5 Things to Know About Tiger Woods' New Swing Coach, Chris Como

Chris Como was most likely on almost no one's list to become Tiger Woods' next swing coach, er, consultant.

But that's exactly who Woods chose after some nudges in that direction by his friend Notah Begay III, who recently discussed the new partnership on Golf Central.

As the choice, Como will immediately climb into the middle of a worldwide spotlight that always shines brightly on Woods.

It won't take critics long to jump on Como if Woods starts slowly when he returns to action. And it won't take long for the Como bandwagon to be overflowing if Woods gets off to a quick start.

Here are five things to know about Chris Como.

Como Isn't Really a Swing Coach

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Chances are Woods will be swinging better this week than when we last saw him in the PGA Championship.

In the frenzy that followed Tiger Woods' announcement of the firing of Sean Foley and the hiring of Chris Como, the latter was universally referred to as Woods' new swing coach.

Woods certainly has not referred to him as such and probably won't.

Perhaps the closest thing to a description of Como's duties would be to call him "swing consultant."

At this week's Hero World Challenge, which Woods hosts, he said in a press conference, "I was very surprised and very excited with what he thought my swing should look like. My ideas aligned with Chris.”

Como is working on a masters degree in biomechanics at Texas Woman's University as well as finding himself on Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers in America list.

He doesn't have the name power of Woods' previous coaches: Butch Harmon, Hank Haney and Foley, but Woods and Como seem to be kindred spirits of some sorts.

Do you think Woods' swing will get any scrutiny when he gets back out on tour?

Como's Resume Isn't Overwhelming

Mel Evans/Associated Press

The big question: Will Tiger Woods be applauding the efforts of swing consultant Chris Como once he returns to play?

The stable of players Chris Como has worked with is not huge, but those who have worked with him and even those who have watched how he works are believers.

Aaron Baddeley, Trevor Immelman, Jamie Lovemark and Richard Lee are the players on the PGA Tour who work with Como.

Lee has worked with him since May and is impressed.

"Chris understands and gets that everyone has their own DNA built," Lee recently told Farrell Evans of ESPN.com. "He understands the style of the golfer and their pattern and teaches what movements need to be matched up for the swing to be functional."

Brad Faxon, the long-time PGA Tour and now Champions Tour player, chimed in with his support when the announcement was made.

“I’m a big Chris Como fan,” he said, via Jim McCabe of Golfweek. “He knows more about the technical parts of the swing, parts you might just glaze over, but he makes it applicable so that you know how to do it.”

Why Como and Woods Should Work Well Together

Chris Como does not appear to have the dominant personality of a Butch Harmon or the attention-seeking aura of Hank Haney.

That alone would endear the unknown 37-year-old to Woods, who doesn't deal well with those in his camp who impinge on the spotlight shining on him.

If there's one thing Woods likes to talk about, it's the golf swing. And that just happens to be one of Como's favorite subjects.

Como said that when he and Woods began discussions, he was naturally a little nervous.

"I would say once we got in the mode of talking golf swing, that's my Zen, that's my world," Como said in a story written by Tim Rosaforte in Golf Digest. "When I'm into that world, on the range, teaching, talking golf swings, that's sort of what I do."

A match made in heaven, perhaps?

 

 

Maybe He'll Go Down in History

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

If Tiger Woods' back is healed and pictures like this aren't repeated, Chris Como has a chance to make some history.

This is getting the horse far in front of cart, but let's just fantasize for a second. Suppose Chris Como and Tiger Woods click, Woods' back is indeed healthy and he returns to the PGA Tour as a force. And beyond that, he's able to win the four majors he needs to catch Jack Nicklaus' record of 18.

Como becomes a big part of history because he was the one who helped Woods correct his swing and make it a natural, functional part of his game. 

Como would go kicking and screaming into stardom because he's something of a quiet guy and because of one of this basic tenets.

“The idea of having a person rely on a teacher is bad,” Como explained to Rosaforte. “You have to know about yourself, rely on yourself.”

Como Needs to Be Unflappable

When Chris Como was named Tiger Woods' swing consultant, he was described as unknown or relatively unknown. And in many ways, he was. 

He didn't have any big-name clients in his stable, unless you consider Trevor Immelman, the 2008 Masters champion, a big name.

Como is based out of Gleneagles Country Club not far from Dallas, where he's been charging $1,500 a half-day for lessons.

In what might be a premonition of what's to come for him, the website Como operates crashed not long after the announcement of his new job because it exceeded its bandwith.

Hang on to your seat, Chris. It's going to be a wild ride ahead.