Golf has become increasingly numbers-oriented. With the ubiquity of launch monitors and force plates and advanced statistics, pros have more hard data than ever at their disposal.
But for Tiger Woods, it’s never just about the numbers. In Episode 4 of My Game: Tiger Woods—Shotmaking Secrets, presented by Geico, he gives insight into his unique approach to playing par 3s. Of course, he wants to know the relevant yardages and what the wind’s doing. But it goes much deeper than that. It’s also about how he’s feeling, how he’s playing. In the end, the goal is to determine what would be the best “chess move.”
“Also taking into account what I’ve been feeling this past week, the last couple days. Shots I’ve missed, or shots I’ve hit well,” Woods says.
“Golf is like cards: You’re playing probability all the time. Trying to make the best chess move you possibly can. So it’s putting all those pieces together in a fluid environment. Golf is not on the same court, the same size, the same dimensions. Everything is changing and moving. So having to make those subtle adjustments all the time is one of the neat things about our game.”
For more insight into Woods’ internal dialogue standing on a par 3, check out Episode 4 in its entirety.