Tiger hurt again

My question is - how do you get hurt playing golf?

Hoops, Tiger's club head speed is (was?) 120 + mph. Believe it or not that kind of enertia and force vectors can impact a whole variety of muscles. If you swung a club at a ball you'd be lucky to go 95 mph. The difference matters.
Tiger worked out with the Dallas Cowboys trainer after the Thanksgiving "incident" and the trainer said his physical tone, endurance, etc. were such that he could just as well have been an NFL d-back.

When you put the kind of torque on your lead knee like Tiger does, it's not hard to get hurt. You want to remember that those guys don't play the way we do. We might hit a bucket now and again along with a weekly round. Those guys are hitting maybe 300 balls on a given day at the range. Add on the competetive strokes and we're takin' a lot of reps. Now do this for twenty years and see what happens to your body. This is why some players take a long time to get back to "normal" after an injury. To get it back, you have to practice hard. If you're coming back from an injury, it takes time to get to the point that you're doing that, so the game suffers. When it comes to Tiger, I think he's got a double whammy. Most golfers mature after 30. Tiger did at 20. Now at 35, in some ways he may have the body of a 45-50 year old golfer even though he's a workout nut. I've even heard a few commentators mention that his typical 7 mile runs may have contributed to the problems. They know more than I do.

In closing, yes, you can get injured playing golf. In fact, I was playing one round and reached into my cart for a beer and....................

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

As usual, Ric and Malibu offer expert analysis. It seems to me that his legs haven't grown in size in relation to his upper body. I'm sure his legs are strong but they look about the same size as when he was young and thin. I don't know if it makes a bit of difference but I can see how the upper body torque can put a lot of stress on those legs. For example, Nicklaus always had fairly thick legs. At least he did for a golfer.

Good point Alex. I used to think it was Tigers swing style also. Even with his well honed beautiful technique his tempo is fierce. He really, really goes at the ball. But Ernie Els, with his almost languorous tempo, had knee problems. At least Tiger hasn't had Freddie's back spasms.....yet.

Thanx for the props, but I'm no golf guru. I just read a lot and listen to the guys that do know. Thanx again though. Speaking of the guys that do know, I think it was Brandle (somebody show me how to comb my hair) Chamblee that commented on Tiger's physical makeup. He reminded viewers that when he came on tour, he had the body of Steve Uerkle. Over the years he's developed his upper body to resemble that of a cornerback or a linebacker, but his legs are relatively the same. His point was that this only exacerbates the harmfull effects of the torque he places on his left knee during his swing. Pretty much mirrors what you're saying.

At this point, I really don't know what's going to happen with his game. He has to get healthy first and then start attacking golf again, but who knows when that might happen. I do miss watching him play well, but I don't miss them devoting the first ten minutes of a telecast to Tiger highlights when he's tied for 13th!

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

Ric, what I totally don't get is why Tiger messed with his short game and putting. He has had his struggles, but short game was not in need of such major changes....it's so much feel anyway and he's gotten so mechanically oriented it's hard to figure.

As this whole Tiger swing transition was happening, I used to wonder the same thing. Not long ago I got the answer.

To lay foundation, most of those guys spend the bulk of their practice time on the short game. Well over half of their time is devoted to this. The point was made on one of the telecasts that Tiger's short game is probably suffering because he was spending so much time on his full swing changes and this took time away from his short game practice time. Another factor may be a mechanical change Foley had him change in his chipping. I believe he had him bringing the club back more to the inside. The analyst pointed this out and wondered why. I second that motion. I can see making changes if I'm whacking my teeshots right and left, but why would you touch that short game? My uniformed opinion on his putting is that less practice and less play over the last couple of years is taking it's toll. Throw in very little success to bolster that iron will and you might even affect Tiger's mental game. I guess we'll have to see what happens.

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes

How do long-ball hitters in baseball blow out knees, backs and shoulders, pitchers breaking down rotator cuffs and elbows?

Some very good summations here of the more intelligent chatter floating around the tour and airwaves. And Tiger really started out as damaged goods given the early age(s) he had knee surgeries.

As for his short game, it's gone to shit simply out of a lack of attention and in-competition playing time. He's become a Range Warrior ... when he can hit at all.

I don't think enough can be said about Tiger's early start. I'm sure Earl had him pounding balls at a much earlier age than most pros could imagine. Just as you don't want little leaguers throw curve balls for fear of ligament/tendon damage, I have to wonder how much damage could happen to a young golfer overworking the same. I've never heard this discussed, but I bet it has some merit. Kind of a full body Carpal Tunnel. I suppose we'll get some answers in the next four or five years.

Good Luck!
Ric at Joes