The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods

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The Big Miss is Hank Haney’s candid and surprisingly insightful account of his tumultuous six-year journey with Tiger Woods, during which the supremely gifted golfer collected six major championships and rewrote golf history. Hank was one of the very few people allowed behind the curtain. He was with Tiger 110 days a year, spoke to him over 200 days a year, and stayed at his home up to 30 days a year, observing him in nearly every circumstance: at tournaments, on the practice range, over meals, with his wife, Elin, and relaxing with friends.
 
The relationship between the two men began in March 2004 when Hank received a call from Tiger in which the golf champion asked him to be his coach. It was a call that would change both men’s lives.
 
Tiger—only 28 at the time—was by then already an icon, judged by the sporting press as not only one of the best golfers ever, but possibly the best athlete ever. Already he was among the world’s highest paid celebrities. There was an air of mystery surrounding him, an aura of invincibility. Unique among athletes, Tiger seemed to be able to shrug off any level of pressure and find a way to win.
 
But Tiger was always looking to improve, and he wanted Hank’s help.
 
What Hank soon came to appreciate was that Tiger was one of the most complicated individuals he’d ever met, let alone coached. Although Hank had worked with hundreds of elite golfers and was not easily impressed, there were days watching Tiger on the range when Hank couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. On those days, it was impossible to imagine another human playing golf so perfectly.
 
And yet Tiger is human—and Hank’s expert eye was adept at spotting where Tiger’s perfection ended and an opportunity for improvement existed. Always haunting Tiger was his fear of “the big miss”—the wildly inaccurate golf shot that can ruin an otherwise solid round—and it was because that type of blunder was sometimes part of Tiger’s game that Hank carefully redesigned his swing mechanics.
 
Hank’s most formidable coaching challenge, though, would be solving the riddle of Tiger’s personality. Wary of the emotional distractions that might diminish his game and put him further from his goals, Tiger had developed a variety of tactics to keep people from getting too close, and not even Hank—or Tiger’s family and friends, for that matter—was spared “the treatment.”
 
Toward the end of Tiger and Hank’s time together, the champion’s laser-like focus began to blur and he became less willing to put in punishing hours practicing—a disappointment to Hank, who saw in Tiger’s behavior signs that his pupil had developed a conflicted relationship with the game. Hints that Tiger hungered to reinvent himself were present in his bizarre infatuation with elite military training, and—in a development Hank didn’t see coming—in the scandal that would make headlines in late 2009. It all added up to a big miss that Hank, try as he might, couldn’t save Tiger from.
 
There’s never been a book about Tiger Woods that is as intimate and revealing—or one so wise about what it takes to coach a superstar athlete.

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Tiger Woods: Doomed by Distraction

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"Tiger Woods: Doomed by Distraction" is an compelling, unauthorized, and first-of-its-kind look at the rise, fall, and ongoing comeback of embarrassed and embattled golf great Tiger Woods.

This Amazon Kindle exclusive from international bestselling author Michael Essany avoids the rehashing of rumors and explores the true personal and professional struggles of Tiger Woods yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

From alleged sex addiction, the loss of his father, and an obsession with the Navy SEALs, to his penchant for self-destructive behavior, diffusion of professional focus, and the emotional turbulence that seemingly defines his inner core, "Tiger Woods: Doomed by Distraction" highlights how and why the game's greatest golfer allowed the distractions of his demons to cloud - and potentially ruin - his storied career.

CHAPTER 2 EXCERPT:

"I find it almost impossible to believe how an addiction to sex could change this man and turn his world upside down so quickly," says former E! Entertainment Television personality Mike Randazzo. "It seem like a traumatic episode triggered the emergence of some latent demons. In my opinion, I think the death of Tiger Woods' father was critical. The man who anchored Tiger, kept him focused and motivated, was suddenly gone. Tiger lived to make his father happy and proud. In that absence, Tiger Woods was - in many ways - the world's most simultaneously beloved and yet loneliest man. Tiger needed his dad to say centered."

Tiger Woods' love of competition has been widely likened to the passion possessed by another sports legend, Michael Jordan. Ironically, Jordan - who was famous if not infamous for his superhuman drive to win - was also accused of having "gone off the deep end" following his father's untimely but tragic death.

On October 6th, 1993, Michael Jordan dropped a bombshell on the sports world when he announced his retirement from basketball after a family tragedy that shattered Michael Jordan's world and shocked millions of fans around the world.

But unlike Michael Jordan, who left the game of basketball to clear his head, re-center himself, and continue to stoke his competitive fires in a healthy way, Tiger Woods doesn't appear to have worked through his anguish as productively.

READ MORE IN THIS KINDLE E-BOOK

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How I Play Golf

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How I Play Golf' offers a lavishly illustrated instructional book with four-colour photography, original artwork, unique sequential shots of Tiger in action, and easy-to-follow diagrams for golfers of all abilities. Only in his mid-20s, Tiger Woods is already a golfing legend worldwide. He is the youngest player to complete the Grand Slam of professional major championships.Fans everywhere have marvelled at his explosive drives, his accurate approach shots, his steady putter, and most important, how his devastating mental game transcends all the ups and downs of the game of golf. The insights Tiger reveals in HOW I PLAY GOLF are a combination of the physical and psychological practices that Tiger uses daily to keep his game at the top. For fans and followers of Tiger, these secrets will become the gospel of how to improve one's own game.

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No athlete has changed his sport the way Tiger Woods has transformed the world of golf. The Tiger phenomenon has created a new legion of golfers, seduced by Woods's almost effortless mastery of this most difficult game. In How I Play Golf Woods reveals the many facets of his game and offers a plethora of tips and advice aimed at all levels of play. Unlike most golf guides, and perhaps somewhat surprising from a player best known for his long game, How I Play Golf begins with the short game--putting, chipping, and pitching--before moving onto swing mechanics and hitting off the tee. Produced in conjunction with the editors of Golf Digest, the book is lavishly photographed and illustrated and offers a gold mine of useful ideas and mental images Tiger has collected over the years. Throughout, Tiger recounts memorable shots from his relatively brief career; for example, his only "perfect" shot (a 3-wood on No. 14 at St. Andrews) and his first putt at the 1995 Masters (a 20-footer for birdie on No. 1 that missed and rolled off the green). How I Play Golf is not only a first-rate instructional guide, it also communicates a passion and respect for the game that beginners, hackers, and low handicappers should find inspiring. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards

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Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger's Most Tumultuous Season

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The definitive chronicle of the most stunning year in the legendary career of Tiger Woods, when the world’s greatest golfer returned to competitive play following major knee surgery—only to have his personal life unravel in the public spotlight at year’s end. Who is the real Tiger Woods? The unbeatable, indomitable, and ultimate competitor? The husband and father who cares more about his family than anything else? Or the supremely confident controller who thought fierce management of his image and those around him would allow him to lead a double life? In Unplayable, veteran journalist Robert Lusetich offers an in-depth look at the world’s most recognizable yet least known athlete, Tiger Woods. Lusetich, who first interviewed Woods in the late 1990s and has written about him since 1996, was the only writer to cover every PGA Tour event the world’s number one golfer played in 2009. Unplayable tells of the unfolding of Tiger’s most pivotal season on the golf course— with his first ever hiatuses from professional play—and provides extensive reporting and the backstory to show who the most elusive man in all of sports really is. Lusetich peels away the layers of the Woods persona to create a portrait that is neither unsympathetic nor hesitant to shed light on Tiger’s shortcomings. This rich, insightful account reveals: what actually makes Woods the game’s dominant player; how his upbringing influenced who he is today and how he has changed over time; and the nature of his relationships with his family, former and current friends, celebrity athletes, peers, coaches, sports agents, sponsors, and the media and public itself. Based on one-of-a-kind access, Unplayable is a gripping look at the man who changed golf and inspired more fans around the world than anyone else in the history of the sport.

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Tiger Rising Signed Signature Edition

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An extraordinary new novel of friendship by Kate DiCamillo, author of the celebrated debut novel BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE.

Walking through the misty Florida woods one morning, twelve-year-old Rob Horton is stunned to encounter a tiger—a real-life, very large tiger—pacing back and forth in a cage. What’s more, on the same extraordinary day, he meets Sistine Bailey, a girl who shows her feelings as readily as Rob hides his. As they learn to trust each other, and ultimately, to be friends, Rob and Sistine prove that some things—like memories, and heartache, and tigers—can’t be locked up forever.

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Kate DiCamillo's first novel Because of Winn-Dixie won a Newbery Honor in 2000 for the no-nonsense charm and wisdom of its down-home young heroine, Opal. Also set in Florida, The Tiger Rising is more of a short story in scope, the tale of 12-year-old Rob Horton who finds a caged tiger in the woods behind the Kentucky Star Motel where he lives with his dad. The tiger is so incongruous in this setting, Rob views the apparition as some sort of magic trick. Indeed, the tiger triggers all sorts of magic in Rob's life--for one thing, it takes his mind off his recently deceased mother and the itchy red blisters on his legs that the wise motel housekeeper, Willie May, says is a manifestation of the sadness that Rob keeps "down low."

Something else for Rob to think about is Sistine (as in the chapel), a new city girl with fierce black eyes who challenges him to be honest with her and himself. Spurred by the tiger, events collide to break Rob out of his silent introspection, to form a new friendship with Sistine, a new understanding with his father, and most important, to lighten his heart. This novel is about cages--the consequences of escape as well as imprisonment. The story and symbolism are clear as a bell, and the emotions ring true. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

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Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life

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The smash New York Times bestseller (more than 270,000 hardcover copies sold) by the father and mentor of the PGA sensation Tiger Woods, Training a Tiger is an invaluable guide parents can use to teach their children golf and important life lessons as well.

From the moment Tiger Woods turned pro, fans have been on the edge of their seats watching one thrilling performance after another, and millions of kids and adults have been turned on to the sport because of Tiger's charisma and breathtaking abilities. From his shot-making skills and mental toughness to his confidence, integrity, and demeanor, Tiger sets the standard for public figures.

In Training a Tiger, Earl Woods provides insight into the kind of perspective, instruction, and training that goes into raising a champion who plays his or her best on -- and off -- the green. He offers advice on when and how to introduce golf (or any sport) to a child, how to lay the groundwork for open communication, and how to cultivate a positive competitive attitude. An intelligent mix of instruction, anecdotes, and common sense. Training a Tiger helps parents everywhere guide their kids to become good golfers -- and great people.

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The first thing you'll learn in this book, which details how Earl Woods raised his son, Tiger, to become probably the greatest golfer who ever lived, is that your child will never be another Tiger Woods. Tiger is a prodigy in the sense that Mozart was a prodigy. But even if your child has completely ordinary abilities, Training a Tiger shows how to pass on your love for a sport to your child. Most of the book is specific to golf, but the same lessons can be applied to any activity.

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