We officially have a Tiger Woods sighting.
After months away from the spotlight, the public finally got a glimpse of Woods on social media as he participated in a clinic at Liberty National. The video, from @eastsidegolf, features the 15-time major winner on the range alongside Rickie Fowler and Will Zalatoris as the two discuss everything from swing changes to advice for amateurs.
The full video (which you can see below) is about 20 minutes long and has plenty of information to sift through. But if you’re not interested in watching the full cut, read on below for some of the highlights from their chat.
Rickie’s swing changes
Fowler’s swing changes were a key storyline in the 2022-23 season. After a four-year winless drought, the 34-year-old reunited with Butch Harmon and made some key changes that led to Fowler’s best season in quite some time, featuring a win in Detroit and a spot on the Ryder Cup team.
The biggest change Fowler and Harmon made was to get Fowler to feel like he was coming more over the top on the downswing. In the past, he’s had a habit of bring the clubhead way outside on the way back and then laying it off at the top. But after working with Harmon this year, Fowler is now trying to get away from that laid off feel and instead get the sensation of coming over the top.
“To exaggerate would be getting it to a good spot here,” Fowler says. “And then it feels like I’m trying to get the club pointed [across the line].”
Tiger’s best tip for amateurs
Woods has one of the best minds that golf has ever seen, so it’s only natural to seek to pick his brain. So, what would be his best tip for amateur golfers looking to improve their own games?
“Don’t watch f—in’ YouTube.”
In an era where nearly unlimited content is at our fingertips at all times, it’s easy to find a video that will claim to fix your swing. It’s nice if you’re addicted to a screen, but not so great when trying to improve your golf game. Instead, Woods says, you have to go dig it out of the dirt.
“Go hit balls,” Woods says. “Just beating balls.”
Will Zalatoris’ scoring advice
Zalatoris hasn’t played much golf this year as he’s recovering from a back injury, but in case you forgot, he’s really good at golf. Before the injury, he was among the brightest young stars in the game, and once he returns, he’s likely to join that group once again.
Despite his absence from the game, his mind is still plenty sharp. And when asked about the worst mistake amateurs make, he didn’t have to take long to come up with an answer.
“Way too many good shots end up short,” Zalatoris says. “Just keep taking extra club. That’s just day in and day out, I see that nonstop. I don’t care if I’m playing with a 2 [handicap] or a 25. If they say ‘7 or 6 [iron]?’ and I haven’t seen them hit a shot, I’m telling them 5.”
This is advice that’s been shared many times before. There’s a reason for that! Golfers still struggle to get the ball to the hole.
There’s always something to learn from these three.