Below is a mostly complete recap of the Q & A Session with Tiger Woods during the 2009 Tiger Woods Web Talkback.  Please note that I was trying to “live blog” this on twitter while also listening intently. 🙂 The format was two questions from the guests of ten(?) different Nike retailers throughout the country.

I missed the first few questions, but most of the good stuff is here.

Q: How important is good equipment to a players game?
A: Good golf equipment is extremely important for a good game, good gear enhances your game and bad equipment has the opposite effect.

Q: If you didn’t play golf, what career would you have chosen.
A: If I didn’t golf, I would’ve joined the Navy and tried to become a seal. Special forces runs in my family, my dad was a green beret.

Q: If you could play golf in a different era, which would you choose?
A: If I could play golf in a different era, I would go head to head with Jack Nicklaus in his prime, late 60’s early 70’s.

Q: What was your inspiration for the new Tiger Woods Victory Reds and can average golfers play them?
A: The Clubs have to look good and have good technology behind them. Average golfers can also benefit from the new Victory Reds

Q: Can Hank Haney help Charles Barkley’s golf game?
A: It certainly can’t hurt it. 🙂

Q: What do you do when you find your game falling apart in the middle of a round?
A: Having the guts to trust your analysis of the situation and understanding your game enough to know how to fix it or how to get out of a bad groove. Hogan only has 1 or two good rounds a year and the rest is knowing how to correct what’s not working and having the courage to stick with it.

Q: What advice do you have for average players trying to improve their game?
A: The most important thing an average player can do to improve their game is lots of practice. You get out of Golf what you put into it. If you don’t practice you don’t deserve to improve. It’s not about going to the range and cranking balls, go there with a clear goal in mind and develop a game plan to achieve it.

Q: What’s your fondest memory of the Ryder Cup?
A: My fondest memory was his first Ryder Cup in 1997 in Spain playing with my “big brother” Mark O’meara.

Q: What was it like playing against Jack Nicklaus?
A: It was a great experience, playing against Jack, it was impressive to see some of Jacks old game come through in the end.

Q: Can you give us some insight into the courses you’re designing?
A: I’m favoring a more traditional links style. It’s not fair to the players to have to force carry over bunkers, not everyone can hit a 3I in the air and put some spin on it. I’m designing my courses to have more of a runway for players to roll onto the green.

Q: Are your reactions to sinking “pressure” putts natural or rehearsed?
A: That’s a hard question to answer, my first fist pump was when I beat my dad for the first time.  Well, specifically, it was when he missed his putt causing my win. 🙂

Q: How did you manage to win Torrey Pines last year when you were in so much pain?
A: I don’t really know how to answer that, truth be told, I don’t know how I did it, I just kept telling myself that I have what it takes to win the round.

Q: Which performances have you cherished most on tour?
A: The ’97 Masters, my dad was sick and was advised not to travel but being stubborn like my dad was, he still came to Augusta to support me.

Q: How long did you hit the ball when you were 8 years old?
A: I don’t really remember, I made my first hole in one when I was 8, it was a 105 yard Par 3, I hit a cut 5 wood that went over the bunker and I was too short to see where it stopped. When they told me the ball was in the hole, I ran to the hole, looked in and started screaming and hollering. Actually, my life peaked three years later when I was 11, I had the cutest girl in the 6th grade, won every tournament that year, made straight A’s and still had recess. 🙂

Q: Is custom fitted equipment important?
A: Yes, absolutely, it’s incredibly beneficial to have clubs fitted to your body, swing type, etc.. You start out at a disadvantage when you try to adjust yourself to your clubs. Proper fitted club help build fundamentals from the ground up.

Q: What should amateur golfers look for when searching equipment?
A: Find clubs that are designed for your skill level and what you’re comfortable hitting with.

Q: What do you recommend for getting junior golfers into the game?
A: Make it fun for kids and help make it memorable. I remember when I was young, how much fun I had practicing every day with my dad. We’d do games and competitions to keep it fun and exciting. I’ve carried that enjoyment I experienced when I was younger into my game today.

Q: What should amateur golfers do to maintain fitness?
A: Core strength, strong abs, rows and lats to get posture right.

Q: Why do you wear red on Sundays?
A: My mom said I’m a Capricorn, red is my power color, moms know best and I stuck with it.

This was the first time they’ve ever tried this format and I think it was pretty successful. I was pleased that not a single person mentioned the left knee. Hearing questions from the “average joes” was pretty cool, much more enjoyable than the same ol questions fired at Tiger Woods from the various news agencies.

Hope you enjoy it! 🙂

-Dave