Phelps can't shoot par, returns to pool.

[joekelly]

Michael Phelps, the undisputed King of Swim for many years, retired after the London Olympics, 2012 and took up golf.  "Loving golf, made 150 foot putt today".  And by marching around the golf buffet tables he took on 25 lbs of body weight.

Now he's sick of fat and can't shoot par so is working out with an eye towards the next Olys, in Rio, 2016. He will need to work damn hard so succeed, IMO. But, working hard to regain self-respect is worth doing well and i wish him the best of conditions, in and out of the pool.

more here   http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/swimming/27136643

[boogielicious]

I guess Haney is not such a great teacher after all.

[David in FL]

This game is HARD.  It's amazing how many people really don't understand that......

[newtogolf]

This game is HARD.  It's amazing how many people really don't understand that......

Maybe he should play with those 15" holes TM is promoting, he'd save 10 strokes.

[cfritchie]

I guess Haney is not such a great teacher after all.

yea....because when a student fails it's the teachers fault...but when the student wins it is his talent....

If you've never taken a lesson from Hank, or sat in on his lessons you wouldn't have any idea how well he does or doesn't teach. Thanks to Hank and his guys I was able to get my handicap to a zero...then take off for 8 years and come back to instantly playing to a 5. I've been around a lot of teachers..my father was a great teacher....Hank and his minions are about the only ones I'll trust...

[nevets88]

Based on the extremely limited info from Phelp's Golf Channel Haney Show appearance, it looked like he had media/corporate commitments and he didn't have time to practice continuously.

I would guess since he's financially set, he should plenty of time to practice, especially the further removed from the Olympics he gets, but what do I know, I know nothing of his personal life. If I had to speculate, I got the vibe from the show that he was flakey about practicing.

[cfritchie]

I got the vibe from the show that he was flakey about practicing.

I've never met anyone who improved because of a lesson...they improve because they took something from a lesson and engrained it into their game...they worked on it...

You can lead a horse to water...

[Motley01]

I watched the Haney show with Phelps, and I thought he did a great job with him. It was up to Phelps to practice and use the techniques Haney tought him. Its like he expected to start playing well without even practicing.

I think Phelps should stay retired and go have fun with girls, and bars, and drinking. These top athletes always have a hard time staying retired, always want to compete.

[nevets88]

The guy has plenty of time, make a comeback, retire again, get back to golf. It ain't over. Unless it's over. :-)

[newtogolf]

Guys like Phelps miss the limelight.  I think he hoped he could transition to golf and maybe become pro but that would probably require as much hard work as he put into swimming so he figured he'd go back to something he was already a world champion at.

[esquireking]

There is no easy road here, I think that reality hit him finally

[Jeremie Boop]

It seemed like he had the possibility of being really good, but he was not as motivated to improve in golf as he was to be the best at swimming. If he had taken his focus and determination from swimming and applied it to his golfing I think he could have maybe made it to scratch or +.