Jack Nicklaus Comments on Tiger Woods' Struggles

The entire golf world has been trying to pinpoint exactly what's going on with Tiger Woods. Jack Nicklaus, who knows the sport as well as anyone, has chimed in with his thoughts on why the 14-time major winner has lost his way. 

Speaking on the Golf Channel's Morning Drive show on Friday (via Will Gray of the Golf Channel), Nicklaus says that Woods' problems are mental.

"Tiger's struggling, I don't think there's any question about that," Nicklaus said. "We all know that, he knows that. I think he's struggling more between his ears than he is any place else."

Nicklaus also talked about a time when he was going through his own struggles during the 1979 season, saying he was "putting it around bunkers. I couldn't chip it."

When the subject of Woods' swing and the numerous coaches he's used to try to figure things out came up, Nicklaus said that the issues facing the superstar aren't something that anyone else can cure.

"Personally, I think he needs to figure it out himself, because a teacher can't teach what's inside your head," Nicklaus said. "You've got to be able to put that positive thought into your head yourself."

Ultimately, Nicklaus is right. Woods wants so badly to fix things with himself, which is why he opted to take a sabbatical from the game until he is "ready."

It's easy to look at Woods' swing or putting to say that something is going on, but his body language tells the story of a man who isn't having fun playing the game and doesn't trust himself. He changes swing coaches because he wants someone to give him a quick fix. 

There are no easy answers in sports. Woods may never be the great player he used to be, odds are strongly against it, but there's no reason he should look as bad as he has at the age of 39. He needs this time away to put some of the pieces back together, because golf is much better when he is competitive.