What Butch Harmon thought about Tiger Woods’ swing after seeing it the first time in 1993 

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Tiger Woods’ swing, for many, is regarded as the pinnacle of golfing technique. Very few could replicate the consistency, distance and accuracy of the 15-time major champion.

For the most part, Woods’ technique was born out of an innate natural ability. He was born to play golf at the highest level.

His father, Earl, does deserve credit, however. Earl instilled in his son a mental toughness that eventually turned him into the major-winning machine that dominated from 1997 and beyond.

For Woods to reach the top of the game, fine-tuning was necessary, and that’s when Butch Harmon emerged on the scene.

After the 1993 US Amateur Championship, Harmon took control of Woods’ swing, making the soon-to-be superstar’s misses less pronounced. This ultimately reduced mistakes and gave Woods more chances to score.

Harmon would go on to coach Woods for eight of his 15 major championship wins.

In 2023, Harmon spoke to Golf Monthly about his first impressions of Woods’ swing, and the legendary coach noticed the raw talent almost immediately.

What Butch Harmon said about Tiger Woods’ swing in 1993

“When I first saw Tiger swing a club, standing there was a tremendous amount of natural, raw talent. He was like a trophy that needed to be polished. The natural ability needed to be brought along, but the raw talent and self-confidence of the young man were amazing,” Harmon said.

Harmon, now 81, also revealed what Woods had told him when discussing his preferred shot shape.

Harmon added: “That day, I said to Tiger, ‘Everybody has a go-to shot on a tight driving hole, like a little fade. What is your go-to shot?’ He said, ‘Nah, I just hit the ball as hard as I can, go and find it and hit it again’.

“That really is how Tiger thought. He was not being arrogant, but he was an aggressive player. In those days, he did not have the ability to work the ball both ways. He just hit the ball and found it, hit it and found it and then made the putt. That was his theory and he was pretty damned good at it.”

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Why did Tiger Woods and Butch Harmon split?

Woods and Harmon eventually parted ways in 2002 after he played some of his best golf. Woods’ 2000 US Open win under Harmon’s stewardship is regarded as one of the greatest major championship performances of all time.

However, with Woods eager to take his swing to the next level and Harmon happy to maintain what was an extremely well-polished technique, the pair split.

Of course, Woods’ work with Sean Foley and Hank Haney would eventually impact his physical capabilities, but the consensus is that a similar outcome would’ve occurred under Harmon’s stewardship.