The golf swing, like a pitcher’s throwing motion, is not natural to one’s body. Many of the world’s top players through the years, including Jack Nicklaus, Fuzzy Zoeller and Fred Couples, each have had significant back problems. Nicklaus, however, said he doesn’t believe his well-documented back problems were caused by his swing. The Golden Bear spoke today at his Memorial Tournament in regards to Tiger Woods’ left leg injuries due to his swing.
“I think Tiger’s swing, and I think a lot of the swings of today, are far more violent at the ball than some of the old swings,” Nicklaus said. “Some of the old swings were far more rhythmic. I don’t think a lot of the swings today are as rhythmic as the old swings. I don’t think the game is the same game from that standpoint. The game today is far more an upper body game, and we used to play more from the ground up.”
Despite all the swing changes the Striped One has undergone the past few years, Nicklaus said he doesn’t see much difference.
“If you look at it on television, does it look any different to you? No, it looks exactly the same,” Nicklaus said. “Mine was the same, too. I’d make a lot of changes in my swing. Does it look any different to you? No, but in my head it was different and little things I did were different, but it was not a major change. It was not all of a sudden your hands are up here and the next week they’re over here. No, you don’t make that kind of a change.
“I think that the old swings of being fairly more rhythmic – but the equipment did that. It was because of equipment. Equipment has caused what’s happened today in relation to golf swings, and teaching is because of the equipment.”
Tiger Woods is operating on one leg
