#039: Change Your Swing: What Businesses Can Learn from Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods’ life pursuit of the perfect golf swing.

I've never enjoyed playing golf.

Forced to endure the game for decades as a necessary part of business networking and meetings, I'm left feeling uninspired and dull each time I step off the course.

No post-round drinks at the clubhouse for me—I'm out of there as soon as possible.

Yet, despite my disinterest in playing golf, I remain locked-in by the greatness of athletes in all sports, like Tiger Woods, whose career has provided lessons that transcend sports and apply directly to my life in the business world.

Tiger: The Model of Continuous Improvement

Early in his career, Tiger made a decision that puzzled golf experts and fans: he changed his perfect golf swing multiple times. This relentless drive for improvement, a refusal to settle for "good enough," mirrors a crucial business philosophy in today's ever-evolving marketplace.

Woods is a testament to the importance of continually challenging and reinventing oneself. Despite his successes and a swing considered the pinnacle of form, he chose to overhaul it to better adapt to physical challenges and to enhance his performance.

The Enemy of Success

'Satisfaction is the enemy of success' should be a guiding principle. In my own career with Ultimate Hoops and now in my new sports consulting company, I strive to live by this philosophy. When operations run smoothly, that's precisely when I become restless.

Over the years, introducing a bit of controlled chaos has kept our teams on their toes. We often joked at Ultimate Hoops that if everything seemed "too perfect" it might prompt me to "change the swing of the organization," pushing all of us to discover new areas of improvement and innovation.

Swing Change: The Ultimate Hoops National Tournament

In 2012, as Ultimate Hoops was expanding across Life Time locations in the U.S. and Canada, I embraced the "change your swing" mentality by launching the Ultimate Hoops Las Vegas National Tournament.

Participants would travel at their own expense to compete in a weekend tournament to determine the best Ultimate Hoops team in the world. At that time, no other adult recreational basketball league had attempted such a feat, as all were provincial, never venturing outside their local markets.

The first tournament was a struggle, but now the tournament sells out within minutes and continues to be a highlight event each year. The National Tournament has become another powerful tool 'in our bag,' elevating the Ultimate Hoops experience and challenging other leagues to think beyond their local boundaries.

Radical Innovation for Lasting Success

Tiger’s adjustments were not minor tweaks but radical overhauls, demanding a complete rethinking of his approach. This approach—rooted in a refusal to accept the status quo, even amid success—is something all businesses, particularly those in the recreational sports sector, should strive to emulate.

The stories of Tiger and the operational philosophy at Ultimate Hoops intersect on a crucial lesson: never get too comfortable with success. Constant stimulation through new challenges keeps both athletes and businesses at the forefront of their fields, with the ability to compete on any course, under any conditions.

Just as Tiger continually refines his swing in his pursuit of perfection, so too should businesses never stop pushing their limits. Always improve, never retire your pursuit of excellence, and occasionally—swing away to make it better.