16-Year-Old Lydia Ko Dumps 11-Year Swing Coach

[Dave2512]

I read one of his books. His style was more than a little odd. I couldn't figure out what he was trying to demonstrate, all over the place.

[nevets88]

Regardless of how effective DL is, her whole world will be tossed about in one fell swoop. Why not just smooth the transition and keep as much that's familiar? Like someone you basically grew up with?

[Kiwi Hacker]

She was the Golden Girl of Kiwi sport and up until now couldn't put a foot wrong. Her sweet innocence and lovely, modest demeanor made her the sweetheart of the NZ public. This move is very much driven by IMG who just want to turn her into Global superstar. I'm sure the executives at IMG could care less about the reaction in NZbut you have to wonder how it will affect a young 15 year old kid making her first steps into the pro ranks. This is the first time she has had to deal with negative publicity and her coach, despite a gracious press release is apparently devastated . Lydia is feeling the backlash and I've heard she has deleted her Twitter account. Kiwis are a loyal bunch and don't appreciate a giant American Corporate basically sacking the guy who developed Ko and took her all the way to the top. Whether this is a good move for Lydia Ko in the long run remains to be seen but either way it has been very badly handled by IMG.

[mvmac]

OK, I suppose that there are a lot of logistics I may not be considering.  Where she lives, how often she'll be playing, and where, etc, etc.

But if there was ever a time for "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" it seems like it would be now.  Unlike Wie, She's been on fire for 2 years now, winning seemingly all the time, already against the top competition several times, so it just seems odd that she would pick now to make that type of change.

She seems awfully talented.  Leadbetter or not ... I hope it works out for her.

I blame her parents, she's 16 and I can see her, heck almost anyone, getting caught up in turning pro, signing endorsement deals, touring Florida for houses/golf clubs, schmoozing with IMG agents.  All that, with maybe some help from those IMG people, persuading her to seek instruction from Leads, who runs the golf academy at IMG Academy.

Has Leadbetter had any really successful pupils since Faldo? (was Nicky Price one of his??)

Trevor Immelman won the 2008 Masters but then went through a slump and started seeking other instruction just before he won this year.

Honest question here:

What is it about Leadbetter that makes him so bad?

I get that he hasn't seemed to be able to do much good for Michelle Wie, but I don't really know anything about the guy and his teachings other than he's famous, and people on here really seem to dislike him.  The same basically applies to Hank Haney and Jim McLean.  I know very little about them and their teachings.

He basically teaches everyone to swing the same way, early wrist set, steep shaft at A3, then shallow it and lag it on the downswing.  He doesn't want you to lose flex in the rear knee and likes look in the followthrough where the right shoulder is over the left foot, turning in flexion.  Not sure if he knows the correct ball flight laws, I'm sure he does by now but seen a lot of stuff where he talks about "releasing the hands", "rolling the toe over" to draw it and "hold it open" to fade it.

[Golfingdad]

He basically teaches everyone to swing the same way, early wrist set, steep shaft at A3, then shallow it and lag it on the downswing.  He doesn't want you to lose flex in the rear knee and likes look in the followthrough where the right shoulder is over the left foot, turning in flexion.  Not sure if he knows the correct ball flight laws, I'm sure he does by now but seen a lot of stuff where he talks about "releasing the hands", "rolling the toe over" to draw it and "hold it open" to fade it.

OK thanks.  The bold is the part that would bother me.  Seems like any golf teacher should be able to recognize that all swings are different without there being one particular "correct" one.

(I know mine falls in the "incorrect" category - but that is a whole 'nother story ;))

[nevets88]

I blame her parents, she's 16 and I can see her, heck almost anyone, getting caught up in turning pro, signing endorsement deals, touring Florida for houses/golf clubs, schmoozing with IMG agents.  All that, with maybe some help from those IMG people, persuading her to seek instruction from Leads, who runs the golf academy at IMG Academy.

I'm betting those IMG folks have quite the silver tongues and/or put on a high pressure pitch. Help me... help you :-)

[ScouseJohnny]

From today's copy of The Australian quite a succinct analysis:

Quote:

Clearly, the time is now. She's been rubbing shoulders with Mickelson at the Callaway headquarters/fitting centre in Carlsbad, California. The club manufacturer has been dangling a seven-figure deal in front of her. The contract is yet to be confirmed, but Callaway staff bags have been seen with Ko's name on the front. Done deal. No shock, no horror, Leadbetter is with IMG, a company eager to keep everything and everyone in-house.

Business is business.

It seems that IMG "partners" with Callaway, to an extent. As has been mentioned above, IMG's golf Academy is also founded upon an exclusive partnership with Leadbetter...and, hence, IMG likes to keep things "in-house." Maybe there is a salutary lesson here for this (very young) new professional...it's no longer just about her winning golf tournaments.

[mchepp]

This news is heartbreaking. Leadbetter has demolished the once beautiful swing of Michelle Wie. One can only hope she sees the error of her ways and changes sooner rather than later.

[Hammer 4]

This news is heartbreaking. Leadbetter has demolished the once beautiful swing of Michelle Wie. One can only hope she sees the error of her ways and changes sooner rather than later.

I doubt that will happen. I'm pretty sure IMG has promised her the usual spew, fame and fortune and all that. What person, much less a teenager wouldn't fall for that..?

[ScouseJohnny]

Quote:

Leadbetter has demolished the once beautiful swing of Michelle Wie.

I came across this article from 2005, in which David Leadbetter briefly explains his analysis of Michelle's Wie's swing and the adjustments he needed to make, when she first became his student as a teenager:

Quote:

Michelle had a powerful golf swing, but with a few adolescent flaws. She used to move off the ball going back, overswing, and have an overly active hip clearance and hand action, which put too much emphasis on timing through impact. We've worked hard to eliminate that wasted motion, which has improved her ball-striking consistency. Today her swing is very repeatable.

For a tall player, Michelle has superb posture. We've tweaked her set-up angles, and she now has a solid foundation to support her big swing. She maintains her angles beautifully as she turns to the top, building a tremendous amount of torque. We've basically tightened up her backswing a bit...With a more compact backswing, she's able to drive it in play more regularly and have much greater iron control.

Source: http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/swing-sequences/2008-07/photos_wie#ixzz2oOHGk8lz

If you click through the article and the photos that accompany it, he makes a passing reference to her having developed "Els-like" elements to her swing. I am not sufficiently knowledgeable about golf swings (alas) to know if this is an accurate claim - I mentioned it because of the (pro) poster (above) who mentioned that Leadbetter seems to like conformity across his students' swings, ("Basically teaching everyone to swing the same way")?

[newtogolf]

I don't know much about her, her old swing coach or her new agents but at first glance it all seems like a bad move to me.  16 year old kid competing with adults under the spotlight of the LPGA Tour needs to be surrounded by people that know her and she's comfortable with.  IMG is trying to show value by bringing in big names to help her but not sure it will.

[mvmac]

If you click through the article and the photos that accompany it, he makes a passing reference to her having developed "Els-like" elements to her swing. I am not sufficiently knowledgeable about golf swings (alas) to know if this is an accurate claim - I mentioned it because of the (pro) poster (above) who mentioned that Leadbetter seems to like conformity across his students' swings, ("Basically teaching everyone to swing the same way")?

Story from a PGA tour player that went to Leadbetter for a lesson.  On the backswing he wanted the player to get the the shaft steeper.  Player asks why.  Leadbetter says so he can shallow it on the downswing.  Player asks, knowing he doesn't,  if he has a problem shallowing it on the downswing.  Leadbetter avoids the question for a couple minutes and the player finally gets him to answer, which is "Because that's what Nick Faldo does".  Player shakes his hand and walks away

I've also heard from Leadbetter instructors about the early wrist set, steep shaft angle being taught as the go to thing.

[liquor box]

While I agree with the if it ain't broke motto I also think there is another saying along the lines of if you do what you always do, expect the results you always get.

I hope Ko has done the right thing and improves

[Spitfisher]

While I agree with the if it ain't broke motto I also think there is another saying along the lines of if you do what you always do, expect the results you always get. I hope Ko has done the right thing and improves

Yes, Her swing is like perfect, but at 16 her body will change in the next few years, thus her swing will too

[Mr. Desmond]

Experience tells me that when you are making a lot of changes - turning pro, playing regularly on the tour, extensive travel, endorsement - that you don't make all of your changes at once.

It seems like she is making a lot of changes … at once.

Given a choice, I would have deferred the equipment and coach until later… grow accustomed to some change before you make additional changes

[Dave40]

I understand that she was unable to continue working with her coach because of relocating to Florida.  I don't think going with Ledbetter is a good idea.  She needs a coach that understands her particular swing and works with it and maybe tweak it here and there.  Ledbetter teaches HIS swing, which seems ok for an ordinary golfer, but not a golfer that already shoots under par.

If she loses confidence in her "new" swing, her days of winning are over for a while.