On Monday, the golf twitter world freaked out about a simple vine from a bad angle of Tiger’s new swing. I rolled my eyes at the time, but now we have a 2 minute video to dissect. I often make fun at the ridiculous amount of attention that Tiger gets, but this deserves it. It’s actual golf news!
At first look, the swing looked very different to me. Then after looking at the frame by frame, I’m not so sure there are too many differences.
I’m no Peter Kostis, but here’s my attempt at a frame by frame breakdown from his December 2nd range session, compared to the 2014 Quicken Loans in July. Keep in mind that this is one swing from the range, and I’m comparing it to one swing made in a tournament. He may very well be trying to play two different kinds of shots on these swings, but it’s all we’ve got for now.
I’ll give my thoughts, and Tiger’s thoughts as well* in #TigerSauce form (when Tiger speaks, but you can’t tell if he’s talking about golf or Call of Duty.)
(*- MR. STEINBERG, PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A JOKE. SATIRE. NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.)
Address
NLU: His shoulders are much more aligned with his feet than under Foley, which makes him look more athletic at address. Standing slightly taller as well.
Tiger: Surface-to-air missle ready for launch. Finish line acquired. Initiate firing sequence.
Takeaway
NLU: He doesn’t appear to be taking the club as far outside anymore, which could mean less reliance on the cut shot that he’s fallen in love with.
Tiger: Firing sequence initiated. Missle release line maintained. Begin motoring pattern.
The Top
NLU: The backswing looks longer, which is good. The biggest difference between Tiger’s 2013 Foley and 2014 Foley swings was the length of the backswing, and his back was simply not letting him get all the way back. The shoulders looked to be turned further than in July, which could also be a reflection of his improved health. Still, a lot to like here.
Tiger: Ballistic coefficient maintained. Magazine holstered. Explosiveness sequence initiated.
The Downswing
NLU: He’s standing taller, and the club looks to be more align with his right forearm than in 2014.
Tiger: FIRE!
Impact
(As close to impact as I could get).
NLU: Much less of a spine angle, and remains much further behind the ball with his right shoulder. He could just be trying to hit a draw here on the range, vs. a fade on the right, but this doesn’t look like the typical fade swing that we’re used to seeing from him.
Tiger: Surface-to-air missle launch initiated.
Follow Through
NLU: Right side still remaining further behind his body.
Tiger: Pro Traj acquired. Launch maneuver complete.
In conclusion, not much has changed. However, it’s nice to see him stand over the ball and look athletic, rather than look like he ate some questionable meat with lunch.