Opinion & Analysis
New coach, new swing, new era of success for Phil Mickelson?
It has been two years and seven months since Phil Mickelson’s last victory. That was the 2013 British Open, and since that day at Muirfield, much like one of his spinning wedge shots, Mickelson’s game has gone in reverse. At 45 years of age, he is at the point in his career where the next five years will be crucial in the development of his legacy. He is already held in the highest esteem by fans and peers alike, and one or two more majors and a handful more PGA Tour victories would elevate him to the absolute elite echelons of the game.
As the sun beamed down on a magnificent Pebble Beach this weekend, Mickelson seemed primed to pick up the first of those wins under the tutelage of new swing coach Andrew Getson. He entered the final round holding a two-shot lead with the 43rd PGA Tour win of his career in his grasp. It was Phil’s 50th start since his last victory. It would be the acid test for his new swing, but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. A missed 5-foot putt on the last hole prevented Phil from joining Vaughn Taylor in a playoff.
During the early stages of Phil’s changes, when playing under pressure, it will be so easy for him to subconsciously revert to his old swing. This was evident on numerous wayward iron shots on the back nine on Sunday. In times of difficulty, it becomes human nature to default back to something more familiar to make us feel comfortable. This level of comfort needs to be reached in order for the swing transition to be completed fully. I liken it to any kind of relationship. It takes a while to build trust. Once this is built, it becomes natural for that trust to become unconditional. The more times Phil is toward the top of leaderboards, the more comfortable he will be with his changes. A win will go a long way to accelerating the level of confidence he has in his new swing.
It is his relentless pursuit of the U.S. Open title that has influenced his switch of coach. In November 2015, he ended his eight-year relationship with Butch Harmon, and as successful as it was, eight years can be a long time in any relationship. The danger of losing the chemistry and stagnating is a very real prospect, especially in professional sport. It is why we see what I call the “revolving door culture” at sports clubs. Head coaches are regularly hired and fired to ensure fresh ideas are brought to the table in an attempt to remain successful. Also, after going so long without a win, golfers can begin to lose trust in their game, which could be a reason for his switch to Getson, an Australian swing guru.
In professional golf, it is essential for players to compensate for the wear and tear on their bodies as they reach their twilight years. Ageing professionals such as Mickelson not only have to find new ways to compete, but must also gain some sort of competitive edge in order to continue their winning ways. As a former professional golfer who competed on mini tours across the South Eastern United States, I can identify with how a change of coach can induce an internal belief that can lead to better things.
Like a honeymoon period with a new putter, a new coach can have the same psychological effect. One of the main reasons PGA Tour players in the past have opted for Getson as their coach is the fact he has played professional golf himself. PGA Tour winner Kevin Streelman says he often goes to Getson for advice.
“What I love about him is that he’s played professionally, so he gets the playing side of it,’’ Streelman said.
This can be just as crucial as the technical aspects of the swing. Mickelson confirmed to Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte that he had been in discussion with Getson since November. He said the talks were primarily focused on his posture. A more upright, athletic posture will enable Phil to get the club in a better position at the top of the swing and in turn create a more compact movement when returning the club to the ball — something all tour pros strive for. In doing this, his swing will become tighter and closer to his body, with less moving parts.
The key for Phil is to achieve all of this while retaining his ability to get the ball in the hole using his most natural of short-game actions. There is a sense this year that he knows he needs to increase the accuracy of his drives and keep the ball in play more often, which is essential at any U.S. Open venue.
There will be two key issues Mickelson and Getson need to focus on to achieve the overall goal — to get the club on plane more and to keep the club in front of him on his downswing. The idea is to prevent the club from getting stuck behind the body, causing the hands to be much more active than necessary, resulting in more inconsistent, errant shots. Speaking to Golf Channel’s Steve Sands last month, Mickelson said, “I feel like I am steeper on the backswing and flatter on the downswing.” This allows his body and hands to turn through in unison. He then went on to describe how his more compact motion makes his ball-striking more consistent, saying, “I don’t have to use any hand action to square the face.”
Zero wins and only four top 10s in the past two seasons are statistics that highlight his need for a change, and prompted the fresh approach in the coaching department. After watching Phil in the early stages of his swing changes, the thing that is most impressive is his new found tempo. With his new plane of swing, he can generate just as much power as he had before but in a more graceful movement — with his body and shoulder turn, rather than lashing at the golf ball with his hands. The more he can repeat this motion both on the range and in tournament play, the more he will trust the outcome, and the less likely he will be to subconsciously revert to his old habits.
Although Phil’s swing betrayed him down the stretch at Pebble Beach, there are many positives he can take from the week. Not only did his swing look much tighter and his ball flight seem far more controlled, but his putting looked very solid too. His speed control on Pebble’s notoriously tricky greens was perfect all week, and he holed an uncanny amount of mid-range putts. He had 21 putts on Saturday, something he didn’t manage in the whole of 2015. If he can keep this level of performance around the greens, and combine it with more consistency off the tee, Phil will always shoot low numbers.
In four starts this year, Mickelson has a second, a T3 and a T11. These results should give him the belief that the changes he is in the process of making are conducive with winning golf tournaments. It is vital that Phil remains patient and keeps working on his new swing and performing drills on the range until it is engrained in his muscle memory. Once this is achieved, we can assume the transition is complete, and expect the victories to begin to flow. One thing’s for sure, when Phil is involved, it will always be one heck of a ride!
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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.
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Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement
In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
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Robert Hamilton-Bruce
Feb 19, 2016 at 3:34 pm
It was a shame Phil didn’t get the job done on Sunday, but I agree I think 2016 could be his year
chip
Feb 16, 2016 at 12:17 pm
ooffa..LOL LOL LOL
21 putts on saturday, and you think he needs a new putting coach, that actually made me laugh out loud…CHUMP!!
Great article, and well written. I have been a huge fan of Phil since I was a kid, he is as much of a gentleman as he is a great golfer. Best of luck for 2016 Phil!!!
ooffa
Feb 17, 2016 at 8:49 am
needed 20 though not 21. Choked.
ooffa
Feb 16, 2016 at 11:53 am
He needs a new putting coach and a new gastroenterology doctor. You know, to help with his choking.
Jaz
Feb 16, 2016 at 12:24 pm
Ooffa, that actually made me LOL LOL LOL
21 putts on Saturday and you think he needs a new putting coach..what a CHUMP!!
Great article, and well written. I have been a huge fan of Phil’s since I was a kid, and he is as much of a gentleman as he is a great golfer. Best of luck for 2016 Phil!!!
Jaz
Feb 16, 2016 at 3:30 am
I recognize the subtle changes / and would love to see Phil complete the grand slam!! Great work buddy
Alan D'Arcy
Feb 16, 2016 at 2:56 am
Amazing article, thoroughly enjoyed reading it… you clearly know your stuff !!!! thanks Antony from England !! 🙂
Fahgdat
Feb 15, 2016 at 10:40 pm
I hope he wins the US Open this year
Dave
Feb 15, 2016 at 10:36 pm
I think his Saturday round was especially telling. 9 gir, shoots 66, if I’m not mistaken. Uncanny short game, missed one putt inside 10 feet for tourney, again if I’m not mistaken. That usually doesn’t translate to closing Sunday as pressure builds…my 2 cents…
gvogel
Feb 15, 2016 at 9:49 pm
New coach, new swing, new era of success? Nope.
Funny, the swing I saw on Sunday looked just like the one I’ve seen before – way past parallel, and prone to problems.
I liked Phil the best when he went with the mini driver. It kept him closer to the fairway, and allowed his superlative short game to win for him. Phil winning with a super refined golf swing ( like Justin Rose?) – ain’t going to happen.
MetalWood
Feb 15, 2016 at 9:56 pm
I agree! At the top of his swing, he’s all over the place. Wonder why his coach doesn’t shorten his swing?
Fahgdat
Feb 15, 2016 at 10:33 pm
Because that’s his natural position that he’s had for 30 years. Why change it if it helps him turn.
Josh
Feb 16, 2016 at 6:12 am
That is what the article is saying, that Sunday saw him reverting to his old swing under pressure and gave him problems. I doubt he will ever have a super-refined swing, but he is clearly striving to make his action more consistent, keep the ball in play more and give himself a chance to score with his short game.
Scooter McGavin
Feb 15, 2016 at 9:32 pm
I’m confused. He’s got over 50 wins and 5 majors, yet he still needs a few more in order to be part of the “elite echelons”? Don’t get me wrong, I actually can’t stand Phil, but isn’t he already at that level?
Oliver Simpson
Feb 16, 2016 at 6:43 am
I get what the author is saying- Phil has only won 5 majors, which is obviously a magnificent achievement but doesn’t even put him in the top ten all time for major winners. He is already an elite player, goes without saying, but I think that US open would put him to an even higher level!
Also he’s only won 42 PGA tour events, not over 50, as the article states!
Good luck Phil, we’re rooting for you!
MarkB A
Feb 16, 2016 at 11:50 pm
Phil is also 45 years old with a very serious form of arthritis. I am amazed he is still playing. The medicine probably helps but only so much. Golfers need to be 100% healthy to play at that level and Phil is still playing at that level. Hats off to Vaughn Taylor for grinding and hanging in there all those years. I would love to see Phil win another Masters this year and the US Open plus maybe another Open too.
Bobby Z
Feb 15, 2016 at 6:12 pm
GO PHIL!! enjoyable read !
Oliver Simpson
Feb 15, 2016 at 4:55 pm
Being a huge Lefty fan it’s great to see Phil back to his best. A close shave this week and a shame he couldn’t convert, I’m sure it won’t be long though!
A great read and superb analysis of Phil’s swing, especially coming from someone who knows what they’re talking about! Look forward to reading the next one!
Necky
Feb 15, 2016 at 4:43 pm
Wow what a read – you know your stuff! More commentary like this please!
Kenny
Feb 15, 2016 at 4:33 pm
Nice write-up man keep them coming!
Robert Hamilton-Bruce
Feb 15, 2016 at 3:40 pm
I really enjoyed reading this article, very informative and easy to read. Great stuff. Go Phil!
Georgia Arkell
Feb 15, 2016 at 3:10 pm
Fantastic article. Thrilling read. Can’t wait to read more of your work.