I'm curious to know if it's true or just a rumor.

EDIT: And there must be something to it. Check out the poll of the day on the ESPN golf page (scroll down to bottom right): http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/index

"Can losing weight negatively affect a golfer's swing?"

Curiouser and curiouser.

No, but here is what he had to say today in a press conference about his winter fitness program.

"And then I feel like the Ryder Cup performance was more of -- as opposed to a game problem, more of a physical problem. It's late in the year, it's the last tournament for me of the year and I don't feel as though I stood up physically throughout the nine months, and especially we're playing 36 holes a day. And I needed to address that.

So the last three or four months, I've done a lot with my trainer, Sean Cochran, to address that. I immediately lost 20, 25 pounds and put on about 10 to 15 more with muscle from lifting, trying to build up stamina doing 45 minutes to an hour and a half of cardio five or six days a week. I've started a new martial arts, a different type of martial art from what I've been doing. We also continued with our core strength and so forth. But I'm hoping that this will improve stamina so that at the latter part of the year I have a better performance."

I say Yes.

I will amit to a time in my life where I wanted to be skinny and thought that girls would like me more.
This went on during high school and I found the I sucked I was the shortest hitter and I just sucked
Now weighing in at 160 170 (muscle) I can just pound the ball and I am a great golfer.

So depends on how much.

Here is TGC.com's article (no mention of Skinny Phil)
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?pa...amp;select=9646

and here are the 2 photos of Phil that they include:



I have no idea about the timing of either photo (although the yellow shirt looks like the one from the U.S. Open)

Nothing yet? How disappointing!

Could we be seeing Phil follow in the footsteps of the late, great David Duval? Time will tell.

Is it me , or doe Phil always sound like he has a cold? Does he have sinus issues or what?

the suspense is killing me. i don't even really like Phil but i am dying to see a pic of him. i have even searched the Palm Springs online newspapers for a picture of his news conference but found nothing

yes, seen phil slim, er, slim phil ... but it was a picture in the 90s. LOL

Saw the press conference yesterday and he said he had lost 20-25 pounds, but put on 15lbs of muscle. Im not sure if the 10lbs will be very noticeable, but hopefully he will win.

I saw that too, and would have to say that none of the weight loss or muscle gained showed in his face. To me he looked as flabby as ever. Nothing like he was a few years ago. Not hating, just stating...

Sounds like a nice way of saying "I only lost 5-10 pounds". How can anyone really tell how much muscle that have put on when they are in the process of loosing weight?

It would be interesting to see how he'd perform if he got himself into better shape. I think Tiger has proven once and for all that it is better to be a physically fit golfer than not. Also, maybe getting fit will help give Phil something to focus on and get his mind off of what happened at the 06 US Open.

I'm not entirely sure what happened to Duval, but it would seem important to balance your fitness goals with your golf and to train accordingly. But there is no shortage of expert opinions about that as well. I'd like to see a fitness trainer join and take on a central role with "Team Philly Mick" (maybe he/she could help Dave Pelz too).

I want Phil to keep realizing his potential and pushing Tiger. Having the two of them at the top of their games simultaneously is the best thing that could happen to golf as far as I'm concerned.

That would be VERY noticeable actually. The 25# of fat loss would work out to losing some serious inches around his waist. The 15# of muscle gain would be be noticeable because he's actually have more muscle tone coupled when with that fat loss.


Adding 15# of muscle in three or four months is something that would make me go hmmmm....

I thought the same thing. No way can you add 15 pounds of muscle in 3 months. I work out, I also have a buddy that workout ALOT to actually get bigger. He's gained around 40 pounds working out for 7-8 years. I just don't see it as a possiblilty. Look how long Tiger has been lifting. How many pounds has he gained since 97? 10 years ago not 3 months!!!

BTW- I did see the press conference and he didn't look any different to me but that was from the chest up at a table.

Tiger also didn't have all of that fat to turn into muscle - and I'm sure he was estimating...

You can't turn fat into muscle. Doesn't work that way.

I'm pretty sure he was using a euphemism for losing fat/putting on muscle at the same time, but thanks for making me laugh thinking of fat actually turning into muscle.

Excerpt from TGC.com article (full article available here: http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?pa...mp;select=21554 )



Lefty tees off at 12:15 p.m. today.

P.S. This thread shall now officially be referred to as " **Lefty Watch '07 !** " so as to seem more newsy and less stalkery.

Uhhh, this is in-shape Phil?

http://www.pgatour.com/

C'mon Phil, get in shape like Duval did years ago. That worked out well, didn't it?

On second thought, just stay thinner than Pelz and you'll be fine.

I can't remember, did Duval do well before he got in shape? I know he was okay for a while after.

Phil didn't say that, That was a response to the other poster. But yeah it's funny when people think you can turn fat into muscle. Just like top spin on a drive when it rolls. LOL

Is that a X Hot 3 wood Phil is using?

I just saw Phil on TV. The scale he is using must be measuring ounces and not pounds. He doesn't look any slimmer to me.

Well his belt is facing out instead of down...that's one step in the right direction!

Yep. Absolutely. He did very well when he was in his 'natural' shape. Did well for a while after, but 'overdid it', plus the vertigo.

Phil is a little slimmier and a little bulkier. I wouldn't be talking s*** on David Duval. His game is back.

59...no not his waist...he shot that number and won a tournament

Phil Mickelson hits into the fifth green at La Quinta Country Club during the first round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in La Quinta,Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

I completely agree...I actually think Phil may have looked worse than last year...about the same weight and didn't look quite as put together or lively...reminded me a bit of Lumpy

Problem with duval was that he didn't lose the weight slowly. He pretty much lost all the weight and buffed up "overnight" so to speak. If you look at tiger woods, he went from skinny to toned/strong. Duval went from overweight, to extremely fit. The transition was extreme and really affected his swing.