HOGWire – Golf Industry News
- SAVE MORE AND STAY LONGER WITH PUEBLO BONITO’S ‘BLACK FRIDAY’ DEALS
- Boyne Resorts President and CEO Stephen Kircher Inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame
- Lee takes stranglehold of BNI Indonesian Masters with six-shot lead
- Indonesian families in need benefit from Bubba and Phachara holes in one at BNI Indonesian Masters
- CHARLEY HULL VICTORIOUS
Latest Golf Club Review
Miura Series 1957 Limited Edition Small Blade Irons
Latest Accessory Review
Axglo V3 Push Cart
Latest Course Review
Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort
HOG Interview
So what else is new? Woods has made a businessman’s choice concerning his swing..2009 clubs+2009 ball=get out of trouble with minimal penalty. This is why..when people talk about the greatest golfer of all-time they need to be specific about the kind of clubs and the ball they are playing.
Woods…and this is entirely my opinion..is no better than the 5th best player of all-time.
Of the others in front of him…Nicklaus..Hogan..Nelson…Jones..he has to concern himself less with off fairway shots than any. Modern course conditioning almost assures hi of best current player because he’s the best chipper in the world and one of the best putters…..
Good points golfrealist. Perhaps over the next couple of seasons we’ll get a better idea of how good Tiger is? When the PGA has to go back to V grooves, those 2009 clubs you mention won’t get him as much spin out of the rough. Then we’ll see if he “needs” to hit more fairways or he can still hit many of those great recovery shots from the long stuff.
Tiger will probably hit more fairways and play the v groove clubs better than anyone on the tour. the man has had a club in his hand since he could walk it will come to him.I mean it’s only logical it will happen that way. this season is very young he’s going to be just fine. I would bet had tiger played with Hogan..nicklaus..nelson..snead..jones…he would have played their game same or equal too maybe even better than. he has the unique ability to crush the competition on any given day. It’s a matter of perspective,had he been playing back then he probably would’ve been the best.His ability to be the best is what made him the best not the v groove or u groove.Came from practice and the determination to be the best in the world wouldn’t of mattered if they were using broom handles.
Thanks for the comment daddio. I see your concept and I may agree. But we’ll never know because those players didn’t play against each other. I do agree that whatever the situation happens to be Tiger more often than not finds a way to win.
you’re right. we’ll never get the chance to know.Those players were all in a league of their own in their prime.Hard to say who would’ve came out on top had they all played together.Truth be known i have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone who can manage to win a major in their lifetime.It’s quite an accomplishment in the world of golf.
In every era something paid off..In Jones’ it was being able to drive for distance under control and chipping..In Hogans it was driving in the fairway and playing target golf..For Nicklaus it was critical that he never 3 putt..his distance and iron play meant he’d always have a high % of 15-20 foot putts…For Woods it’s far less important to drive accurately because the conditions of greens in the most modern era means he’ll always have a near makeable chip and a makeable putt….
I’ve been fortunate enough to view 3 eras in golf because of my age..and I can tell all who haven’t that course conditions..especially greens..are FAR more player friendly than ever…That tells you a lot about Woods..he’s sized up the realities of the game and built his strengths around them..
Yes the greens when Bobby Jones played were mega-slow and bumpy.
Conditions are a big factor for amateurs as well. Whenever I get on “tour quality” greens which aren’t all beat up and slow, I putt much better.
Tiger is a great..no doubt…The problem with comparing golfers of different eras rest on two aspects of technology..golf equipment (clubs+balls) and course conditioning. My take is that the great players understand what the technological conditions favor and demand…
Tiger understands these two..and that why…ta da..
THE QUESTION OF HOW GOOD TIGER MIGHT BE IF HE HIT MORE FAIRWAYS IS…IRRELEVANT!!!
Tiger knows precisely how better he might be and…it’s not worth it!!! He has sized up the deal and constructed a formula..it’s better tooccasionally drive long and on the fairway..if not..chipping and putting outweigh accuracy..Conclusion..he’ll NEVER drive better because he doesn’t care.
I don’t think that hitting fairways is irrelevant at all. He isn’t choosing to miss them to gain something else. Especially this past week with the rough being sick deep. The best example being on 16 when he was only able to advance the ball about 50 yards after being stuck in the grass along the right side.
And to retort to your first post you are saying that because he is the best chipped and putter in the world they lay the courses out to make that important and therefore Tiger wins? Shows me a golf course outside of a par 3 course where chipping and putting are unimportant? You can hit at most 18 drives on a course but you hit as many chips and putts as it takes to get it into the hole.
I can’t say that he is the best golfer of all time because I didn’t get into golf until the end of some of the other greats careers but I can say that he certainly is head an shoulders above anyone else currently playing.
Also a quick question? Which one of these things isn’t important anymore or wasn’t important at some time in golf?
1. Being able to drive for distance under control and chipping.
2. Driving in the fairway and playing target golf.
3. Critical to never 3 putt.