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Tiger Woods moves the needle like no other athlete in American sports. Even now, over 25 years after he turned pro, every golf shot he hits is treated as must-see television.
Since he made his professional debut in 1996, the numbers are staggering. He’s tallied up win after win and become a true global icon on the level of Pele, Muhammad Ali, and Michael Jordan.
He has an incredible 148 wins worldwide as a professional, including 82 on the PGA Tour, tied for the most all-time with Sam Snead. He’s won 15 majors, just three behind Jack Nicklaus for the most in golf history.
One of the defining themes of Tiger Woods’s career has been swing changes. He famously revamped his swing twice when he was on top of the golf world. The first big change came in late 1997 to 1999 under the direction of legendary swing coach Butch Harmon. The second one, probably the more famous of the two major swing changes, came in 2004 under the controversial Hank Haney.
These changes were done for a few reasons, one of them being that his original swing put a lot of torque on his joints. He knew he wouldn’t hold up long-term if he didn’t make the change. That’s funny to think about now, all things considering.
But, this picture is going around Twitter from Tiger Woods’s swing in 1997, the year of his first Masters win. It shows just how legendary his original swing was.
Tiger Woods, mid-backswing and mid-downswing, in 1997
No, they're not the same picture 🐐 pic.twitter.com/1hsj1jpVtf
— LKD (@LukeKerrDineen) January 11, 2023
That’s the kind of symmetry his father, Earl, wanted him to swing with. Everything about it is fundamentally sound. He could’ve won 30 majors if he stayed healthy and focused.