It is this flexibility which allows him to make a large shoulder turn with a minimum of hip rotation. This stores a huge amount of energy at the top of his backswing and when this is released on the downswing, it is like a whip being cracked."His hips are very quick through the ball," said Nick Faldo's coach, David Leadbetter. "The club is still going back as he's coming down." Rick Smith, who counts the Golden Bear amongst his clientele, added: "Tiger has got the fastest rotational speed I have ever seen."Harmon explains: "A low, wide takeaway is an important feature of Tiger's swing. It promotes a full shoulder turn and a wide swing arc, two keys for maximum distance. His shoulder turn is so full that his shirt restricts his backswing. To free himself up, Tiger tucks the upper part of his shirt sleeve under the shoulder seam.".
Was it only a few days ago that Jose Maria Olazabal was saying how glad he was just to be here, glad to be enjoying playing again, that he was more relaxed and not getting so angry on the course? The Freeport McDermott Classic is being advertised under the slogan: "Rhythm and Greens", but Ollie definitely had the blues after his opening 72. Olazabal had just missed a three-foot birdie putt at the last when he gave a fine impersonation of the highly self-critical young man who has scowled his way past reporters after many a round. With Nick Faldo slipping back into terse mode at the Players Championship, all we need to do is get Colin Montgomerie to stop smiling and Europe will have three significant contenders at Augusta. Olazabal certainly in good enough form and a 67 yesterday at English Turn put him well in contention at five under. The Spaniard is on a startling progression - 12th, fourth and first - since returning from his 18-month layoff due to his foot injuries. He took the chance to rest his feet whenever possible but, as he has done all along, downplayed his chances of improving on his second place here three years ago "No way," Jose actually said. If he did, how would he top his emotional tears in the Canaries? "I don't know. Maybe I'd shoot myself."Olazabal's first birdie came at the short third and then he claimed four in a row from the eighth.
He holed from 10 feet there, hit his approach to two feet at the ninth, holed from eight feet at the next and got up and down from the back of the green at the par-five 11th. The streak came to an end when he left his 18-footer at the 12th short of the cup.A dropped shot at the 14th was immediately recovered and then he parred in. "Yesterday was so-so," Ollie said, "but today was a very nice round. It was a difficult day, with the wind blowing, but I have no complaints in any department. I drove well and that has been the weakest part of my game."One of Olazabal's playing partners was Lanny Wadkins, the 1995 US Ryder Cup captain at Oak Hill, who birdied the last four holes to get in at six under.Olazabal was five behind Larry Rinker and Scott McCarron, who both scored 69s as storm clouds rolled in over Louisiana from Texas. The wind increased substantially in the afternoon, which hastened the departures of Costantino Rocca and Per-Ulrik Johansson, although the latter's countryman, Jesper Parnevik beat the cut with a 69.Greg Norman was in two bunkers at the last and took a double bogey otherwise he would have joined Olazabal at five under.
