Tiger Woods

From the tee
Apart perhaps from John Daly, Tiger Woods hits the ball further than any player in the modern game. His enormous distance from the tee derives from a near perfect swing and an exceptional shoulder turn — which creates the maximum resistance in the right side of his body that then generates his stunning clubhead speed.

And Tiger's swing is as consistent as it is powerful. His posture, grip and stance are all designed to bring the club around his body on the perfect swing plane — giving him power as well as control.

To play this one Tiger lays the club face very wide and hits the ball hard. The 'flop shot' is hit at as steep an angle as possible so that it stops very quickly — and it's the perfect weapon for the US Tour, where the rough is often deeper around the greens.

In the hole
Despite his relative inexperience, Tiger is already one of the best readers of the greens on the circuit. His unwavering concentration is allied to an interesting technique designed to achieve what Woods describes as 'end-on-end rotation'.

In an attempt to prevent it from skidding over the turf, Tiger hits the ball after his swing has already gone through the lowest point of its arc. This gives the ball a kind of gentle topspin that will help it travel more smoothly and with greater stability towards the hole.

In the mind
Technically, he has the complete game. But Tiger also has the temperament of a true champion. He is aggressive and competitive in the way he approaches every shot but rarely allows the adrenaline to cloud his acute judgement.

Clearly motivated by Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles, Woods has always been a keen student of the history and traditions of the game. And unlike many of his compatriots, he enjoys playing in Britain — and when the wind gets up he clearly relishes the chance to test his astounding array of shots.

While out on the course, Tiger's bunker play is good rather than great, and his judgement of distance with the shorter irons is probably not as acute as that of Colin Montgomerie, for example.

However his desire to constantly improve, and to hone a technique that already puts him head and shoulders above his peers, marks out Tiger Woods as the man to beat for the foreseeable future. He's the best there is. And over the next decade he looks set to become the best there ever was. Would you bet against him?

Born: 30 December, 1975
Turned pro: 1996
Height: 6ft 2in
Weight: 11st 6lb
Residences: Florida, California
Interests: Basketball, fishing