*** Tiger Woods Facing Eleven Tough Challenges

Tiger Woods is dealing with a multitude of issues, losses and changes which seem to be impacting his performance on the golf course.

Several years ago, most golf pundits thought he would definitely break Jack Nicklaus’record for wins in majors.

I have coached many golfers on the mental aspects of the game and some athletes can leave their personal lives off the course. However, Tiger Woods appears to be struggling with a number of challenging emotional and physical issues simultaneously.

1. He has had three or four surgeries on his knee. One orthopedic surgeon told me it is hard to recover from so many surgeries on the same part of the body.

2. His father and mentor passed away a few years ago.

3. He has not won in several years, so his confidence has to be a bit low and he has very little momentum to bring to his game right now.

4. The scandal that surrounded his marriage appears to have impacted his playing.

5. He has lost sponsorships and has gotten only one new sponsor recently.

6. The amount of time he spends with his children is probably very different now that he is divorced and his relationship with his kids may be somewhat different than it was several years ago.

7. He has ended his relationship with his long time caddie, probably due to some kind of falling out.

8. He continues to try to adjust his swing by working with different coaches. These shifts may lead to some progress, but these shifts can impact a player’s ability to score and win in the short run. Some people feel he should just go back to his old swing. However, his injury may be making this difficult.

9. He does not appear to be having much fun on the course. His frustration, anger and intensity may be working against him. People perform best when they love what they are doing.

10. If Tiger Woods was a sex addict and if he is in some sort of recovery mode, this process can be quite challenging and demanding.

11. There are a host of younger players from around the world who are changing the professional landscape in golf and making the game more competitive than ever.

It can be hard to concentrate on your next swing and your next shot when you may be thinking about so many ongoing changes in your life. Tiger Woods could benefit from some mental coaching and mental toughness training to help him get through this challenging period.