Woods considering golf-specific conditioning
By GARY D'AMATO / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Imagine Tiger Woods hitting the ball 20 yards
farther than he already does. Imagine him being more flexible,
better conditioned and less prone to injury.
Imagine an improved physical version of Woods, unleashed on
the fairways of Augusta National Golf Club, where he broke the
Masters 72-hole scoring record last year en route to his historic
12-stroke victory.
Scary thought, isn't it?
If Chicagoan Paul Callaway's dream comes true, Woods will take
his game to another level by adopting a customized, golf-specific
fitness routine.
Callaway, former director of physical therapy for the PGA Tour
and creator of a golf health and fitness training program called
"Body Balance for Performance," met with Woods last
fall at Woods' home in Orlando, Fla., to pitch the program.
The meeting was facilitated by Woods' agent, Hughes Norton
of International Management Group, who has had back problems and
has worked with Callaway. Woods was receptive, Callaway said,
and tentatively plans to meet with Callaway in June for a physical
evaluation.
If all goes well, Callaway will design a fitness program specifically
for Woods' body. The program would correct muscle imbalances that
are present in virtually everybody, even elite athletes.
"Tiger is very gifted. He has wonderful flexibility and
strength," Callaway said. "But he's had a history of
(minor injuries). Right now, he feels he's managing it with the
conditioning program he's on."
Woods, 22, is using the conditioning program designed for the
women's volleyball and tennis teams at Stanford University.
"There are some good things and some crossover things
there and, obviously, it hasn't ruined him," Callaway said.
"But is it the optimal, state-of-the-art program that he
could be doing for what he is, which is a golfer?
"Every sport has certain characteristic physical demands.
You must, must, must do golf-specific things. There might be a
possibility that some of the things he's doing aren't as golf-specific
as they should be."
Callaway said Woods understandably was hesitant about doing
anything that would change his body. But Callaway, who has worked
on Jack Nicklaus' creaky back and hips, said there was "no
doubt in my mind" that Nicklaus would have won more than
his record 20 majors had he been on a golf-specific program from
the start.
"What if Nicklaus or Ray Floyd had been doing something
from the beginning, before their bodies were ruined?" Callaway
said. "With that ability level, how great could they be?
Not that they're not great, and not that Tiger's not already great.
"But if a program like this is not in place, they are
really cheating themselves from optimizing their talent and abilities.
And they're cheating the world, they're cheating all of us from
experiencing that with them."
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Years ago, Jack Whitaker was dismissed from Masters telecasts
after referring to the gallery as a "mob." With apologies
to the green coats, a mob scene unfolded when Woods played a late-afternoon
practice round Monday.
About 1,000 spectators gathered around the putting green, then
stampeded to the first tee and spilled down the fairway as Woods
prepared to tee off. The admonishments of "Don't run!"
by the Pinkertons had little effect.
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