Hank Haney Project: Michael Phelps Thread

[schigara]

When is Haney going to teach Phelps some fundamentals like how to properly take the club back. Phelps first move is to roll his wrists. He fully opens the club face in less than a foot of club head travel.  All he tells him is speed up!!  WTF kind of instruction is that?

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Do many have the odd feeling that Hank knows all the issues, but has no idea how to fix them?

LOL ... I watched a few minutes of the show the other night and he actually said something I thought was dead on.  Granted, it's kind of a "duh" statement, and it might be a mantra of his that a lot of you have heard before, but I hadn't.  He asked told Phelps the 3 things you need to eliminate to score better ... penalty strokes, "two-chips," and 3-putts.

Beyond that, not sure if Haney knows what to do to get his students to improve, but he got to where he is somehow, and I have limited knowledge on the subject of his actual knowledge of the swing so I'll leave it at that. :)

I will say, though, that he does appear to be more into the celebrity aspect of the whole thing than teaching.  Like, when they actually show him teaching his students on this show, it seems like he's more concerned with entertaining us than he is with helping them.  Or that's just his teaching style, I don't know.  Seems like an awful lot of unnecessary berating to me.

[newtogolf]

Three episodes in and I haven't seen Haney's trophy wife make an appearance on the show.  Did they split up or has Hank given up trying use his show to get her modeling work?

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Three episodes in and I haven't seen Haney's trophy wife make an appearance on the show.  Did they split up or has Hank given up trying use his show to get her modeling work?

Don't know anything about his wife, but did see when they were playing the course this last episode (I believe the part where Phelps' friend got up to hit one with his ridiculous swing and everybody was laughing at him) they showed him sitting in a cart with a younger, attractive blonde woman.  Maybe that was who you are referring to?

[Chas]

When is Haney going to teach Phelps some fundamentals like how to properly take the club back. Phelps first move is to roll his wrists. He fully opens the club face in less than a foot of club head travel.  All he tells him is speed up!!  WTF kind of instruction is that?

This is what I was thinking. From what was shown I could have done a better teaching job. I know, they aren't showing much of the real action, more's the pity.

[nevets88]

Originally Posted by schigara

When is Haney going to teach Phelps some fundamentals like how to properly take the club back. Phelps first move is to roll his wrists. He fully opens the club face in less than a foot of club head travel.  All he tells him is speed up!!  WTF kind of instruction is that?

Haney did make Phelps hinge his wrists on the backswing in episode 1.

Given how cheap (relatively) video equipment and distribution is these days, someone could produce their own show and release it on the internet and make it more instruction oriented. Who needs the Golf Channel? I would pay to watch that if the instructor was good and I learned something. Like Louie CK released his own set a year or two ago. The Dan 10,000 hour is too drawn out. Get a relatively athletic guy just starting out, lets say his goal is a 0-5 handicap, see how far he gets in a year. Show him doing 5SK, on Trackman, Swing Catalyst, Aimpoint, etc...

[ace3g]

They just showed a preview for the next episode and Phelps gets fitted for his Ping clubs; that should be very interesting.

[tmf9]

I used to think Haney was one of the best teachers in the world (as he was teaching Tiger Woods at one time for christ sake's) but every episode I watch I lose more and more respect for him as a teacher.  Any teacher worth a damn should have Phelps shooting in the 80's with ease (his swing might be the best i've ever seen from a 24 handicapper), especially since he has a good short game according to Hank.  I think they need to change this from the Hank Haney project to the Butch Harmon project, so the students can actually get better.

[MS256]

Originally Posted by tmf9

I used to think Haney was one of the best teachers in the world (as he was teaching Tiger Woods at one time for christ sake's) but every episode I watch I lose more and more respect for him as a teacher.  Any teacher worth a damn should have Phelps shooting in the 80's with ease (his swing might be the best i've ever seen from a 24 handicapper), especially since he has a good short game according to Hank.  I think they need to change this from the Hank Haney project to the Butch Harmon project, so the students can actually get better.

I would bet the farm that Phelps would be shooting under par in two months of playing every day in our local 12:30 games (and leave his buddy at home so he doesn't have to watch that anymore). Nothing wrong with his swing and a world class athlete with a body that was made for golf (and for swimming). All he needs is a good reason to grind it out and stop giving away strokes and get the ball in the hole.

Sometimes Hank reminds me of baseball coaches that get a 400 hitter and coach them down to 350.

[tmf9]

Originally Posted by MS256

I would bet the farm that Phelps would be shooting under par in two months of playing every day in our local 12:30 games (and leave his buddy at home so he doesn't have to watch that anymore). Nothing wrong with his swing and a world class athlete with a body that was made for golf (and for swimming). All he needs is a good reason to grind it out and stop giving away strokes and get the ball in the hole.

Sometimes Hank reminds me of baseball coaches that get a 400 hitter and coach them down to 350.

Exactly.  Even though Tiger won some majors under him he certainly didn't play as well as he did under Butch.  I remember him kept telling Charles Barkley flatter, flatter, flatter, talking about his swing plane.  Charles Barkley is 6'7 for christ sakes I don't think there was a lot wrong with his swing plane, and even if there was he should have concentrated on him keeping his head from dropping up and down such a ridiculous amount.  I really have very little respect for Haney as a teacher.

[clutchshot]

The problem isn't the teacher, the problem is the student. Phelps never practices besides when he is with Haney,no one is going to get better without practice...

[MS256]

Originally Posted by clutchshot

The problem isn't the teacher, the problem is the student. Phelps never practices besides when he is with Haney,no one is going to get better without practice...

Hmmm....Yep....If you are a good athlete with enough intelligence to understand ball flight, and you play and practice all the time you will get better (much better).

Oh...No matter who is coaching you (or if you have one).

[clutchshot]

Agreed. If Phelps puts in the time, he can do this.

[jshots]

I haven't seen any of this yet but it could be tough for Phelps. I know that my 6'4" athlete brother really struggles with golf. Too much length in his arms to figure out how to control the club, and all he ever wants to do is hit it as far as he possibly can.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

I haven't seen any of this yet but it could be tough for Phelps. I know that my 6'4" athlete brother really struggles with golf. Too much length in his arms to figure out how to control the club, and all he ever wants to do is hit it as far as he possibly can.

Doesn't seem to be much of an issue for players like Ernie Els and Dustin Johnson.

[tmf9]

Originally Posted by MyrtleBeachGolf

Doesn't seem to be much of an issue for players like Ernie Els and Dustin Johnson.

Yeah im 6'4 pushing 6'5 and i've always felt my height was an advantage more than anything

[clutchshot]

Height is an advantage... Gives you a longer swing arc. I have an uncle that is tall like that, hits a 5 wood like a driver with minimal effort.

[MS256]

Originally Posted by clutchshot

Height is an advantage... Gives you a longer swing arc.

I have an uncle that is tall like that, hits a 5 wood like a driver with minimal effort.

Most of the better golfers that I know have long arms for their body.

I got the short end of the stick on that and I am all legs (good for running, maybe not for golf).

My son is the same height as I am and his hands hang down about 3 inches lower if we are standing side by side.

(The missing link?)