My New Driver Cut Shot
Grip down an inch and hold off the release

By Tiger Woods
With Pete McDaniel and Mark Soltau
Photos by Stephen Szurlej
November 2009

My objective off the tee is accuracy over distance. That's why I've usually stressed swinging within yourself, though it's sometimes hard for me to do. When I'm in control, I feel as if I'm going at about 80 percent of my all-out max.

This year, I've added a little gripped-down cutter with the driver that has allowed me to take better advantage of those short but tight dogleg-rights. I hit this shot 20 or 30 yards farther than my 3-wood while controlling the flight and trajectory to leave a lob wedge into these short holes. By gripping down, I can add control and still make an aggressive move instead of trying to ease up on a standard driver swing, which can cause me to overcut the ball.

To play the driver cut shot, I grip down half an inch to an inch, depending on how far I want to carry the ball. I picture the fairway as a four-lane highway: I aim for the far-left lane and try to fade it to the next lane over. Everything else in my setup and execution is like any other fade. I play the ball just off my left instep in a slightly open stance, then swing along my stance line and hold off the release for a fraction of a second