Is the Tiger Woods era of mental game dominance over?

He's got a lot on his mind. Now that's pretty much of an understatement. Tiger's mental game has been on the slip and slide for the better part of a year now. Simply put, he's in a world class psychological slump.

Tiger has this immense stress and he may not be appreciative that it's leaking into his game, according to Dr. Gregg Steinberg, a sports psychologist and consultant to college and professional athletes whose clients include PGA tour members.

Well... Duh!

Steinberg goes on to say that the longer Tiger doesn't win, the harder it will be for him to win. He's got one hell of an mental uphill battle in front of him.

But if anyone can pull it off, Tiger can. Here's a man who has been to the mountain top. It wasn't that long ago that the so-called golf experts placed Tiger Woods well above the rest of the PGA tour. He was the on the "Tiger Tour."

Sport psychology consultant Dr. Jack Llewellyn, who has counseled professional athletes whose performances suffered because of turbulence in their personal lives, says he believes Woods can return to the "Tiger Tour," if and when he admits there are flaws in his mental game armor.

Llewellyn believes if Tiger takes care of himself mentally and physically, he'll rediscover the quality energy he needs to play his very large game.

So, Let's hear your opinion. Is the "Tiger Tour" gone forever, or can he rediscover the lost mind game assets from his pre-disaster days?

Great putting ...it's all in your head

Okay, I admit it. I've recently lost some confidence on the green.

I'm embarrassed to admit the horrendous amount of three putts I've posted in the last few rounds. I could trim five or six strokes off my score with a little remedial putting. And wouldn't that be a sweet treat on the scorecard?

So what's the solution to my three-putt dilemma? Mind control. I need to become a more positive putter. I believe my problem begins with a lack of putting confidence.

The problem is that I start trying too hard. Rather than finding a calm mental state where I can make a natural move and swing freely I get lost in micro-mechanical last minute repairs. I start crowding my head with thoughts about the grip, posture, swing speed, stance and other minutia. It's not that these issues aren't important but once you're over the putt you've got to let yourself feel what needs to be done ...and then do it!

All this last minute analysis wrecks the natural timing of the putt and I end up short, long or just nowhere near the hole. The added frustration is then added on top of my previous failures and my confidence just slides further away.

I heard a fascinating story about the Jack Nicklaus vs Arnold Palmer match at the 1994 Shell Wonderful World of Golf. Apparently Jack holed every putt, and when asked about his incredible performance, Jack Jr. (his son and caddie) said he told his dad to smile and enjoy the challenge of putting more.

That was the simplicity of Jack's putting secret. Apparently even the great Jack Nicklaus occasionally needed an attitude adjustment.

So I'm on it. And with all my recent study of mental game improvements (more on that later) I'm certain I can muster a more positive mental attitude my next time out.

Wish me luck!