Jack Nicklaus has backed under-fire Tiger Woods to bounce back from his injury problems and poor form and prove his critics wrong.

The 18-time major champion has also insisted that Woods still has the potential to break his own record of major titles, but that he needs to do it all on his own.

"I think Tiger will turn it around. He's too dedicated, he works too hard at it, he's got too much talent," Nicklaus said on the Golf Channel. "He'll figure it out, and personally, I think he needs to figure it out himself, because a teacher can't teach what's inside your head. You've got to be able to put that positive thought into your head yourself.

"Tiger is struggling. I don't think there's any question about that. I think he's struggling more between his ears than he is any place else. He's struggled with the driver most of his life really, but he's always been able to find the golf ball and get it somewhere back around the green.

"Now he's having trouble with the short game. That is not a good combination, to drive it poorly and have a bad short game."

Woods won his 14th and most recent major at the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines. However, Nicklaus believes that Woods could still surpass his tally.

"He's got a lot of golf in front of him. But it's going to be up to him. He's still got to do it. He may, he may not. I still think he has time on his side," Nicklaus added.

Woods began his 2015 campaign by carding a career-high 82 which saw him miss the cut at the Phoenix Open in January.