Woods: I couldn’t play with my kids

Tiger Woods has revealed just how bad his injury troubles were back in December.

The former world number one provided some new information about his recovery process on Wednesday, first in a blog post on his website and then during a press conference at Bluejack National, his first U.S. golf-course design located in Montgomery, Texas.

In the online message, Woods said his health was improving, although he still did not know when he would be able to return to golf.

"As I announced last week, I am starting to feel a lot better," Woods wrote. "I have been chipping and putting at home, and recently started hitting 9 irons. That's been so nice. After all, Florida is the Sunshine State.  

"My son Charlie and I compete in just about everything and have three-hole chipping contests. The loser has to do push-ups. My short game feels pretty sharp.

"The big thing right now is trying to get stronger and more flexible. Sitting out as long as I did, some weakening occurred, and I have a lot of work ahead of me.

"While there is no timetable on my return to competitive golf, I want to play this game at the highest level again. In order to do that, I have to get healthy.

"I've received many nice calls and texts from my fellow PGA Tour players and want to thank them for their support and encouragement. It's a fraternity out there, and we're all in this together."

At the press conference, Woods revealed that he was in a bad state during December's Hero World Challenge, although he was doing "a helluva lot better".

"At the Hero, I wasn't feeling very good," he said. "I couldn't play with my kids. I wasn't able to throw and play catch with my son."

He also denied a report that he had started hitting drivers, saying: "I haven't hit anything more than a 9-iron."

Woods also admitted he had pushed himself too hard in the past, coming back from previous injuries too early.

"That's what athletes do," he said.

Asked again about a possible date for his return, he replied: "I don't really know. This is a different injury than I've had in the past. When dealing with nerves, there is no timetable. Everyone feels differently."

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