Maginnes Blog: Tiger's drive awes even his peers  PGATOUR.com Contributor All players have different approaches to preparation. One of the many things that amazes me about Tiger is his ability to hit the ground running every year. Most players take a little time to work their way into a season. I always found that no matter how well I practiced at home, I had to play my way into shape as the season progressed. At least, that is the rationalization I used while I was missing cuts on the West Coast. On Thursday after he finished his round of 66, I asked Tiger about his preparation for the season and how he was able to come out firing year after year. He said that he gains confidence from practice, not from playing. He went on to talk about the intensity of his practice session with Hank Haney.  Tiger's preparation for tournaments is second to none. (Grayson/WireImage)
Not many players on the TOUR would ever describe their practice sessions as intense. After a lesson with an instructor, it took me weeks to make the necessary adjustments to feel comfortable over the ball again. I am sure that if you have ever taken a lesson you know what I mean. For the next week you feel like you are swinging a dead cat and trying to swat a baseball. How Tiger manages to integrate new material into his golf game with such confidence is startling. As I followed Tiger in the first round of the Buick Invitational and reported on it for the PGA TOUR Network, I could see that he had spent a considerable amount of time working on driving the ball. Although the statistics won't support the premise -- he only hit 50 percent of his fairways -- Tiger did drive the ball very well. He only missed one of the narrow fairways on Torrey Pines' North Course by more than a couple of yards. Often this time of year you will hear players talk about "shaking the rust off" their games. Most of these guys will play a few rounds of golf to see how it feels and decide what parts of their game needs the most attention. The best player in the world has reinvented the wheel when it comes to tournament preparation, though. We all know -- and have come to expect -- that Tiger is not going to enter a tournament if he doesn't feel confident his game will carry him to the winner's circle. He has shed a little light on his preparation of late, too. GolfWeek's Jeff Rude wrote a piece last fall on the two-week regimen that Tiger goes through to peak his game for events. As Tiger sheds more light on his activities away from the course, it becomes more and more apparent that most players would never be able to keep up with him. I remember reading about professional cyclists who tried to train with Lance Armstrong when he was at the pinnacle of his career. I say tried because Lance soon lost his training partners. The reason they all cited was that they simply couldn't keep up with the intensity of his sessions. I suspect that would be the same situation if Tiger let a TOUR player or two into his fold. Champions like Tiger and Lance are more than supremely gifted. There is a drive that awes even their peers -- if they have any, that is. It is easy at times to criticize Tiger for not showing up at certain events. It is even easier to jump on his bandwagon when he is winning golf tournaments. Tiger has carved out a path to the top spot in the world that is undeniable. We should keep in mind that this path is stained with the perspiration and blood of the effort of a champion. As easy as he sometimes makes winning look, it never is. Nothing of consequence was ever achieved without effort, sacrifice and enthusiasm. When we see Tiger hoist yet another trophy, we tend to take for granted the tireless work that carried him to that victory. |
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