The lessons I've learned: And what you can learn from them - golf swing techniques; managing a career in golf

Golf Digest, Sept, 2000 by Tiger Woods, Pete McDaniel

When I joined the PGA Tour in 1996, I was a pretty good player and managed to win a couple of tournaments early on. But I knew I still had a lot to learn. That was fine with me. Part of the fun is building on your strengths, erasing your weaknesses, learning new shots and improving your course management and mental control.

In the last four years, with my coach, Butch Harmon, I've worked long and hard to make myself a better golfer. I've learned a lot--on and off the course--and plan to keep learning. Here's some of what I've learned, and what you might learn from my experience.

More control off the tee: Don't overswing

When I turned pro, my swing was much looser, and I had a definite control problem. I could lose it both left and right off the tee. The reason I became so adept at hitting escape shots is that I occasionally hit it where no human ever had. Now my swing is much tighter, so I have fewer loose swings and wayward drives. The biggest adjustment I had to make was to take a shorter backswing. Notice in this photo that the club at the top of my backswing is short of parallel, while my left shoulder is under my chin--an indication that I've still made a full shoulder turn but limited my wrist cock. I've sacrificed a few yards for more accuracy. Believe me, the game is a lot easier when your tee shots consistently find the short grass.

The lesson for you: For more control, shorten your backswing.

Play the percentages

When I do hit an errant tee shot, I've learned to take my medicine and get the ball back into play--most of the time. There are times, though--for example, if I'm 2 down with two to play and have to make birdie--that I will still try to hit the heroic shot. That's also part of what makes the game fun.

Let the arms fall on the downswing

One of the problems I had when I first turned pro was getting in a "stuck" position on the downswing. The club would get behind me, and I would then have to try to square it at impact with my hands. Sometimes I could, other times I couldn't, and the ball would fly anywhere.

To solve the problem, Butch and I worked hard on my first move down--letting my arms fall as my weight transfers to the left, and keeping the club more in front of my chest instead of behind me. When you see me make that little drop move with an air club, it's a reminder of that first move down.

The lesson for you: Start the downswing by letting your arms drop as your weight shifts targetward.

How to lag putt: Cutting down on three-jacks

I've always been an aggressive putter. During my junior golf and amateur days, I would knock it four or five feet past and drill it coming back. However, the greens on tour are faster and more undulating. Most of the time on tour you have to be "passively aggressive."

You're not always going to hit your approaches close, so I had to learn how to control my speed on long putts to avoid those knee-knockers coming back. The key is pace of stroke and pace of ball, controlled by a longer, slower stroke. When I'm rolling it well, my backstroke and forward stroke are almost identical in length. If one is shorter, it will not be my forward stroke; you don't want to decelerate. I lag putted great at this year's U.S. Open, but what set that up was growing confidence over the previous year. The National Car Rental at Disney in 1999 is a perfect example. I didn't strike the ball that well all week but managed a one-shot lead going to the 72nd hole. I hit a very conservative approach about 35 feet away, then rolled the putt within tap-in distance. I've learned to love tap-ins.

The lesson for you: Employ a longer, slower stroke on long putts.

Having a ball

Don't mistake my ability to focus for misery. I'm having a great time on course. I've learned to smile more and show just how much fun the game is. When the competition is at its fiercest, as when Hal Sutton and I went head-to-head at this year's Players Championship, I was really intense, but I was having a ball.

How to handle greenside bunkers

One of the weakest parts of my game when I first came on tour was my bunker play, especially from deep greenside bunkers to short-side pins. I've improved a lot since then. At Pebble Beach during the Open, I twice hit it into the huge bunker fronting the 17th green. Both times I saved par--nearly holing out on Sunday.

I position the ball toward my forward foot and concentrate on a spot behind the ball where I want the club to enter the sand. The closer to the ball, the more spin I can impart. The key is to weaken my left-hand grip. This lets me use my right hand aggressively. I can cock the club quicker, get the clubface more open and throw my right hand at the ball. The ball lands softly, with less roll. The lesson for you: Weaken your left-hand grip on short-side bunker shots, then be aggressive with your right hand.

How to save strokes from greenside rough

I've always had pretty good imagination around the greens, but in the last four years I've been forced by tough conditions on certain courses to use my imagination even more. Anticipating the thick greenside rough at the U.S. Open, I worked hard on not only getting it out but getting it close. The course setup for the Memorial the month before the Open gave me a good opportunity to get a feel for that shot. Here's how to play it: With a 60-degree wedge, take a tighter-than-normal grip to keep the thick grass from closing the clubface. Set your weight more on your forward foot. Pick the club up steeply on the backswing, then stick it in the ground behind the ball and restrict the follow-through. The ball should come out like a knuckler, with little roll.