Just caught the Golf Channel show with Greg Norman providing his thoughts on the golf swing, especially in regard to the driver.  He said the best tip he ever received was from his coach while he was still an amateur, who told him to learn how to hit the driver as hard as he could, and then they would figure out how to hit it straight.  Ultimately, he mastered this ability, and then played with control while competing.  This is why he is widely acknowledged as one of the best drivers of the golf ball.

I totally agree with this thought.  The hardest thing to learn in golf is how to increase distance.  That is why there is an entire industry built around adding distance off the tee, particularly with golf clubs and golf balls.  Those are the easy fixes.  However, to really make improvements to your game, you need to improve the swing.

With this in mind, take this tip with you…learn how to generate power with your swing from the ground up.  Most golfers try to hit the ball harder from the top down, and that is why most have slow swing speeds.  Learn how to generate power by letting your center of gravity sink a bit as you transition into the down swing, and focus on rotating your core as quickly as possible.  This will help you generate more swing speed.

Scott Cole

Tiger Woods is officially back!  Yeah yeah, I know, it’s only Saturday.  But, for me, this was the real test.  Over the years, this has been the day when Tiger would take over a tournament.  His MO was always to get into contention on Thursday and Friday, then make the big move on Saturday and get the lead.  Over the last couple of years, he hasn’t done that.  He had not played enough competition to be able to do that.  Today he did.

It really does not matter what he does tomorrow.  What matters is how everyone else reacts.  I don’t expect Robert Rock to be the guy he does battle with all day to win.  He simply has never been in this kind of position before in such a big event.  Tiger could potentially lose tomorrow, but I don’t expect him to.  His confidence has to be sky high right now.  I want to see how the Europeans respond, especially the young Europeans.

Rory McIlroy played the first two rounds with Tiger.  McIlroy seems to be the one player in the world that has the potential to match Tiger when Tiger is on.  Did McIlroy learn anything playing with Tiger this week?  He still hits some loose shots and has that one round in many tournaments that holds him back.  That round came yesterday with a 72.  When he puts it all together as he did at Congressional last summer, he can be as dominant as Tiger.  Can Rory learn how to win with his B game by managing his game better, and grinding like Tiger?

The evidence is in though…Tiger is back.  Now, how will the world respond?

In the world of golf, this is a huge week!  Tiger Woods makes his 2012 competitive debut against a strong contingent from the European Tour in Abu Dhabi, and the U.S. PGA Tour heads to Torrey Pines.  Essentially, the big guns will all be firing their first real salvos of the season as we move away from Hawaii and the putting contest in the California desert.

Last year, Woods also made his competitive debut in the Middle East, and posted a top 10 finish while still working hard on his new swing.  This did not ultimately lead to great results in the U.S. as he injured himself at Augusta while posting a 4th place finish.  After his win against a tiny field at Chevron in December and good performances in Australia and the Presidents Cup, expectations are much higher.  Many see Tiger returning to dominant form.

A look at the U.S. PGA Tour would suggest that this may be a strong possibility.  After the first few events of the year, it is clear that many of the young guns are not yet ready for prime time.  Steve Stricker exposed this in the first event of the year in Hawaii, as he dominated on a course that the bombers should dominate.  This week, another short hitter, Mark Wilson, showed the way with a strong wedge game and putter.  Defending champion, and bomber, Johnny Vegas, didn’t even make the cut.

Tiger’s primary competition will clearly come from Europe.  Yet, none seem to have the ability to take their game to the level that Tiger has been.  The pressure will be on Luke Donald to maintain his form from 2011, which was heavily reliant upon his short game and putting.  Lee Westwood is one of the best ball strikers in the world, but has trouble lighting it up with the putter for 72 holes.  Rory McIlroy is still a bit inconsistent, and while he can drive it with anybody, his putter can hold him back.

With all this in mind, this week will shed quite a bit of light on who is ready to challenge Tiger for supremacy in 2012, and if Tiger is actually ready to make his ascent back up to the top of the mountain.

Stay Tuned!

Scott Cole

Golfers in South Central, PA!  I am very pleased to announce that I will be offering my instruction services at Camp Hill Tennis Club, across from Capital City Mall.  The club has a Full Swing Golf simulator all set up and ready to go!  I will be teaching on the simulator all Winter, as well as on those rainy days during the golf season.  Come on over and check it out, give me a call at 717-856-1453 or drop me an email at scottcolegolf@aol.com to set up a lesson.

Steve Stricker won the first event of the PGA Tour season last night.  Stricker has a golf swing that is well worth imitating.  In his 40s, he has become one of the most consistent players on tour due to a simple and effective golf swing, fabulous wedge game, and even better putter.  Check out his swing video below.