Johnny Miller to Tiger: 'Forget the Haney stuff'

The appeal of Johnny Miller as an analyst is that he says what he's thinking, which in sports is a rarity. It's a detriment only to those on the receiving end of his sometimes barbed analysis.

Tiger Woods was the target Wednesday in NBC's telephone news conference in advance of its coverage of the Players Championship.

"This might be a little harsh," he said, "but I really believe he needs to, every night, watch the U.S. Open in the year 2000 in Pebble and just copy that swing and forget the (Hank) Haney stuff. That's something he can copy, the tempo, the position at the top of the backswing, the follow-through position.

"His tempo was much better then and he should literally say, 'I am turning back the clock and I am not going to think of anything and I can remember what I was working on then.' He needs a new, fresh, either teacher or just go back to what is natural to his game. What he is working on now, I believe is, no disrespect for Hank Haney, but it is not working. And sometimes when it is not working, sometimes you have to get off the fork in the road and get back to what brung you there and what won all these championships for him. He needs to do that and if he was here right now I would tell it right to his face."

Miller also alluded to the fact that Woods seems to have no idea where his miss with the driver is going. "When you get on a tee and you look left and that's not good and you look right and that's not good, it's like panic goes on. There's no clue as to where it's going. Then you top it off with the personal stuff and I don't think any of us can comprehend what he's battling there. I don't know the ins of what's going on but there is a lot of turmoil and you add that with a bad driver and it's quite a one-two punch."

-- John Strege