WATCH: When Tiger Woods' father explained his mental training method

PGA TOUR - 2004 Target World Challenge - Final Round - Source: Getty
Tiger Woods and Earl Woods, 2004 Target World Challenge (Image via Getty)

Tiger Woods and his late father Earl, provided fans with a rare glimpse into the rigorous mental training that shaped one of the greatest athletes of all time. In a resurfaced clip that's been doing rounds on social media, the 15-time major championship winner's father talked about the unorthodox methods he used to forge his son's legendary mental toughness.

Nike's iconic advertisement Never used a part of the clip which according to The Irish Times was released in 2000. Earl's training methods were not about perfecting Tiger's technique - they were about building resilience. His father, who passed away in 2006, would deliberately disrupt his practice sessions. The former United States Army Special Forces military officer said:

"Just as he's beginning to swing. I dropped my whole bag of club[s]. And he would stop and look at me with those teeth gritting and he would start again. I'd throw a dozen golf balls in front of his ball."

The relentless series of distractions was designed to teach the PGA Tour superstar how to maintain his focus under pressure. Earl would even taunt his son to challenge his composure. He would banter with Woods knowing that his response would be to deliver the perfect golf shot. Earl said:

"He'd stop again and I'd say, 'Hey look, are you through showboating? The marshall says we have to complete this round in 4 hours and you're taking up more than your share of the time. So either hit or go get off the course.' And then he would stripe it. Just hit it perfect and turn around and look at me and never say a word. But that look said, 'Now take that and go walking down the fairway.'"

The 2019 Augusta Masters winner's father's methods were unconventional, but they were effective. As the prodigy grew more resilient, he would up the level the distractions. However, Tiger grew to be unfazed by anything that would take his eyes off the prize. The 82-time PGA Tour winner said:

"But he never pushed me over the edge. He would take me right up to the breaking point and he'd back off...Eventually it would take more and then more and then more and then more finally to the point where it didn't bother me anymore."

When Earl decided that the training was complete, he made a bold prediction:

"I said, 'Tiger, the training is over.' I said, 'You've got it and I promise you that you'll never meet another person as mentally tough as you in your entire life.' And he hasn't and he never will."

Here's a look into the Woods' nostalgic clip from 2000 [via MentalityGolf on YouTube]:

youtube-cover

Woods is renowned for his mental toughness on the golf course. His ability to stay calm and focused is credited to his late father and has been the key to his successes throughout his illustrious career.


All you need to know about Tiger Woods' father

Augusta National member Ron Townsend, chairman of Gannett broadcasting, shakes hand with Earl Woods - Source: Imagn
Augusta National member Ron Townsend, chairman of Gannett broadcasting, shakes hand with Earl Woods - Source: Imagn

Earl Dennison Woods was born on March 5, 1932, in Kansas. He has 11 siblings - five from his mother Viola, and six from his step-mother, Maude. However, he was raised by his older sister Hattie after their stepmother's passing when he was just 15 years old.

The PGA Tour legend's father was a baseball star at Kansas State University and paved the way for the university's program to be racially inclusive with the help of his teammates. After graduating, he joined the US Army as an officer.

Woods served as an infantry officer and as a United States Army Special Forces officer during the Vietnam War. He went on to serve the nation from 1954 to 1974. He married Barbara Gary in 1954 and had three children before getting divorced in 1968.

He met Tiger's mom, Kultida Punsawad during his stint in the Army in 1966 in Thailand. The couple welcomed their son in 1975. In 1998, Earl was diagnosed with prostate cancer and passed away at his home in California in 2006 at the age of 74. A heart attack was listed as the cause of death.

Quick Links

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications