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Tiger's clubhead speed can be a disadvantage. It generates lots of spin, which makes distance control tough on short approaches. Early in his career, Tiger's wedges often landed stiff but then spun away from the hole. His solution: the dead-arm wedge.
What Tiger does
The dead-arm is a regular swing with reduced hand and clubhead speed that generates less spin. Tiger makes a more modestwrist cock and minimizes the release of his hands after impact. He also shortens his swing back and through. Tiger can control the speed of his body turn (with a modest release of the club) to generate exact distances.
From impact to finish, Tiger's right arm moves about one foot but his hips open fully. Notice the slight separation of his left elbow from his left side. This slows down his clubhead through impact yet still allows his forearms to roll and release (toe of the club pointing up).
What you can do
1) Swing your hands only waist high back and through.
2) Firm up your wrists.
3) Control your shot distance by increasing or decreasing your body and hand speed.
4) Finish by rotating your forearms slightly.
HIGH-SPEED DRIVER
Tiger is physically built for speed, but he's also fearless. Those two things equal one of the fastest -- yet most rhythmic -- swings on the planet.
What Tiger does
What you can do
Swing a weighted club, such as the PowerStik ($80; powerstik.com). Set up in a solid, athletic stance with your feet shoulder width apart. Next, swing the weighted club to the top and check to see that you're properly set up over your right leg and solidly supporting the club over your right shoulder. Now aggressivelyswing the weighted club to a full and balanced finish over your left shoulder to that perfectly balanced position you see Tiger in after every shot. Repeat this drill 20-25 times daily and you should soon notice a substantial increase in both your clubhead speed and your ability to swing the club in balance.
RED ALERT
Why Tiger's favorite color might (or might not) work for you
Tiger wears red on Sundays because the color means good luck in Thailand, his mother's native country. But there's more to red than that. As the color of fire and blood, red is associated with energy, war, strength and power. It's also linked with energy, so it's often used to promote energy drinks and sports products. Plus, says color expert Lietrice Eiseman, Tiger is partial to red because of its vibrancy, and people in vibrant colors, she says, come across as powerful. But red doesn't work for everybody. So if it doesn't flatter your coloring, Eiseman says, "a vibrant blue is an alternative for looking powerful. It worked for the men in Braveheart."
