It started with a question.
A simple one, really.
Justin Thomas — just off his first major win — found himself paired with Tiger Woods at the 2017 Hero World Challenge. He asked what any young star would ask the GOAT in that moment:
“What do you see?”
Tiger didn’t hesitate.
“You don’t move the ball enough,” he told him.
No sugarcoating. No flattery. Just the cold truth.
And that moment? That one piece of brutally honest feedback? It set Justin Thomas on a completely different path.
The Wake-Up Call at Hero World
Woods saw the talent. But he also saw the limits.
“You don’t have near enough shots,” he told Thomas.
“You can work it, but you don’t have enough to be as dominant as I was.”
That hit hard.
Thomas could’ve brushed it off. Could’ve chalked it up to different eras, different styles.
But he didn’t. He listened.
Because when Tiger Woods talks about shot-making, you shut up and pay attention.
From Point-and-Shoot to Pure Creativity
At the time, Thomas was a “point-and-shoot” player. Consistent. Straight. Reliable.
But not creative. Not yet.
Tiger made it clear: if JT wanted to rise to the next level — to truly control a golf course — he’d need more than just one reliable shape.
So Justin and his dad, Mike Thomas (who’s also his swing coach), got to work. They laid a stick on the ground and started working on shaping shots — curving the ball around it, playing it high, low, left, right.
Over and over. Day after day.
They built what Thomas was missing: a full arsenal.
Tiger’s Nine Windows — And Why They Matter
Tiger didn’t just tell JT to hit different shots. He gave him a framework: the Nine Windows.
Three trajectories (low, medium, high). Three shot shapes (fade, draw, straight). That’s nine distinct ball flights. Tiger had them. JT wanted them.
And when Thomas started to struggle in 2022 — lost in his swing before the PGA Championship — it was the Nine Windows that brought him back.
“Let’s just start hitting some shots,” his dad said.
Not thinking. Not analyzing. Just swinging through those windows.
He won the PGA Championship that week.
JT’s Shot-Making Arsenal (Inspired by Tiger)
By 2022, Justin Thomas wasn’t just a talented ball-striker. He was an artist. A shot-maker.
His new go-to moves?
- Flat Cut – Low and spinny, perfect in the wind
- Towering Draw – High and soft, ideal for tucked pins
- Tiger Stinger – That low, piercing rocket that screams control
- Hard Hook – His rope-around-the-corner shot, famously used at The Players
- Slap Cut – A fairway finder with some flair
- Stock Straight – The foundation, the fallback
It wasn’t just about having more shots. It was about using them with confidence when it mattered most.
Lessons from Augusta (and a Slightly Competitive Friend)
The mentorship didn’t stop at shaping shots. When JT started preparing for The Masters, he got the ultimate invite: Tiger’s house.
There, Tiger broke down Augusta National — where to miss, how to play the slopes, which bunker shots work on which holes. It was like downloading golf course cheat codes.
But the dynamic changed when Tiger came back to playing. That friendly coaching edge faded.
“He’s like, I’m playing this year,” Thomas recalled.
Translation: You’re on your own, kid.
And that’s classic Tiger — helpful, but fiercely competitive.
Results on the Scorecard
All this work — the reps, the windows, the mentorship — paid off.
The Players Championship, 2021
- Hole 16: A running hook tee shot, then a high bomb for birdie
- Hole 17: A precise, center-cut shot into the island green
- Hole 18: A terrifying 5-wood skimming the water — and setting up the win
Pure shot-making. And pure Tiger influence.
The PGA Championship, 2022
Down seven shots going into the final round, Thomas clawed back — not with safe play, but by leaning into his creativity.
Low knockdowns. High floaters. Soft fades. Controlled draws.
Every tool in the bag came out to play.
Old-School Wisdom in a New-School World
In a game increasingly driven by data, yardages, and swing speeds, Tiger reminded Thomas of something simple:
“Golf is about hitting the shots. Every shot.”
Modern coaches often push single-shot mastery — own your stock shot, swing harder, simplify the plan. And sure, there’s value in that.
But Tiger’s method is deeper. Messier. More demanding.
And, when done right, more fun.
A Mentorship Built on Timing (and Honesty)
These days, the dynamic between Woods and Thomas is more nuanced.
Thomas knows not to ask too much when Tiger is in full competition mode.
“I have to be smart about when I ask,” he said.
But the trust? Still there. The advice? Still sharp.
And the respect? Mutual.
Because Tiger didn’t just tell JT what he wanted to hear.
He told him what he needed to hear.
And Justin Thomas turned that tough love into a shot-making masterpiece.
“You don’t have near enough shots.” — Tiger Woods
