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!
- LIKE405
- LEGIT28
- WOW167
- LOL1
- IDHT1
- FLOP0
- OB1
- SHANK7
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.
- LIKE7
- LEGIT3
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP3
- OB1
- SHANK1
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.
- LIKE12
- LEGIT3
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP1
- OB1
- SHANK1
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.
- LIKE32
- LEGIT7
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT2
- FLOP3
- OB1
- SHANK3
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Daniel Berger WITB 2024 (April)
Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)...
Rory McIlroy WITB 2024 (April)
Rory McIlroy what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
Sam Burns WITB 2024 (April)
Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees...
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
-
19th Hole2 days agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole2 days ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole1 week agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole1 week agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole1 week agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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.