Can’t TM build Tiger a mini driver?

Watching Tiger’s driving woes I was thinking he should try a mini driver that swings more like an iron. They made some good ones a few years ago. Or, they could just take his old 975D and paint the crown to resemble a TaylorMade head. Then again, it’s comforting to see how much Tiger’s game and mine have in common these days.

I really think he would do much better with an old school driver both in size and characteristics. He is not alone in that either.

I think so too, and the mini drivers offer just that: a 230-270 cc club head, which is -IMHO- much easier to square than a lighter bigger head. But the faces are hotter and more forgiving than the drivers of 20 years ago.

He should give the G400 a try and say to hell with the Twist Face Technology.

It’s the swing, not the club. His drives on 1-9 vs 10 were night and day. If it was a matter of club, I’m sure tiger would use/have it.

Funny you say this. I have always struggled with driver, but wanted to just "stick it out" til I found a driver that worked for me. The weird thing was I was always a strong fairway wood player. I listened to a youtube video abt how AoA with a club you hit down on can actually force your path out to the right, and it kind of stuck with me. Stumbled across a Ping Rapture 3W (the 2014 titanium model) and jumped in the simulator at the local Golf Headquarters to give it a shot. 5 long, high, baby draw bombs between 280 and 287 with farthest offline being 4y left of center. Bought it on the spot. Took it to the course the next day and nearly identical results. I'm sure with some lessons I could figure out how to find moderate success w driver, but 287 off the tee is plenty for me and the swing feels comfortable and natural.

I get stuck when trying to swing a longer club and get a positive AoA and proper path. I either block it way right or snap it hard left if I get too stuck and my hips stop turning. (sound familiar, TW??)

I dont think itll ever happen because of pride and marketing influence, but I think you're spot on abt needing that smaller driver profile.

I think the video was of Monte, btw, on the Be Better Golf channel. Cant be 100% sure

Tiger couldn't hit the fairway with an iron yesterday ... Don't think it's the arrow.

Tiger wouldn't be content with a mini driver. He wouldn't want to give up the length. If hitting fairways were the main thing for him he could hit his 3 wood.

Steve

I disagree. Tiger is stuck in his ways of playing a smaller fade biased driver. You put a high MOI, mildly draw biased G400 Max in his hands and his fades turn straight and his slices turn into fades in the right edge of the fairway. I don't recall him hitting a hook yesterday. I do recall a bad pull.

I don't think it's his driver. He hits perfect drives when he's not swinging out of his shoes. In his prime, there was hardly another athletic golfer like him and he blows by everyone by 30 yds without even trying. Now we have a whole new breed of golfers who are more athletic than he ever was and he is 20 yrs older. The ego in him makes him swing extra hard to out drive or just to keep up with the young guys and that's always been where he gets in trouble.

I would love to him return to the top as much as everyone else. However Sunday when he stood on the 17th tee, I said he was going to swing too hard and loose it way right and that's exactly what happened. If he can tame his ego and play his game, he will have lots more success. He has such great iron & wedge game that he really doesn't need that extra 15 yds off the tee. But I think if he keeps trying to drive like the 20 yr olds, the demon will always be there and he'll end up hurting himself again.

I don't think it's his driver. He hits perfect drives when he's not swinging out of his shoes. In his prime, there was hardly another athletic golfer like him and he blows by everyone by 30 yds without even trying. Now we have a whole new breed of golfers who are more athletic than he ever was and he is 20 yrs older. The ego in him makes him swing extra hard to out drive or just to keep up with the young guys and that's always been where he gets in trouble.

 

I would love to him return to the top as much as everyone else. However Sunday when he stood on the 17th tee, I said he was going to swing too hard and loose it way right and that's exactly what happened. If he can tame his ego and play his game, he will have lots more success. He has such great iron & wedge game that he really doesn't need that extra 15 yds off the tee. But I think if he keeps trying to drive like the 20 yr olds, the demon will always be there and he'll end up hurting himself again.

But the young guns all swing really hard and still hit the power fade. JT comes out of his shoes every time. Koepka and DJ a little less so because of their natural size and strength, but Rory mashes it too. Like he said in the post round interview, he's yet to find his miss with this new back/new swing. If he knew he could eliminate one side of the golf course, he could swing as hard as he wanted to left and he'd know it would cut back into play, but he doesn't so he's not consistently putting the clubface in the same spot and on the same line. I'd like to see the results of a smaller headed driver

love how were in here offering advice to the man who almost beat Koepka yesterday, while barely hitting a fairway

not to mention the 14 majors he already has won

but ill stick around for the popcorn!

But if he could hit some more fairways (and ideally, get some more distance by hitting woods instead of irons off the tee), he would have cleaned up yesterday. With yesterday’s irons and short game, he could afford to be 20 yards shorter than the biggest hitters.

Considering the state of his tee game, we are exactly the ones to give him advice.

I don't think it's his driver. He hits perfect drives when he's not swinging out of his shoes. In his prime, there was hardly another athletic golfer like him and he blows by everyone by 30 yds without even trying. Now we have a whole new breed of golfers who are more athletic than he ever was and he is 20 yrs older. The ego in him makes him swing extra hard to out drive or just to keep up with the young guys and that's always been where he gets in trouble.

 

I would love to him return to the top as much as everyone else. However Sunday when he stood on the 17th tee, I said he was going to swing too hard and loose it way right and that's exactly what happened. If he can tame his ego and play his game, he will have lots more success. He has such great iron & wedge game that he really doesn't need that extra 15 yds off the tee. But I think if he keeps trying to drive like the 20 yr olds, the demon will always be there and he'll end up hurting himself again.

 

But the young guns all swing really hard and still hit the power fade. JT comes out of his shoes every time. Koepka and DJ a little less so because of their natural size and strength, but Rory mashes it too. Like he said in the post round interview, he's yet to find his miss with this new back/new swing. If he knew he could eliminate one side of the golf course, he could swing as hard as he wanted to left and he'd know it would cut back into play, but he doesn't so he's not consistently putting the clubface in the same spot and on the same line. I'd like to see the results of a smaller headed driver

Me too. He might develop more confidence in a mini driver, which would help him swing better.

By the way, the Ping Rapture 13* mini driver is a great club. I play one from time to time.

love how were in here offering advice to the man who almost beat Koepka yesterday, while barely hitting a fairway

not to mention the 14 majors he already has won

but ill stick around for the popcorn!

His lowest final round in a major ever too.. but don’t worry, we will fix your game tiger :D

It might have been his lowest score but how much better would it have been if he hit more fairways. Bowling balls on a stick are not for everyone, even a GOAT.

Ummmm he shot 64 yesterday I think he will be just fine

...waits for the "Tiger should use M4 irons" thread.

dude just gets quick. if he slows it down a touch he'll hit it plenty accurate with his current driver.

I don't think it's crazy to offer "advice" about a guy who shot 64. Think about the fact he shot 64 and did it mostly from the trees and the rough. With his iron game yesterday, he'd have been on a hard 59 watch if he'd been in the fairway all day. He was throwing darts from the crap....he'd have won from the fairway. I have no doubt.

Driver essentially took him out of contention when he sprayed it on 17. Got really lucky he sliced it too far right and didn't go in the drink. He's the greatest talent we've ever seen, IMO, but 64, while incredible, wasn't good enough. He had the iron game and putting to win yesterday, but didn't give himself enough chances. Brooks is a perfect example. When the pressure was on, Koepka was in the fairway and able to shoot at pins all afternoon.

He'll find his driver swing. If he holed 2 more putts he would've made it a playoff. And the announcer jinxed him on 17. I hate when they say s*** like. He hasn't missed a fairway all back 9 right before he sends it. Bad juju.

He'll find his driver swing. If he holed 2 more putts he would've made it a playoff. And the announcer jinxed him on 17. I hate when they say s*** like. He hasn't missed a fairway all back 9 right before he sends it. Bad juju.

I knew when he 3-jacked 17 on Saturday morning and then missed the putt on 18 it would bite him in the A**.

love how were in here offering advice to the man who almost beat Koepka yesterday, while barely hitting a fairway

not to mention the 14 majors he already has won

but ill stick around for the popcorn!

 

His lowest final round in a major ever too.. but don't worry, we will fix your game tiger :D

Ask him if he's happy with how it went yesterday. Said himself he didn't know where it was goin off the tee. He needs to fix his game if he's gonna get back to winning the big ones. His irons are maybe the best in the world right now. He's gotta give himself a proper chance. He should have won his 15th yesterday.

Tiger's issues off the tee have nothing to do with his equipment. He could be playing his venerable steel shafted 975D and he'd have the same two way miss going because of what he has going on in the downswing. This site sometimes...

Tiger's issues off the tee have nothing to do with his equipment. He could be playing his venerable steel shafted 975D and he'd have the same two way miss going because of what he has going on in the downswing. This site sometimes...

Did he hit a hook yesterday? I saw one pull, but no hook. Everything seemed to go right.

Tiger shot 64 yesterday, a major is coming and soon. Wouldn't be surprised if it was at Augusta next year. He'll win a tournament before the season is over.

Tiger's issues off the tee have nothing to do with his equipment. He could be playing his venerable steel shafted 975D and he'd have the same two way miss going because of what he has going on in the downswing. This site sometimes...

Since those bad swings only come with a certain club...

It's a chicken and egg question and again it wasn't there in any other club including his smaller, shorter 3 wood.

No doubt it's his swing, it's always the swing when discussing things in a vacuum, but it wouldn't be the first player who would be better suited with a different driver.

I disagree with you on the results he would have had with his old Titleist for several obvious reasons. Why was he losing shots right and how would the old driver set up change those things? There's the answer.

...waits for the "Tiger should use M4 irons" thread.

Lol

Dustin Johnson can hit the 4 iron 300yrds and only 4' off of center - Why doesn't Tiger just do that!

He should give the G400 a try and say to hell with the Twist Face Technology.

My same thoughts!!!!