Haney Project: Romano

[Shanks A Million]

Oh man this wasn't a great PR move for Mr. Haney.

He wouldn't. Romano refuses to cooperate with his instructor, and he will always fail. Look how many times Hank had to ask him repeatedly and get on his case. When I've worked with pros, they asked me once, then I asked for clarification on anything I didn't fully understand, then I did what they asked. After that, I heard nothing but, "good", or "oh, came out of it a bit, try it again." Within a few minutes, it's always the same story, "Wow, you really adjust fast!" That's because I listen. Ray seemed to fight Hank on every step. Golf pros know what they're doing, and odds are they've been through what you've been through. You don't get anywhere refusing to believe them.

[iacas]

He wouldn't. Romano refuses to cooperate with his instructor, and he will always fail.

I disagree entirely. And I'll leave it at that.

Look how many times Hank had to ask him repeatedly and get on his case.

I applaud Ray for questioning what Hank wanted him to do. None of it made any sense (I'm excluding short game stuff, of which we didn't see much).

Golf pros know what they're doing

Unfortunately for golfers, you're wrong about that far more often than I wish was true.

[double_j]

{not sure if it matters, but spoiler alert below}

It's a shame - I do think that Ray is his own worst enemy on the course but really wanted him to do well. I do like that he was able to put things in perspective by saying that in order to consistently expect to break 80, you really need to be a scratch golfer (OK - maybe up to a 2 or 3). And I really did feel for him on that last missed putt for 79 - I can't tell you how many times I've known that disappointment.

I would think that 7 months is a relatively short time to ingrain a major swing change (although I don't know how much he was able to devote to practice, etc.) I can see what Hank was trying to get him to do, but some of his swings just looked awful - more like a 25 handicap than someone hoping to break 80. I'm guessing that he got so caught up in the mechanics of the swing changes that he forgot that he still needed to hit the ball. Short game looked good though.

Overall a mediocre show, but a fairly solid last episode.

[Chief Broom]

I disagree with the notion of putting a loop in your swing. Haney wanted both Barkley and Romano to loop at the top and that just seems to introduce another variable into your swing rather than correct an existing flaw.

[jamo]

I disagree with the notion of putting a loop in your swing. Haney wanted both Barkley and Romano to loop at the top and that just seems to introduce another variable into your swing rather than correct an existing flaw.

If you watched Ray, he never actually did loop it. Haney was begging for a foot and getting an inch, just trying to make Ray overcompensate, but they never really got there from what I've seen.

[Chief Broom]

If you watched Ray, he never actually did loop it. Haney was begging for a foot and getting an inch, just trying to make Ray overcompensate, but they never really got there from what I've seen.

I didn't watch all of the final show, but in the one before it sure looked to me like Ray was looping pretty aggressively at the top of his swing. That was the show where they did the three hole test and Ray went par, bogey, par. Truth be told it looked like the loop was working for Ray. He push sliced his tee shot on the second hole par 3 but he damn near holed out his second shot for a three lying right next to the hole.

When I'm slicing the ball badly I'm looping at the top (ott), but if I take the club back inside and get my hands deep, while at the same time aggressively turning my back to the target I'll take the club back on plane and leave it there on the downswing. Trying to loop like it looked like Haney wanted Ray to do: taking the club back outside and looping it back, down, and in on the downswing, creates a huge timing issue for me. Maybe it's less timing and more of how much to loop it? But whatever it is I've never been able to make that move work for me. Going back on plane and being on plane at the top seems to be the best way for me to stay on plane coming into the ball at impact.

[adamgoodman]

I actually enjoy the show at times, but watching Hank Haney fail at teaching amateurs over and over again is getting old.

[holeinon3]

I actually enjoy the show at times, but watching Hank Haney fail at teaching amateurs over and over again is getting old.

I wouldn't count Barkley as a failure for Hank, and he did make Ray a better golfer..

[iacas]

I wouldn't count Barkley as a failure for Hank, and he did make Ray a better golfer..

Ray shot 92...? I would argue the opposite. He shot the same scores or better beforehand.

[2bGood]

I was hoping he would do it. Shooting 80 is not the same as breaking 80, but it proves he is close. I am not sure how much Haney really helped him break 80 though. If he really wanted him to break 80 he would have left his swing alone and worked with what he had rather then do a rebuild, then he would have got his short game up to scratch. If you can keep the ball in play, and have a great short game you can break 80 every so often - need need to have a great swing. I play with plenty of older gents with ugly swings that can't hit the ball longer then 200yards. But they don"t take penalty strokes and they don"t waste shots around the green. With a hot putter they go under 80 on occasion.

Of course it would not be good tv if Haney - one the 'best swing coaches in the world', didn't try to fix an ugly swing. To break 80 I think Ray would have had better look with a good muni pro who accept his swing flaws and work with him

Just my $.2

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by holeinon3

I wouldn't count Barkley as a failure for Hank, and he did make Ray a better golfer..

I wouldn't say Charles' swing looks any better either...

[mhenrickson]

I know Haney is regarded as a great teacher, but reading the comments on this thread I wonder how good he is. Maybe he is much better at refining a pro's skills than working with higher handicappers. It would be interesting to have the Golf Channel air "The Harmon Project" and see if he can do better. I would also like to see a show where the golf pro works with beginners to get them to break 100. I would definitely get something out of watching that!

[rjfan91]

Breaking 100 is entirely different from breaking 80. To break 100 on most courses, you simply need to be able to hit the ball and have some rudimentary putting. Most people on this site could break 100 with using a 6 or 7 iron from tee to green. I didn't think that way a few years ago when I couldn't break 100, but now know it is true.

Breaking 80 is a bit more difficult. On topic, I thought Haney did ok with what he had. The 2 month break in the middle couldn't have helped. That being said, it is one of the more boring shows I've watched. I wish they would be the spaz golf fix guy out on the road more often with amateurs. I saw one of his shows with Butch Harmon and they pulled a dude/sponsor out of the crowd and worked with him for 10 or 15 minutes. That would probably be more interesting.

I know Haney is regarded as a great teacher, but reading the comments on this thread I wonder how good he is. Maybe he is much better at refining a pro's skills than working with higher handicappers. It would be interesting to have the Golf Channel air "The Harmon Project" and see if he can do better. I would also like to see a show where the golf pro works with beginners to get them to break 100. I would definitely get something out of watching that!

[holeinon3]

Ray shot 92...? I would argue the opposite. He shot the same scores or better beforehand.

The end of the episode showed Ray shooting an 80, it seems like Ray does better without lots of people watching.

[nuck81]

Breaking 100 is entirely different from breaking 80. To break 100 on most courses, you simply need to be able to hit the ball and have some rudimentary putting. Most people on this site could break 100 with using a 6 or 7 iron from tee to green. I didn't think that way a few years ago when I couldn't break 100, but now know it is true.

i agree, I broke 100 after three months, and will probably break 90 in June, then spend the rest of my life trying to break 80...

[GolfBear]

Ray might have benefited from a shrink more than a coach.

[Lovgoel]

I couldnt tell if Ray was playing a two-ball best ball in the last episode, or if he was playing a 1 man two-ball scramble. Anyone know?

[gogolfing]

He was hitting a second ball when needed. If the first was good, then he didn't hit another, so he wasn't playing two balls with a score for each on the holes... so I guess this would be a form of the one man two ball scramble.