65. Using your strength at golf is quite often a sign of weakness

It has been written that one of the main reasons for Tiger Wood’s success is the wonderful mix of character traits inherited from his mother and father. His dad has instilled into him a tenacious competitive attitude where anything other than number 1 is not acceptable whilst his mum balances this with a softer more spiritual side that embraces aspects of Buddhism and Eastern philosophy

Several years ago during a windy “Open Championship” at Murfield, we witnessed how fine the line is between top-level performance and shooting high scores. We witnessed how easy that balance can shift. The elements that year did what no player on the planet could do and that is ruffle the Tigers fur.

Picture of a wind swept golf scene

We have all played in wild conditions and we have all foolishly thought we can beat it by swinging harder. From where I was watching, Woods fell for it as well. He swung very hard and ripped at the ball finishing in his trademark, full follow through. Pride it seemed would not let anything, other than himself, change his strategy. He tried to slug it out toe to toe. The balance of character traits inherited from his folks was lost as he dropped into the mindset of his father side. Had he not met a violent wind with his aggressive shot making and had he allowed his mother’s mindset to influence the situation, I am convinced that he would have been on top on Sunday evening.

Read the following extract from Lao Tzu’s “Tao Te Ching” adapted by Ray Griggs that describes the art of T’ai Chi.

T’ai Chi is the art of attuning to the way of things, of using with instead of against.Timing is crucial. Instead of struggling against things, T’ai Chi finds the opportune opening into the within of them. As a consequence of being at one with things, energy moves unforced. Thus thinking and doing seem to occur effortlessly and harmoniously.

Tigers mum, so we are informed, is instilled with these kinds of beliefs and it was left to the likes of Nick Price, Sergio Garcia and Des Smyth that year to show how the more
subtle approach of working the ball “through the wind” rather than “beating it at it” is
more successful in handling the conditions. Use your strength at golf and you are in reality showing us you’re weakness.