Hank Explains Tiger's Neutral Grip Change

Sounds so, so sexy I know.

But for those interested in the swing, and in particular Tiger's, Farrell Evans chatted with a candid Hank Haney while the former instructor to Woods was appearing at a Taylor Made Times Square event.

Besides reiterating his view that Tiger is lifting too much, Haney gets into more detail in the differences between Tiger's swing with Sean Foley versus during the Haney years and it explains in part the one weakness I've seen in Tiger's game: his inability to hit a draw, especially if the wind is to his left and that shaped shot is the only way to hit a fairway.

Foley has made Tiger's grip much stronger. Haney had Tiger in a more neutral grip to eradicate the shot to the left. So, most of Tiger's misses were to the right. He eliminated half the golf course. Now, Haney argues, Tiger is about 50-50 with his misses to the right and left.

Second, Haney had Tiger's position at the top of the swing more left of the target or slightly laid off. Now, Haney says that Tiger is more neutral or across the line, which brings a hook more into play.

Third, Haney says that Tiger no longer plays the low stinger shot with the fairway wood and driver that was a key go-to shot for him in his best years. It was like hitting a knockdown shot with a wood: more controlled without losing much of the distance.

"That was an important shot for him," Haney said. "He played it with Butch [Harmon]. He used it a little differently with Butch than he did with me. But he hasn't used it one time this year."