Opinion & Analysis

Who is Matt Killen, Tiger Woods’ new putting coach?

Published

5 years ago

Mar 12, 2019

It was over two years ago when I met Matt Killen at an airport in Toronto. I was just obnoxious enough to chase him down and introduce myself. I’m happy I did, he’s a great human being and has been a fun person to chat with Over the past couple of years. I have always been a big fan of his work and amazed that a young man could have so much success in what had always appeared to be an older man’s field. Today it was announced that Matt is now working with Tiger Woods on certain aspects of his game…..for any teacher that’s the pinnacle. The running narrative is if Tiger trusts your opinion, you must be on to something.

Here is an article I wrote for GolfWRX in September of 2016 on who Matt is and what makes him so special.

This week, the golfing world will descend upon Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, for the 41st playing of the Ryder Cup. The media will keep busy in deep analysis on who will win, the role of the captain’s picks and other speculation. What’s rarely discussed, however, are the people who work behind the scenes to get the world’s best golfers firing on all cylinders to represent their countries: the swing coaches.

In the Ryder Cup’s storied past, the names of those who roamed the ranges read like a who’s who of golf tutelage: Butch Harmon, David Leadbetter, Pete Cowen and Phil Rodgers, to name a few. If you tune into the coverage this week, you might see a new “kid” on the block roaming the range, but the truth is he’s been on the scene for almost 10 years. And this upcoming Ryder Cup is not his first go around.

Matt Killen is on his second tour of duty, and the previous time he was at the Ryder Cup the U.S. won. Killen’s current stable includes young guns Justin Thomas, Patrick Rodgers, Bud Cauley and 2016 Ryder Cup captain’s pick J.B. Holmes, who Killen has worked with for more than 10 years. That’s almost as long as the void in U.S. victories in the Ryder Cup (sorry to bring that up). The interesting part is Killen, whose home base is The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida, turned 31 years old on Monday (let the math settle in). Yes, he’s been working with some of the best players in the world since before he could legally drink a beer.

During the 2008 Ryder Cup — a victorious endeavor for the U.S. — Killen was a busy man, as he had three different players in the event: fellow Kentucky natives J.B. Holmes and Kenny Perry, as well as Chad Campbell. Killen was also working with team captain Paul Azinger at the time — and Killen was only 22 years old! Most teachers and swing coaches don’t begin working with Tour players until well into their 30s, and many times much later. How does this happen, and what makes Killen the guy (read: kid) who Tour players trust with their careers?

On my way home from Toronto during the Canadian Open, I ran into Killen, whose story is every bit as compelling as the players he coaches. It was a random encounter at the Toronto airport, but I was compelled to introduce myself being hugely interested in his story. He’s a soft-spoken, Southern native with an overwhelming sense of confidence when he discusses golf mechanics. After a bit of small talk, we dug into his swing philosophies. I found myself dumbfounded with the ease in which he was able to explain body mechanics and clubface dynamics. That’s what the great teachers seemingly all have in common; their knowledge of the swing is ridiculously rich, but their ability to deliver the message simply and tailor it to the learning styles of each student is what breeds success.

Although the attention on our golfing prodigies always seems to focus on the players, being a swing coach to those players at such a young age is far more unlikely than winning on the PGA Tour. Young teachers are at a disadvantage based on experience and time. So how can a strong, trusting relationship be built with someone so young? After all, information in regards to the golf swing, especially at that level, always just seems a bit more reliable coming from the mouth of say a 40- or 50-year-old guy who has made the rounds in golf academies, and/or was a successful player in his own right.

Killen was just a skinny teenager who had the courage to speak up when his best friend’s father, Kenny Perry, was looking for something or someone to light the fire. With the burning passion of youth, Matt was the kid for the job. Most teenagers would have shied away from an intimidating situation like that. The saying, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” never seemed more appropriate.

What’s Killen’s first point of focus when working with a top player?

“What’s gonna make them the most money?” Killen said.

A pretty honest answer if you ask me, especially for a 31-year-old. Killen first determines what a golfer is physically capable of doing and then establishes what’s possible, but the science and analysis behind Killen’s philosophy is anything but simple. He is well versed in body mechanics and the physics of impact, particularly gear effect, which he said is one of the main things his top players need to understand to remedy their misses.

“Most of these guys not only own their golf swings but also have a path and club face relationship that creates a predictable pattern with the ball flight they want,” Killen said. “With modern equipment, especially the driver, understanding how gear effect can confuse certain misses is vital to a player’s working knowledge.”

I dug a little deeper with Killen. What I found was that he’s not trying to construct analytical golfing machines. Like his pursuit for the truth behind what makes a golf ball fly a certain way, he asks that his players take on the responsibility of knowing exactly who they are as players, and accepting what they can and can’t do. Once that awareness and trust is built, the success can follow.

“You always want all your players to have the comfort level to play any shot that is required, and most of the guys out there can under all conditions,” Killen said. “What I work on with my guys is to take ownership of their swing and to understand shot for shot how and why the ball is flying a certain way so they can address it quickly and focus on shooting the scores they need to win.”

I was curious; does J.B. Holmes’ plan differ this week at the Ryder Cup than it would at a typical PGA Tour event? Not really, Killen said.

“Working with J.B. this week, I will be focusing on establishing a predictable pattern,” he said. “After we walk the course and look at all the shots required, we will focus on on any particular shot he isn’t 100 percent comfortable with. Our preparation will be process focused and when he tees it up his focus will be the shot at hand and staying athletic. J.B. is a pure feel player, but he is also a student that searches for understanding of his golf swing and is able to discern the information quickly while being able to react as an athlete once he’s between the ropes.”

Under Ryder Cup pressure, especially the past few years, the players who have thrived were the those who fell back on their natural instincts and played the shots that felt right to them. At the end of the day, that’s all Killen is trying to get his players to understand and execute. At the top level, it’s often the golfer who is most comfortable in his own skin that will prevail, and the only pathway to that is to take full ownership of your motion.

What I also found compelling about Killen and his staff is that each of his Tour players, regardless of physical stature, is within the top 30 in driving distance. That includes Bud Cauley, who is currently averaging 300.1 yards off the tee while standing at only 5-feet, 7-inches and 155 pounds.

Looking at the big picture, Killen is only one teacher working with one of the 24 players this week. But for me, and maybe for many of you after reading this article, it really runs deeper than that. Golf has become a sport that has attracted some of the most unique young talents in the sports world. And prodigies of the educational variety, although not as flashy as a 345-yard drives or green jackets, are just as impressive. Matt Killen will be on PGA Tour ranges for a long time — not because he has a new swing philosophy or the flashiest stable of players. It’s because like the men he teaches, it’s all he’s cared about his entire life. It’s a selfless pursuit, and not exactly the most glamorous path. Most young golfers wanted to play like Tiger when they were 12, but Killen just wanted to know how he played like he did.

Here’s to a great Ryder Cup, and when you see great shots made down the stretch, remember there’s a swing coach watching who had something to do them.

Your Reaction?

LIKE144
LEGIT11
WOW10
LOL1
IDHT3
FLOP7
OB3
SHANK18

19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting preview

Published

2 days ago

Apr 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.

TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.

Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.

However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.

Past Winners at TPC Louisiana

2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)

2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks

Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)

Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.

This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.

McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.

Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)

Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.

Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.

Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)

Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.

NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.

Your Reaction?

LIKE7
LEGIT3
WOW1
LOL1
IDHT0
FLOP3
OB1
SHANK1

19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 LIV Adelaide betting preview: Cam Smith ready for big week down under

Published

2 days ago

Apr 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

After having four of the top twelve players on the leaderboard at The Masters, LIV Golf is set for their fifth event of the season: LIV Adelaide.

For both LIV fans and golf fans in Australia, LIV Adelaide is one of the most anticipated events of the year. With 35,000 people expected to attend each day of the tournament, the Grange Golf Club will be crawling with fans who are passionate about the sport of golf. The 12th hole, better known as “the watering hole”, is sure to have the rowdiest of the fans cheering after a long day of drinking some Leishman Lager.

The Grange Golf Club is a par-72 that measures 6,946 yards. The course features minimal resistance, as golfers went extremely low last season. In 2023, Talor Gooch shot consecutive rounds of 62 on Thursday and Friday, giving himself a gigantic cushion heading into championship Sunday. Things got tight for a while, but in the end, the Oklahoma State product was able to hold off The Crushers’ Anirban Lahiri for a three-shot victory.

The Four Aces won the team competition with the Range Goats finishing second.

*All Images Courtesy of LIV Golf*

Past Winners at LIV Adelaide

2023: Talor Gooch (-19)

Stat Leaders Through LIV Miami

Green in Regulation

Richard Bland
Jon Rahm
Paul Casey

Fairways Hit

Abraham Ancer
Graeme McDowell
Henrik Stenson

Driving Distance

Bryson DeChambeau
Joaquin Niemann
Dean Burmester

Putting

Cameron Smith
Louis Oosthuizen
Matt Jones

2024 LIV Adelaide Picks

Cameron Smith +1400 (DraftKings)

When I pulled up the odds for LIV Adelaide, I was more than a little surprised to see multiple golfers listed ahead of Cameron Smith on the betting board. A few starts ago, Cam finished runner-up at LIV Hong Kong, which is a golf course that absolutely suits his eye. Augusta National in another course that Smith could roll out of bed and finish in the top-ten at, and he did so two weeks ago at The Masters, finishing T6.

At Augusta, he gained strokes on the field on approach, off the tee (slightly), and of course, around the green and putting. Smith able to get in the mix at a major championship despite coming into the week feeling under the weather tells me that his game is once again rounding into form.

The Grange Golf Club is another course that undoubtedly suits the Australian. Smith is obviously incredibly comfortable playing in front of the Aussie faithful and has won three Australian PGA Championship’s. The course is very short and will allow Smith to play conservative off the tee, mitigating his most glaring weakness. With birdies available all over the golf course, there’s a chance the event turns into a putting contest, and there’s no one on the planet I’d rather have in one of those than Cam Smith.

Louis Oosthuizen +2200 (DraftKings)

Louis Oosthuizen has simply been one of the best players on LIV in the 2024 seas0n. The South African has finished in the top-10 on the LIV leaderboard in three of his five starts, with his best coming in Jeddah, where he finished T2. Perhaps more impressively, Oosthuizen finished T7 at LIV Miami, which took place at Doral’s “Blue Monster”, an absolutely massive golf course. Given that Louis is on the shorter side in terms of distance off the tee, his ability to play well in Miami shows how dialed he is with the irons this season.

In addition to the LIV finishes, Oosthuizen won back-to-back starts on the DP World Tour in December at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritus Open. He also finished runner-up at the end of February in the International Series Oman. The 41-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers of 2024, regardless of tour.

For the season, Louis ranks 4th on LIV in birdies made, T9 in fairways hit and first in putting. He ranks 32nd in driving distance, but that won’t be an issue at this short course. Last season, he finished T11 at the event, but was in decent position going into the final round but fell back after shooting 70 while the rest of the field went low. This season, Oosthuizen comes into the event in peak form, and the course should be a perfect fit for his smooth swing and hot putter this week.

Your Reaction?

LIKE12
LEGIT3
WOW1
LOL1
IDHT0
FLOP1
OB1
SHANK1

Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: What really makes a wedge work? Part 1

Published

6 days ago

Apr 18, 2024

Terry Koehler

Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.

Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.

But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.

To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.

Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.

If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.

In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.

Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.

While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.

So, what about grooves and face texture?

Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.

Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.

But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?

The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.

So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.

And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.

Your Reaction?