Tiger Woods admitted his frustration with his swing struggles this year in an e-mail newsletter sent on Tuesday, but said two late-season victories have boosted his confidence for greater success in 2005.
Woods won in Japan last month and at the World Challenge event earlier this month. But it came after a PGA season where his only victory was in the World Golf Championships Match Play event.
”It is frustrating when you can do it at home with your buddies, but it doesn’t carry over to tournaments,” Woods wrote. ”Obviously there’s a lot more pressure, but you just have to keep working at it.
”I’ve been down this road before with swing changes. I did it with [swing coach] Butch Harmon and now I’m doing it with Hank Haney. The last time it took me two years to get it right. That’s just part of the process.”
Woods, whose stock answer of being just a little off the mark quickly became laughable as struggles continued, said he never sunk into despair over his re-working of the swing.
”I never really got that low because I was proving it to myself on the range,” Woods wrote. ”I knew it was in there. The key is going out and trusting your swing in competition.
”Just before I went to Japan for the Dunlop Phoenix, I was hitting balls on the range at Big Canyon Country Club and it clicked. I hit a beautiful eight-iron and finally did it right. When you do it right, you don’t feel anything.
”I closed 2004 with eight consecutive rounds in the sixties, which gives me lots of confidence for next year. I also won more than $7-million worldwide for the sixth year in a row, which is a pretty good streak — especially for someone who was tweaking his golf swing.”
Woods was able to continue his streak of events without missing a cut, but often faded from contention early, something seldom seen in past seasons.
”I think the thing I’m proudest about is being able to score when I don’t have it,” he wrote. ”People kept saying what a horrible year I had and I finished fourth on the money list. That’s not all bad.”
But it was a step down from his PGA Player of the Year level and major champion status of previous seasons. Woods lost the world number-one ranking to US PGA money champion and Player of the Year Vijay Singh of Fiji.
”It wasn’t easy. I had to dig deep many times when I just didn’t have it, and that takes a mental and physical toll on you,” Woods wrote. ”If you shoot 65s every day, it takes no effort and the game is pretty easy. When you’re not playing well and have to shoot 70, that’s hard.”
Woods, who won four major titles in a row after tweaking his swing to find more fairways at the expense of minimal distance, said he gained a better understanding of stroke mechanics this time around.
”I think the biggest thing I learned this year was a better understanding of the golf swing,” he wrote. ”I always say if you’re not trying to get better, you’re standing still, and people are passing you by.
”That’s why I changed my swing. You’re always learning, tinkering around and trying new things. That’s just part of trying to become a better golfer.
”It’s frustrating at times, but we all have to go through that process. Every player who has played this sport has gone through it. You just take baby steps and play through all that.
”I reaped some rewards at the end of the year for my hard work and that was very satisfying. Hopefully my good play will carry over to 2005.”
Woods plans to open the season in Hawaii next month, then play at San Diego in an event sponsored by a Woods car sponsor. — Sapa-AFP