Three quick questions for Hank Haney

As the Presidents Cup kicks off, Tiger's teacher called me from San Francisco to talk Woods, the golf swing, and Charles Barkley.

1. Hank, it seems that when Tiger misses a fairway by a blade of grass, people want your head on a platter. With his six wins and FedEx Cup title this year, do you feel vindicated?

I hear a lot of [criticism], including comments in your magazine. But that comes with the territory, and I accept it. I can't control what other people say. Tiger has had a consistent year, coming back from a terrible knee injury that would end most athletes' careers. And for him to play as well as he had this year, I'm proud of him. Tiger has gotten better as a golfer, and I'm happy to be a part of that.

2. What's the biggest mistake we mortals make in the swing?

I see this all the time in my golf schools. The average golfer doesn't correctly diagnose the problem in his swing. Very rarely do I see someone who knows what they're doing wrong at impact, which is key. Instead they experiment with what might work, or with what they read in a magazine. Or they go after a "feeling" in the swing. What you should do instead is ask, 'What's my golf ball doing? What's my ball flight? What am I doing to cause this poor impact?" You have to be a detective, and work backwards from impact. Before a lesson or a range session, start with a ball-flight diagnosis and work from there.

3. You tried to fix Charles Barkley's game. If Tiger's swing is a Rolls-Royce, what's Charles driving?

[Laughs] I think he'd qualify for Cash for Clunkers.

Photo: Fred Vuich/SI