It seems that Tiger Woods is turning to technology in hopes of regaining his form and getting back on the golf course.
Having not competed on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour since last August, when he finished 10th in the Wyndham Championship, Woods took to his Twitter account Wednesday and posted a video of him taking a swing immersed in front of a virtual reality golf simulator.
His accompanying words to complement the short clip? “Progressing nicely.”
Progressing nicely. pic.twitter.com/HKnnluR1OW
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 24, 2016
Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg told ESPN that the video was purposely posted on the golfer’s Twitter account to combat and deny reports that the former No. 1 golfer is having difficulty with his recovery and impending return, with such claims even stretching to the point of saying that he has trouble merely sitting in his car.
“This was meant more for all of Tiger’s fans who had reached out since all of this erroneous reporting came out over the weekend that he was so disabled he had to sit in the passenger seat of a car,” Steinberg told ESPN. “So many had reached out and wondered if this was the end and if this was true. This was meant to give the most recent update.”
Steinberg added that Woods was fully hitting a 9-iron, additionally doing some chipping with the help of the golf simulator, whose brand wasn’t specified.
“It would be different if I had just said he’s progressing and doing some chipping and putting,” Steinberg said about Woods using the simulator and video to drive his point home. “This is a bit more impactful and relevant to show it this way.”
Hey, teams in the NFL, NBA and MLB are making use of virtual reality simulators, so why shouldn’t Tiger?
The training software is especially useful for athletes making their way back from injuries, because it allows them to get plenty of reps in before actually taking to their respective field of play.
Tiger needs all the help he can get to return to top form, too, considering the well-documented free-fall his legendary career has suffered over the past few years.