There Are None To Replace Tiger

The comment I've heard most often from golf fans in the last week is 'I can't get excited about watching pro golf without Tiger'. I admit I'm feeling the same way. There's no interest without Tiger Woods. Why is that?

I believe the biggest thing separating Tiger from the rest of the field is not his play. It's his desire to win. He has had an objective for most of his life to be the best golfer that ever lived, not to just make his fortune playing golf. Between those two approaches lies a tremendous gulf. These days you can make a nice life for yourself playing pro golf. You don't even have to win to be a millionaire. Just be in the top 10 or so in a number of tournaments and get a few endorsement contracts and you can be as well off as you would be working on wall street. And, you get to spend most of your time outside instead of cooped up in an office. Plus you'll have a multi-million dollar home on an exclusive golf course and you'll be practicing your putting instead of producing PowerPoint slides. Nice work if you can get it, and nothing wrong with it.

But without players who want more than the lifestyle, without guys who want to be in the record books not much is going to change. Every week it's going to be someone else who gets the win, while last month's winners fade out. That doesn't breed excitement for viewers. Even my mother-in-law who doesn't play golf, is an avid golf fan because of Tiger. She asks me every week the channels and times of tournament coverage. Since Tiger left she doesn't ask anymore. Without Tiger there is no story and story is what keeps viewers involved. Is there another golfer out there somewhere you will stand up and say 'I'm going to win every time I play' or maybe 'I want to have 10x majors before I retire'? If there ever was an opportunity for someone to make a run, now is the time while Tiger is recuperating.

I'm looking forward to the British Open because it is The Open. After that I probably won't be interested until the Ryder Cup - unless someone steps up. The PGA? I just can't get excited. FedEx Cup? who really truly cares. It's regular golf with a bigger purse. I guess it's supposed to be like a horse race, but without Tiger the format has not provided a storyline so far.

Tiger Wood's ACL Repair

Tiger Woods had his ACL repaired this past Tuesday in Park City, Utah. It is now known that he originally tore it in 2007 while jogging after the British Open. So what's in store for him and how long will it take?

I had my own ACL repaired in 1994 and have some experience with skiers ACL surgeries when I was involved in ski area risk management. ACL repair is common for skiers and that's why some of the best doctors in the world for this surgery are in Vail, Colorado and Park City, Utah. From what I know, here's what Tiger will go through. Immediately after surgery, Tiger's left leg will be hooked up to a machine that continually flexes the knee joint. In a matter of only a few days he will start physical therapy. Most likely he's already been fitted for a knee brace that he will begin to wear in a couple of weeks. In the beginning he will only be able to do exercises that are closed chain, meaning his knee can only move in one plane such as when you ride a bike. At this stage it is important that the knee is not allowed to move laterally, such as happens when you walk on uneven ground.

I can't say where they got the new ligament for Tiger's repair as different surgeons have different philosophies on this. Sometimes it comes from your own body, mine was a piece of my patella tendon, and other times it's from a cadaver. Perhaps in 2008 they have other options. The repair itself is done arthroscopicly. The operation is fairly straight forward and takes less than an hour if there are no complications.

The biggest issue with recovery is the fact that tendons have limited blood supply which translates into a long time before they get to full strength. As I recall this takes well over a year. I had to wear a brace while skiing - as a preventative measure - for two years and then was able to go without. The danger for most recoveries is that the knee will feel great even though the tendon is not at full strength, enticing athletes to over stress the tendon and tear it again. This happened to a good friend of mine who was a ski racer and soccer player.

You can actually ski normally without your ACL. I tore mine playing softball and decided to wait until after ski season to have it repaired. I skied with a brace and felt just fine. Normal skiing is basically a closed link activity and done with bent knees so the ACL doesn't come into play that much. Most skier injuries occur when they fall. I'm no expert on the motion of the knee during the golf swing, but I haven't heard that it's a normal injury for golfers to tear ACL's. More normally they mess up their cartilage.

Ernie Els has never regained his form after having his ACL repaired when it was torn during a water skiing accident. I'm not sure anyone knows if his problems have anything to do with his injury. His swing certainly looks good and he doesn't appear to be in any pain. In my limited experience the ACL either works or it doesn't. There's not really a middle ground. The bottom line for Tiger is that the longer he waits to return next year, the better his chances will be to not tear his ACL again. So which major will he wait for?

What George Carlin Would Say About Golf

Most of you know that the famous comedian George Carlin just passed away. My wife and I were watching one of his old specials last night and I got to thinking what Mr. Carlin - The Great Observer of Life - would say about golf. Here goes..

Why are so many people fascinated with the game of golf? It's a miserable game and most golfers will tell you as much after they've played their first hole. I think golf is really a stand-in for the great questions of our time, like 'what does it all mean?' or 'where do we go after we die?'. You see, these are questions that can't be answered. They go beyond the knowledge that any human has, even an Albert Einstein or a Socrates. The problem is that these questions are downright scary to think about. It's much better to think about something less threatening but equally as unknowable, like why can I hit a great shot one moment and a god awful pull hook the next.

Let's think about that. What other thing, sport or otherwise, do you learn one moment and then have absolutely zero skill in the next. Once you learn to pearl knit, you don't start losing control of your knitting needles only to jab the dog. I personally like to snow ski. I can't remember ever going backward in what I could do with skis. I've never seen anyone be able to parallel ski their first run only to find out that a snowplow was all they could muster the rest of the day. On the other hand, I dare you to show me the golfer who hasn't played terrific shots on a hole and then proceeded to play the rest of the round as if they were using a broom and a grapefruit.

Something else I've noticed about golf that keeps it forever in the category of 'life's great mysteries'. When playing a sport and things don't go so well, usually the players blame the conditons or equipment. If you go out to ski and can't control your skis very well it's because of bad conditions. No one comes in and admits 'I've lost it, I can't ski anymore'. But every golfer is faced with passing that judgment on themselves at some point in almost every round. Even Tiger Woods has his bad days. But he never blames it on the course. He doesn't tell reporters that he's driving the ball great, the problem is with the fairways.

Bottom line: we continue to play golf and alternate between the ridiculous and the sublime. One hole a par is so easy we believe we've finally found IT - the key to golf in the kingdom. The next hole we're one yanked putt away from chucking the golf bag off the nearest bridge. When is the last time you asked someone 'how's the game?' only to hear them say 'couldn't be better, this is the easiest game in the world'. Show me that person and I'll show you the golf course at the local sanitarium!

If you have a weak heart, I urge you to skip the this part! I'm going to talk about putting. Yes the easiest, hardest most mind boggling thing to do on the planet. Golf is such a kind game. The stroke that golfers make the most of during any round is the simplest - the putting stroke. You've finally covered hundreds of yards, overcome all manor of hazards to reach the promised land - a nicely manicured green carpet with a nice cup and flag on it to mark the golfer's final objective. You'd be proud to have a carpet in your home as finally groomed and cared for. All you have to do is take a nice flat bladed club, move it a few inches and gently knock your ball into said cup. There's no water, trees, sand or rough to get in the way, just a few undulations. It's so easy that this is the part of the game that children usually learn first. It's so easy that a five year old can do it with little effort. Oh don't we wish! In golf, what should be easiest is in fact the hardest. It's what ends most pros' careers. Though they've played and won tournaments their entire lives and still drive a golf ball 300 yards, all of a sudden it's impossible to knock in a three foot putt. Once mighty princes of the sport are reduced to beaten down castoffs. Broadcasters are loath to mention their names, because just the memory of someone with the yips can destroy an audience's good mood for a long time.

Golf is a great game, a crazy game, even a bit perverse and sometimes self-destructive. But it's a whole lot better than having to come face to face with the real mysteries of the universe.

Golf Is Hard On Your Body

There probably isn't anyone out there who has played golf for more than a year who doesn't agree that golf is physically tough. It's not bone jarring tough like the NFL, it just slowly takes its toll swing after swing, day after day. Maybe this is just one more reason that the sport can't seem to increase rounds played year over year.

Is there something inherent in the swing itself that makes it physically dangerous? The back is one of the major trouble spots in golf, just look at the long line of pros that have had serious back issues over their careers. If you've had a back issue yourself, which means you're in the majority of people over 40, then you probably know that the worse thing for it is 'bending and twisting'. And that is exactly what a fundamentally sound swing requires. On the back swing you twist and then on the down swing, as you transfer weight and kick your left hip to start, you have to bend as well. As well as Rocco Mediate played in the Open, does his swing look classic? To me it looks more like 'the old man swing' that you see in your own foursome. You can see that Rocco is a player who has had serious back issues. He moves through the ball in a way to minimize the twisting and bending.

And backs are just the start these days. Knee issues seem to be cropping up more and more. I've even read more stories about PGA pros with stress fractures in their lower extremities due to all the walking. For many of us amateurs, we also have the issue of carrying a bag which adds weight as well as more twisting and bending.

Golf has a lot of issues facing it if it is to be a growing sport. The physical component may be one of the most important. Maybe we're all trying too hard, or swinging for the fences too often. Maybe teaching instructors should start with stretching and warm-up exercises before a student ever touches a club. Or just possibly, someone should figure out how to teach a swing like Rocco's to the amateurs over 40.

Here's to the continued growth of golf.

Stewart Cink Takes A Step Up

Stewart Cink finally proved he can hold on to a lead and close the deal by winning the Travelers Championship in Hartford this past week. Considering how he's played in the past, he's had a great year even if he stumbled in a few tournaments early on in the season.

He's been around the top in most every event he's played in '08. What really seemed different to me was his attitude at the Travelers. On the early holes on Sunday, he looked like he was going to win. He didn't appear to be a guy who was hoping he'd hang on. I don't know if this marks a turning point in his game, but it would be great to see someone besides Tiger try to be the best golfer in every tournament they play.

The "Other" Toski (and a FREE golf lesson)

Tom Toski is the brother of famed golf instructor Bobby Toski who has worked with countless pros throughout the years.

I mention this because I just had a lesson with the "other" Toski (Tommy)

He is an amazing individual. 80+ years young and looking fit as a fiddle. He gives lessons at a local golf facility here in Western Massachusetts (Hadley)

When I first called he was booked solid for 2 weeks which I thought was quite amazing. Although I previously attended a group seminar with him about a year ago or so. What i saw there was simply amazing. Here he is at 80 something and roping these unbelievable drives - I mean mouth-watering drives - long, straight and true. THEN he turned the driver around and was popping drives with the BACK of the driver - crazy stuff ;-)

I thought then and there I need to tap into this guys knowledge bank.

What he told me on the range the other day is not the "secret" or anything I have not heard or read about somewhere but a solid fundamental that we all need to be reminded of.

He mentioned how important it is to be "level" in your backswing - that is, your shoulder not dipping but maintaining a relatively even turn (think baseball swing) AND also to keep as STILL as possible. Kept telling me to keep "quiet" during the swing. Of course a big part of this is a quiet (and still) head. (we've heard that before, right?)

Additionally, the Toski's are big proponents of small muscles and not large ones. This goes against a lot of the Leadbetter style teaching of using the bigger muscles as a focus.

Said that is one of the biggest misconceptions in golf.

Talked a lot about holding the club like a feather and using arm speed.

I enjoyed the lesson tremendously and loved talking "shop" with a member of one of the legendary golf teaching families in the game.

And, if you're ever up in this neck of the woods - do yourself a favor and book a lesson with Mr. Toski.

You'll get lesson and a whole lot more.

Nick Faldo Versus Johnny Miller

If you watch professional golf on TV, you've had a lot of opportunities to hear Nick Faldo and Johnny Miller do color commentary. Both were top players in their day and both are extremely knowledgeable about the game, swing mechanics and their fellow pros. Having said that, I much prefer Nick Faldo and would have liked to have seen him work the U.S. Open.

Johnny Miller comes across as angry and exudes an air of superiority. I can just hear him telling someone that back in his day the holes all played uphill, the balls were lopsided and the wind always blew in your face. If a player doesn't hit the best shot possible, Miller intimates that the guy choked, while Faldo has a much more compassionate take. Nick comes across respecting that golf never has never been a game of perfection and never will be. He's Mr. Affable to Johnny's Mr. Caustic. I suspect there's a chip on someone's shoulder in there somewhere.