Update: Since posting this, I have uncovered evidence that takes the Tiger Squat back to his Sean Foley days, and it has just gotten worse and worse over time. /update
I have been wracking my brain for the past few days, trying to think of where the Squat & Dump move came from.
I have seen the Tiger Woods Tai-Chi routine, of course, but it wasn’t until I went looking for some old Tiger Woods swings that I found it – and yes, you can lay the blame on this horrific move on him and his coach at the time.
Now, Woods split from his coach Sean Foley in August of 2014 after his first back surgery (April 1st), but he had already been experiencing back issues for some time, as this pic is from an event in August of 2013:
I have to say it’s typical of him to continue working with a coach while destroying his back and only move on after experiencing an injury serious enough to require surgery.
That is dedication, my friends.
I know it wasn’t Foley.** (Update: Morgan Freeman’s voice – “Yes, it was indeed Foley.”)
Tiger began working with Chris Como after splitting from Foley, so I know exactly where his squat move came from.
I found in my blog archives, a swing of Tiger performing what we used to call in the Mike Austin universe, the “Harpoon,” where you look as though you’re dropping all of your weight onto an unsuspecting narwhal from the top:
This was in a post of mine in December of 214 talking about “Tiger’s new swing,” so it would have been post-Foley era and following his first back surgery. He would undergo another one in 2015.
In fact, he’s currently up to six back surgeries.
Let’s enlarge it a bit so we can see it in all of its harpoon-y glory:
And there you have it, friends – the squatting move to sit right into that leading leg hyperextension to clear enough room for the club to pass through.
Tiger In August 2015
So, Tiger Woods wasn’t satisfied with destroying his own body in the search for an “anything-but-a-mechanically-sound” golf swing – other people will be paying the price with their own physical destruction for years to come.
Oh yes… and then there’s this:
The “BEST” Tiger Woods Golf Swing Drill
I have to agree with the caption – it really is the “best” drill for you if you want to follow Tiger Wood’s injury journey. Head to the range now and book yourself a ticket to Painville.
If you want a real laugh, someone in the comments wrote under this abomination, “Tigers swing is alot like hogans…” (sic)
What have I said about internet Know-Nothings?
Don’t you DARE try to place the credit/blame on Ben Hogan for this monstrosity.
Here below is Ben Hogan demonstrating his downswing move:
A simple shift of the weight and a pivot into his leading leg from a top position with fully turned hips and a raised leading heel.
Not only that, it’s the complete opposite, as Hogan shifted fully to his leading leg and foot, and released the trailing, with absolutely no hint or suggestion of a squat from the top:
So, if you are wondering whence this “Squat & Dump” madness originated, my money is on Tiger Woods working with his new swing coach in late 2014.
That was the first time I ever saw anything like this, and it’s been so long, I had to go back and confirm it for myself today.
It’s taken ten years for impressionable kids and gullible swing “gurus” to bring us to this point, where we’re seeing more and more of this Harpoon crime upon humanity, and it may be with us long enough to cripple an entire generation of young golfers.
WAX Golf 
I can’t stop thinking about Mike Dunaway’s extremely efficient,simple and powerful “escape force” motion when I see Tiger doing that.
Tiger’s (as an observer) journey is very strange to me.Maybe it has something to with his dad.Despite his incredible success,and the access and knowledge of golf history he has,he’s always been dependent on coaches,and doesn’t seem to have learnt from his many injuries. I don’t know,but I just would think someone as dedicated as he was to golf,with the knowledge he has of the history,players,clubs etc wouldn’t of done the torturous things he did,so unneccesarily.Not needing to squat to hit the ball seems obvious to a simple amatuer. Why would you squat? Your club is the right length for the shot your doing,and it simply returns to how it was positioned at address midway through the swing.No outside inteference neccessary.
Yes. To everything.
If you think internet know nothings are bad you should try listening to a actual pga qualified coach who compares rory mcilroy’s swing to sam snead’s.
The swing of former tour pro Liam Robinson. Now teaching in Great Britain. He hits the ball a ton and so is getting a lot of attention. Is this swing a body wrecker or muscled poetry?
Looking forward to your latest and greatest WAX golf video this summer!
Hello, Peter!
Um… what on earth is all that swaying and gouging? I’ve seen less earth moved using a tiller.
But all joking aside, all of this lunging into the down swing is so unnecessary when you set up and pivot properly. Notice as well how he’s teaching positions. There are only positions in golf when you use the pause button on a swing sequence.
Liam’s swing is perfectly fine – watch the leading foot movement on the back pivot and now sway in the swing:
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But what he’s teaching him on the iron swings is just terrible mechanics.
Watch the student’s driver and his left foot during the swing – I don’t understand the insistence that the leading foot CANNOT be permitted to move during the back pivot, but it can jump, twist and shout and do whatever on the down swing.
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“The Classic Golf Swing has too many moving parts and is hard to time…” 🙃🥴
I am convinced, gents like Liam collect a following because they hit the ball a mile. Little more than that gathers interest. If I need soothing comfort in golf video land, I turn to Sybervision and Dunaway…
and of course, anything authored and starring DJ Watts…!!
You’re too kind, Peter. 🙂
Liam’s swing is decent, and he’s a big strong fellow. He’s going to smash the ball. What he teaches with the leaning stuff however is bizarre. It’s nearly impossible to time that, and not everyone is a professional level athlete.
Another thing I noticed is that whilst he is obsessing about the positions in the post-swing, he hasn’t noticed nor corrected the very squared leading foot position of the student, yet his own setup (Liam’s) has a definite leading foot flare. Hence the heel spin.
The teaching industry can be very lucrative, I’ll say that.