Tiger Woods needs to use his brain not his brawn

Tiger will need to use his head to get out of his slump.

It’s been unusual watching Tiger Woods amongst the also-rans in his first few events of 2014.

But he must swap brawn for brains as he attempts to get out of this mini crisis.

This time 12 months ago he had already won twice and was on his way back to the World No.1 spot.

Fast forward to now and he’s had a messy combination of a missed cut, withdrawal from another event and tied-25th and 41st in his other two.

A superb 66 in the third round at Doral last week hinted that he was returning to form. But, instead of challenging on Sunday, he began badly and slumped to a 78.

Tiger has complained a lot about his back, which caused his withdrawal. But to my mind, all his problems stem from the tee.

Often, he is just trying to hit the ball too hard, like an average club player on a weekend round. He is swinging too hard and it’s putting undue strain on his back.

When he burst on the scene all those years ago, Tiger was the longest hitter.

His big asset was virtually being able to turn par-5s into par-4s.

Deep down, he still wants to keep up with the new generation of power hitters, so he strives for extra distance off the tee.

Seve Ballesteros made that mistake. His game started to decline and he started to complain about his back.

However, Jack Nicklaus was also the longest hitter in his day. But Jack was wise and knew that he could beat the younger guys with his strategy and mental strength.

So Tiger needs to swallow his pride and rein in his instincts.

His iron play now is as sharp as it’s ever been, while his short game and putting have never been an issue.

So it’s about realising that he should be a bit more cautious off the tee. And if anyone can make that mental adjustment, it’s Tiger.

He’s always considered himself an ‘athlete’, but in those terms, at 38, he is near the end of his career.

But he has so much desire and willpower and that, allied to his irons, chipping and putting, is a match for anybody.

He plays Bay Hill this week, which will be a good barometer of the state of his game. It’s close to home, he’s defending champion and he practically owns the event, having won it eight times.

But he needs a strong week to prepare for The Masters. Not even Tiger can turn up and expect to find his A-game at a Major.

I’m fascinated to see how he’ll fare at Augusta. How he plays around there will tell me if this is just a blip or the start of a long and gradual decline.