Nobody's reinventing the wheel out here. A lot of Haney's work with Woods in '06 focused on Tiger's pre-round practice routine -- he would hit a variety of different shots on the range, find the shape and trajectory he felt most comfortable with, then rely on that shot on the course. By the end of last season, Woods had perfected Haney's method to the point where he won six consecutive tour events. Questions regarding the relationship could not be taken seriously.
When the condition of Haney's wife worsened this summer, Woods' coach faced a decision that was tough to make but easy to rationalize. He was already scaling back on tournament visits, but now, somebody needed him a lot more than did the world's best golfer. Having spent more than 200 days on the road in '06, not only working with Woods but on ESPN's golf telecasts and at a substantial number of teaching clinics, Haney quickly accepted the transition that had elbowed its way into his busy schedule.
He hasn't been fired, and he's not on hiatus. He speaks to Woods over the telephone when the situation calls for it, which isn't all that often because he did his job so well. "People think that because he's hitting the ball better, he must be doing something different," Haney says. "The real breakthrough was [in June] at Oakmont, a tight, U.S. Open golf course, where he drove the ball really well.
"He has gotten to the point where he really is a lot better, and now he's showing everybody what me and a few others have been seeing [in practice] for quite a while. I don't see myself spending as much time out there as I used to. I can't do it and I'm not going to do it, but mainly, Tiger doesn't need it anymore."
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