Fit Woods eager to return to action

Struggling for form and plagued by injuries, Tiger Woods is exploring his past to rediscover himself and his once ferocious swing as he prepares for a comeback at the Hero World Challenge, starting on Thursday.

Sir Nic Faldo had said that Woods must change his swing if he wishes to prolong his career. Woods fired Sean Foley in August after withdrawing from WGC- Bridgestone Invitational at Akron and recently hired Dallas-based Chris Como as his swing consultant.

Woods said his and Como’s vision on how his swing should be going forward was the same. “We looked at a lot of videos from when I was a junior and playing amateur golf. And it was interesting to see where my swing was then and how much force I could generate with a skinny frame.

“How do I generate that much power? That’s kind of what we are getting back into it,” Woods said. The 38-year-old said he needs to hit more balls to be game ready but the sharp pain in his troubled back is surely gone.

Woods’ back was operated in March to alleviate pain caused by a pinched nerve. But the lower back problem came back to haunt him in August at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, where he withdrew only after eight holes. The 38-year-old said his rehab was complete.

“It feels great. It feels fantastic. I have gotten stronger. I’ve gotten more explosive. I’ve gotten faster,” Woods said. “All of the things — I just now need to hit more balls, but the body is good. I don’t have the sharp pain like I used to at the beginning of the year. I still have some aches and pains, just like anybody else who is my age and older,” he said.