Tiger Woods has been spotted practicing with a SuperStroke Ultra Slim 1.0 grip on his Nike Method 001 putter, hinting at a rare equipment tweak aimed at steadying his stroke under pressure.
On the practice green at the Presidents Cup, Tiger Woods drew sidelong glances as he worked with a SuperStroke Ultra Slim 1.0 grip fitted to his Nike Method 001 putter. For a player who's stuck with the same grip style through every one of his 14 major wins, the sight of a chunkier handle stood out. The new grip dwarfs his old Ping Man, both in diameter and by 6 grams in weight, nudging the balance point higher in his hands.
Independent confirmation that Woods used the SuperStroke Ultra Slim 1.0 grip on his Nike Method 001 putter is not available in authoritative sources as of the latest search.
Woods' move comes after a season where his putting, once the gold standard, started to show cracks. He opened the 2013 PGA Tour campaign leading the Strokes Gained-putting stat by a wide margin. By the end, he'd slipped to 22nd-his best finish since 2009, but a step down from his run between 2004 and 2009, when he never dropped below 22nd and landed in the top three twice.
Pressure-packed weekends have exposed the slide. At the Masters and British Open, Woods missed key putts and finished T4 and T6. His pre-cut scoring average stayed sharp-2nd on Tour-but his weekend numbers sagged, ranking 48th in round 3 and plummeting to 93rd in round 4. The numbers point to a pattern: as the stakes rise, his putting steadiness has faded. According to the ESPN leaderboard report, Woods finished T4 at the Masters with a 283 (-5) and took home $352,000.
SuperStroke's oversized grips have picked up steam on tour in 2013, with big wins fueling their rise. The fatter profile is supposed to help players keep the wrists quiet and the hands loose. For Woods, who's faced scrutiny over his putting since returning to the PGA Tour in 2010, even a small bump in grip size could help when the pressure ratchets up.
No official statements from Tiger Woods, SuperStroke, the PGA Tour, or Presidents Cup representatives regarding the grip change have been found in available materials. Additionally, there is no confirmation of subsequent events following Woods' testing of the grip at the Presidents Cup.
Woods' willingness to try new grip tech shows a clear-eyed response to a performance dip. He's not clinging to old habits. He's adjusting to the demands of his current game and the realities of top-level competition. The SuperStroke Ultra Slim 1.0 grip isn't a guaranteed fix, but the move highlights how even the most decorated players keep searching for a better fit and feel on the greens.
