Phil Mickelson Splits from Butch Harmon

[jbishop15]

3 hours ago, GolfLug said:

Can somebody take a stab at analyzing his swing to see what could he do different?  For the life of me can't think that this is anything but fresh eyes..

Shortening it would help, definitely. The biggest issues for me are that he gets across the line and then steepens noticeably on the downswing. If he could work on those two things, I think he'd be in pretty good shape. 

[nevets88]

I'm cribbing from a response elsewhere, but his swing always looked pretty much the same to me. Maybe it was a tad shorter at times, but it didn't look like Mickelson really listened to Harmon that much w/resp. to swing mechanics. He's been w/him for a long time, sometimes things get stale and you just want to change things up, no fault with Harmon.

[mvmac]

4 hours ago, GolfLug said:

Can somebody take a stab at analyzing his swing to see what could he do different?  For the life of me can't think that this is anything but fresh eyes..

I think Phil's swing has gotten a little shorter while working with Butch but his biggest contribution wasn't the swing mechanics, it was more with giving him positive feedback (being a "cheerleader", not a bad thing) and giving Phil a kick in the butt when he needed it. I also think Phil hit a lot more flighted type of shots under Butch than he did with Rick Smith.

If you take a look at the pic I posted, he gets the shaft steep on the downswing but also very narrow with the lead wrist cupped. Just requires a lot of timing and not a good position for hitting the driver.

[GolfLug]

18 minutes ago, jbishop15 said:

Shortening it would help, definitely. The biggest issues for me are that he gets across the line and then steepens noticeably on the downswing. If he could work on those two things, I think he'd be in pretty good shape. 

 

Just now, mvmac said:

I think Phil's swing has gotten a little shorter while workin with Butch but his biggest contribution wasn't the swing mechanics, it was more with giving him positive feedback (being a "cheerleader", not a bad thing) and giving Phil a kick in the butt when he needed it.

If you take a look at the pic I posted, he gets the shaft steep on the downswing but also very narrow with the lead wrist cupped. Just requires a lot of timing and not a good position for hitting the driver.

Yeah see, this is what I don't get about jumping from coach to coach. I am darn sure BH and PM realize this about the swing length and steepness in DS and variance it can cause. Forgive me for saying it is that simple, but it IS that simple and true, so then why does he need to go to some X guy for that unless BH says it is my way or the highway?? Unlike a 7.9 handicapper, these guys (pros, especially elite) have 99% things right in their 'picture', the 1% is just margin of error/variance of being human and not 'Iron Byron'. He won the Open just 2 years ago. The picture is THERE. How many new 'ideas' or swing theories do you need?? The 1% will remain no matter what new picture/coach he changes to. 

I think the 'cheerleader' mention makes most sense.

[nevets88]

23 minutes ago, mvmac said:

I think Phil's swing has gotten a little shorter while working with Butch but his biggest contribution wasn't the swing mechanics, it was more with giving him positive feedback (being a "cheerleader", not a bad thing) and giving Phil a kick in the butt when he needed it. I also think Phil hit a lot more flighted type of shots under Butch than he did with Rick Smith.

If you take a look at the pic I posted, he gets the shaft steep on the downswing but also very narrow with the lead wrist cupped. Just requires a lot of timing and not a good position for hitting the driver.

Yes, this too. Imho, it's like Phil Jackson with Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. Most great players aren't going to listen to a coach unless they have proven results and maybe a little of that aura thing going. And that kick in the butt has more sting coming from a Harmon.

[cmherrbach]

Phil has a lot of great things going for him in his swing. He just need to fine tune a couple of issues. Andrew is a phenomenal instructor from what I have been told by a couple of friends who I play golf with. He has a very simple and down to earth approach. I have seen some great improvement in their games, so Phil is in good hands. I still think he is moving back here to Arizona, so this may help in that decision. 

[mvmac]

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/sources-say-phil-mickelson-has-picked-andrew-getson-as-his-new-teacher

Quote

Several sources have confirmed to GolfDigest.com that since amicably parting with Harmon last week, Mickelson has been working with Grayhawk instructor Andrew Getson, a respected but low-profile Aussie who has built an impressive clientele in six years at the club. The 41-year-old Getson certainly speaks Tour player -- he played ten years on the Asian, Australasian and Nationwide tours, and as a teenager was mentored by teachers Steve Bann and Dale Lynch at same Victoria Institute of Sport program in Australia that produced Geoff Ogilvy and Aaron Baddeley.

Getson isn't a household name -- he doesn't publicize the fact that he's taught players like Kevin Streelman and Bill Clinton, and he has no social media presence -- but he's a thinker and range rat with a playing pedigree, all qualities the unapologetically experimental Mickelson surely finds attractive.

The task isn't small: Follow up the extremely productive eight-year, 11-win, two-major run Mickelson had with Harmon with a late-career rejuvenation at age 45.

At least Getson won't have to waste any time giving Phil directions to the club.

UPDATED, 3:05 p.m. -- On Wednesday, Mickelson confirmed to Golf Digest's Tim Rosaforte he has been talking to Getson for a few months, and is set to work with him on Nov. 19. Some posture advice Getson shared helped Mickelson play well at the Presidents Cup, where Mickelson said he could feel his game start to turn during a 3-0-1 performance for the winning American side. Mickelson was also careful to give the relationship time to grow before making any official coronation.

“I like what he has to say,” Mickelson said about Getson. “It’s very possible that we’re going to work together [for the long term], but I’m not going to promise or guarantee that. I want to get some different perspectives and ideas."

 

[jbishop15]

4 hours ago, mvmac said:

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/sources-say-phil-mickelson-has-picked-andrew-getson-as-his-new-teacher

 

Know anything about this guy, Mike? 

[Gunther]

1 hour ago, jbishop15 said:

Know anything about this guy, Mike? 

Guessin he's a stud if Phil picked him out.

[jbishop15]

2 hours ago, Gunther said:

Guessin he's a stud if Phil picked him out.

Eh. Not necessarily. Tiger picked Haney when Haney was teaching some really bizarre stuff, so you never know with these guys. 

[mvmac]

3 hours ago, jbishop15 said:

Know anything about this guy, Mike? 

No, first time I've heard of him.

[jbishop15]

6 minutes ago, mvmac said:

No, first time I've heard of him.

From the way they're describing him, he seems like a much more technical coach than Harmon, which has never been Phil's thing. 

Then again, Phil won majors with Rick Smith teaching him, so I think he should adapt well to a more technical guy.

[nevets88]

Some of Getson's instruction vids:

 

 

[turtleback]

I think the whole Harmon thing was a mental thing for Phil.  He is someone who is always looking for some external "edge", whether it be a 64* wedge, 2 drivers, etc.  For him, Butch represented a edge because it gave him insight into his biggest obstacle, Tiger. Remember when they first started and we heard about how Butch was revealing competitive things about Tiger?  

[ghalfaire]

I agree with the above comments that Phil has some unique moves in his swing that require some pretty good hand/eye coordination.  So maybe some fresh eyes will have some suggestions to help Phil develop a more "error tolerant" swing.  I hope so as I am a Phil fan and don't look forward to a tour without Phil.  But do recognize his heydays are behind him.  Hope he has another major in his future but not realistic expectation I suppose.

[newtogolf]

Harmon's son was on XM Radio and talked about Phil going in a different direction.  He said Phil flew to see Butch in person which he felt showed how much respect Phil had for Butch and their relationship.  It seems like it was very amicable and both sides wish each other the best going forward.

[iacas]

8 hours ago, newtogolf said:

Harmon's son was on XM Radio and talked about Phil going in a different direction.  He said Phil flew to see Butch in person which he felt showed how much respect Phil had for Butch and their relationship.  It seems like it was very amicable and both sides wish each other the best going forward.

At the same time… Phil's brother still lives in Arizona, and Phil still has close ties to Greyhawk, went to college there, etc.

Maybe he flew in just to see Butch (it's only a 45-minute flight), but maybe he also did ten other things while he was there.

[skydog]

18 hours ago, iacas said:

At the same time… Phil's brother still lives in Arizona, and Phil still has close ties to Greyhawk, went to college there, etc.

Maybe he flew in just to see Butch (it's only a 45-minute flight), but maybe he also did ten other things while he was there.

 

Phil flew to Vegas to fire him, not sure where you're getting Arizona.

And regardless, doing it in person is a heck of a lot classier than via phone...