Golf is not an easy game. Just ask Mike Weir. Widely accepted now as Canada’s best-ever golfer, the diminutive Canuck entered the 2008 season with a recent win in his pocket, and feeling more fit than he has in a decade.
But before competing at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship in late March at the famed Blue Monster Course in Miami, Florida, Weir struggled with his game. He finished 4th at the season-opening Mercedes Benz Championship, then tied for 56th at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. He finished in a tie for 14th at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
In the first major of the year, Weir started off in contention after the first two rounds of the Masters in April but faded to finish at 17th.
You can’t help but think, though, that Weir is on the verge of a very good season. He’s healthy, he’s fit, and he’s playing with confidence once again – not to mention a new swing.
"My game back in 2003 was still a little inconsistent and felt like it could get better. I think it is a lot better now," said Weir earlier this season, citing the campaign that produced three wins, including the Masters, and more than $4.9-million US en route to climbing to No. 3 in the World Rankings.  
As a youngster, growing up in Bright’s Grove, Ont., Weir was an all-around athlete, competing in hockey and baseball as well as golf. But it wasn’t until the late-1990s that Weir, who turned pro after his collegiate golf days at Brigham Young University, totally committed himself to fitness. Suffering previous bouts with back pain due to increased pressure put on his lower body and legs, Weir worked hard while stretching his back and legs, in particular his hamstrings, and focused on core conditioning – his stomach, lower abdominal and leg muscles, plus his lower back.
Yet all athletes, even those as strong as Weir, are susceptible to injury. Following a win at the 2004 Nissan Open, Weir’s game faltered, thanks largely to a series of neck and back injuries. He made some changes, bringing new swing coaches Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer on board Team Weir, and enlisting the help of a new strength and conditioning coach, Jeff Handler.
The hard work finally seems to be paying off. In 2007 a healthy Weir beat Woods one-on-one in the President’s Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club in late September. Confident in his game, Weir won the Fry’s Electronics Open in October – his first win in more than three years.
Bennett and Plummer coach Weir on the Stack & Tilt swing theory, which sees the spine tilting towards the target on the backswing and the weight staying on the front foot. It’s a single-axis swing that promotes consistency, and Weir is living proof that it works.
"It was a grind last year," said Weir. "I worked really hard. It seemed like after every round I was working on my swing and then I’d have to squeeze in time for short game. It was almost overload – six days a week for that many weeks I was just grinding away. It kind of wears you down."
But when push comes to shove, a golfer is an athlete, and must train as an athlete – 12 months a year. In Weir’s case, and in the case of almost every PGA Tour competitor today, that means training during the off-season, and during tournament weeks before and after tee times.
"I’ve been working hard with Jeff since 2005," said Weir. "I’m definitely stronger. In 1998, I was probably 145 pounds. Now I’m 162 pounds. That’s made a difference in my game."
Just how fit is the new Mike Weir? According to Handler, Weir, who turns 38 in May, has more in common with Tiger Woods than most people would think.
Says Handler, "Tiger and Mike’s workouts are both extremely aggressive, more athletic. They put their nose to the grindstone every single day. And that’s the best part about those guys. They are so similar in that sense, that it’s fun to watch them compete."