in his absence, once he retires.
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