By: Golf Digest | Duration: 00:13:06

Video Description

After winning the 1997 Masters by 12 shots, Tiger Woods did something that shocked the golf world: he rebuilt his swing.

Woods struggled while implementing the changes during the next season, winning only once, but what followed was one of the most dominant stretches in the history of professional golf.

So why would the best new player in the world take such a big risk after staring his career so hot?

In this episode of Mind Games, Golf Digest’s series on the mental side of golf, host Sam Weinman breaks down the deeper strategy behind Tiger’s decision. Woods wasn’t chasing perfection, he was expanding his “window of tolerance” by building a swing and mindset that allowed him to compete even when he didn’t have his best stuff.

Featuring insights from Tiger’s former coach Butch Harmon, sports psychologists, golf historians, and Tiger himself, this episode explores a powerful lesson: winning golf isn’t about how good you are on great days. It’s about how competitive you can be on your off days.

Whether you’re a scratch player or a weekend golfer, this is a mindset and strategy you can apply to your own game.

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Writer & Host: Sam Weinman
Producer & Video Editor: Ben Walton
Executive Producer: Christian Iooss

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:25 The 1997 Masters
2:05 Tiger’s 1998 Swing Rebuild
3:55 The Chasing “Flow” Mistake
6:59 The “Window of Tolerance”
9:25 1999 “Butch I got it. I feel it.”
10:00 A Historic Run
10:58 What This Means For You
11:58 Verdict