I experienced both anterior and posterior ligament damage as well as cartilage damage and replacement due to a severe football injury in high school. As a result of that damage and subsequent problems over the years (arthritic spurs, miniscus tears, etc.) I have had to learn to play around this issue.
Because the injury was to the left knee I have learned to play with a rotation of the left foot outward in varying degrees, depending on flexibility and or pain. Turning the left foot outward reduces the torque on the left knee and allows me to stand on the left side at finish without pain or undue stress.
Although I have only dreamed of playing at Tiger's level, I have enjoyed the game for 50+ years since that injury and still do to this day!
I wondered why Tiger never stumbled across turning the left foot outward and thereby preclude the necessity of spinning on the left foot? I realize that the outward turn could reduce hip rotation to the right but a preset could offset that. In any event, at his level of ability I am sure he could have worked through it.
I wish him well in his recovery and look forward to his successful return.
Bond007 has certainly suffered enough to ask some tough questions. Considering Tiger's accessibility to trainers and biomechanical investigative resources, I must assume he had a plan for his various adaptations to his golf swing. The fact, at this point with so little accurate medical information, is that Tiger has been experiencing some level of deterioration to the knee, certainly, since 1994 when he had his first knee surgery to remove a benign cyst. Fluid associated with knee issues are indicators of soft tissue problems. The very necessary valgus positioning in any adjusted golf swing keeps the knee in a vulnerable state. Professional athletes are slow to reveal their various health problems, all of which contribute to changes in the way they play their sport. I am trying to unearth a variety of problems including some back problems Tiger has suffered over the years. The reports are vague and inconsistent but I believe not all of his swing changes were just about getting more accuracy. I think if we knew all the details of his physiology we would be even more impressed with his ability to command such a presence in the sport. I would say that his combination of love of golf and physical injuries contributed greatly to his committment to a training program that has kept him in the game at all.
Tigers injury was front and center for most of the tournament and he either played it up for drama purposes, and/or it was real.
I was fixated on every shot as a result. Yes, I'm a sucker for good TV drama.
He made it look real (on the bad shots) and frankly, I still believe he was in pain. How much pain, it's hard to know...
He's out for the season and maybe its something he is looking forward to. Maybe this was planned months or years in advance. After all, he has a young family and he's been hard at it for years. Sometimes to get through to the next level you have to take a break.
How many personal coaches other than golf does this guy have?
Mental
Physical
Medical
Media
Financial
Philanthropy
etc
etc
In other words - It's all part of the plan.
__________________
Bagger
1-H "Because of questions of all kinds, reams of additional detail must be made available - but separately, and probably endlessly." Homer Kelly
Bagger, You always raise the bar! Quickly I just want to say that Tiger couldn't pick a worse or better time for a break. This will be a great time to have with his young family for sure but I wouldn't want to trade places with him on the rehabilitation front. This surgery will test even the most Herculean athlete, and I think we could have said Tigerlean. The physical pain will be substantial on it's own, but then redesigning all of the stroke movements will really test his mission. Then there is the uncertainty of the surgery, the outcome and then the effect on his short term and long term career. I heard someone, in the post office of all places, sarcastically state that "he" should be satisfied with his fame and fortune and just take his money and run. I could not keep my mouth shut and turned with my best southern belle smile and asked the gentleman if he played golf. He said, and I am not kidding this is a quote, "Well no little lady, I don't seem to have time for the game". So dripping polite venom I replied, "I am so sorry. That must be why you don't understand either the passion or the heart these players bring to the game so that even people who don't understand it can be entertained and have something to talk about". Thank goodness it wasn't my post office.
There is never a good time to have surgery on critical joints but there are necessary times and I believe that Tiger put it off just as long as he could. He may have pushed his envelope at the Open but most players find a way back to the game. I think I'll bet on Mr. Woods and a fascinating future.
VL...you are too cool....love your posts...and your fire. Not to discount Mr. Hogan's accident and his near death experience...but I see Tiger's career now being compared similar to Mr. Hogan's in terms of before and after his accident and Tiger pre- and post-surgery. It will be interesting to see how his swing evolves and like Mr.Hogan if Tiger becomes post-surgery even a better ball striker where distance will take a back seat to accuracy. Many years from now Tiger may be remembered more for his post surgery swing and his greater dominance on the Tour. I am expecting a more improved Tiger after surgery...as difficult as that is to imagine.
Great post, Vickie. I'm reading and learning. Thanks!
Anybody out there with an injury similar to (or, better yet, identical with) Tiger's? If so, do tell.
For the rest of us . . . post your thoughts!
Not only is this thread topical, it also can help us 'weekend warriors' avoid injury in the pursuit of our favorite sport.
For what its worth, I have a reconstructed ACL, right knee (target side knee as I am left handed). I had a completely torn ACL, 20+ years ago. Reconstructed Nov/06
I would have to say that the torn ACL had zero effect on my golf game. Either that or I had completely compensated without being aware of it. Certainly there was no pain. And as a younger adult, the muscles around the knee provided enough stability that the ACL tear was all but unnoticable.
Post ACL reconstruction, a bit of pain and discomfort but more from the trauma of the surgery rather than structural knee pain. I had a patellar tendon autograft - there is some residual pain when kneeling - and maybe some minor stiffness after walking 18 holes, carrying clubs. But in terms of golf....little to no impact. I can't even recall one instance of pain caused by a hard, awkward, or off balance swing.
Who knows what other damage is present in Tiger's knee. But in my opinion the ACL reconstruction will stabilize and pressumably reduce the risk of other complications.
Quite a few years ago, Tiger used to snap his left knee straight close to impact when he needed extre power. That was probably not the healthiest trick of the game ...
For regular shots with reasonable lie and stance, no problem, he can handle it.
For getting the ball out of a deep rough to the green with a not so good stance, that's where the problem arises.
Beware!!
Sorry and my best wishes to Tiger.
__________________ Yani Tseng, Go! Go! Go! Yani Tseng Did It Again! YOU load and sustain the "LAG", during which the "LAW" releases it, ideally beyond impact.
"Sustain (Yang/陽) the lag (Yin/陰)" is "the unification of Ying and Yang" (陰陽合一).
The "LAW" creates the "effect", which is the "motion" or "feel", with the "cause", which is the "intent" or "command".
"Lag" is the secret of golf, passion is the secret of life.
Think as a golfer, execute like a robot.
Rotate, twist, spin, turn. Bend the shaft.
Hybrid Mode
