Hunter Mahan...whats up?

[Ping_Ho]

What happened to Hunter? He was a scoreboard regular a while back. Love watching his swing.

 

Sean Foley, that is what happened... Steady decline. Went from ballstriking machine to just average trying to stack and swing left..

 

2013 he was 67%/68% and 27th in SG-T2G

2014 dropped to 75th in T2G

2015 fell off earth ranking 131st in GIR, 107 in FIR and 140th in T2G

2016 just when you think it couldn't get worse.. 135th, 166th and 185th in SG-T2G

 

With Hunter's destruction, Tiger's debacle starting early 2014, and Westwood lasting like 6 weeks with Sean, and a former student who twitter blasted Tiger to leave him asap, I am in shock he has any students at all. Rose is his ONLY saving grace and a big one at that as Justin is considered a top striker. But from past trends, I'd expect Rose to start his quick decline about now...

 

Couldn't agree more.

He praises how Trackman has revolutionized the game but tells his student to hit down on a driver.

 

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For control. Hitting up is to max distance iirc.

 

Sorry I respectfully disagree with this statement.

For most Amateur, they will hardly notice any more control with hitting down on a driver. They can use 3 wood if they are looking for more control.

 

Also, would you rather play 20 yards shorter off on a fairway or use less club from a semi rough?

[bladehunter]

What happened to Hunter? He was a scoreboard regular a while back. Love watching his swing.

 

Sean Foley, that is what happened... Steady decline. Went from ballstriking machine to just average trying to stack and swing left..

 

2013 he was 67%/68% and 27th in SG-T2G

2014 dropped to 75th in T2G

2015 fell off earth ranking 131st in GIR, 107 in FIR and 140th in T2G

2016 just when you think it couldn't get worse.. 135th, 166th and 185th in SG-T2G

 

With Hunter's destruction, Tiger's debacle starting early 2014, and Westwood lasting like 6 weeks with Sean, and a former student who twitter blasted Tiger to leave him asap, I am in shock he has any students at all. Rose is his ONLY saving grace and a big one at that as Justin is considered a top striker. But from past trends, I'd expect Rose to start his quick decline about now...

 

Couldn't agree more.

He praises how Trackman has revolutionized the game but tells his student to hit down on a driver.

 

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For control. Hitting up is to max distance iirc.

 

Sorry I respectfully disagree with this statement.

For most Amateur, they will hardly notice any more control with hitting down on a driver. They can use 3 wood if they are looking for more control.

 

Also, would you rather play 20 yards shorter off on a fairway or use less club from a semi rough?

 

 

 

20 yards less club from a "semi rough " any day..problem is that isn't the difference...its usually 20 yards short or in the woods... .but that isn't the argument...

[Shilgy]

I wonder why the tour average is down not up? Don't they know better? :happy:

[Ping_Ho]

I wonder why the tour average is down not up? Don't they know better? :happy:

 

Agreed

Tour pros have enough SS and consistency within their swing to take advantage of hitting down on a driver.

But the video was aimed for Amateurs.

[Soloman1]

They may not know better, but they probably know the definition of "average." :)

[Shilgy]

They may not know better, but they probably know the definition of "average." :)

Ok, I will bite. How was average used incorrectly? You think 20 guys are -10* and the rest are at zero or plus?

[Togatown22]

So the guys that don't like Foley explain it this way. "He got Rose and Mahan to the point where there were amongst the best ball strikers but then those same teachings make them fall off the map" Can someone please explain the logic?

 

Might be a bit aggressive to give him full credit for getting Rose to that level of ballstriking. I went back and looked at his strokes gained; tee to green and GIR stats from pre-2009 seasons (started w/ Foley end of '09 I think) and man, they are really good even that far back.

[gvogel]

For every player that can handle complicated golf instruction (Sir Nick with Leadbottom; Rose with Foley), there must be 10 for whom too much information gets in the way of playing quality golf. Hunter Mahan and Michelle Wie are just the tip of the iceberg. Personally I don't think that Lydia Ko is as athletic with her golf swing as she was pre-Leadbetter; but Lydia has such great tempo that even my golf instruction might not be able to screw up her game. :taunt:

[nmanoles3]

I'm hesitant to place a player's performance primarily on the swing coach. He is now a father, dealt with injuries, and looks to have put on a few pounds. Perhaps these in conjunction with instruction that doesn't vibe as well as it used to results in his poor play. He may benefit from a change, may not.

He also went to foley initially for help on short game. He struggled with rib injuries so him and foley bled into the full swing.

[duffer888]

Golf is a fickle game. Pretty sure he's set for life and you only have one chance to be a dad when your kids are young.

[GeorgeHWB]

The size of his teeth ..

 

 

 

Great contribution. Are you in 6th grade?

 

 

Seems that some years ago someone pissed in your corn flakes ..... Was that person a 6th grader per chance ??

 

Nope. Just tired of juvenile posts on the tour board. Carry on with your pearls of wisdom.

[QuigleyDU]

The size of his teeth ..

 

Great contribution. Are you in 6th grade?

 

definitely not smarter than one. :taunt:

[norge5]

What happened to Hunter? He was a scoreboard regular a while back. Love watching his swing.

 

Sean Foley, that is what happened... Steady decline. Went from ballstriking machine to just average trying to stack and swing left..

 

2013 he was 67%/68% and 27th in SG-T2G

2014 dropped to 75th in T2G

2015 fell off earth ranking 131st in GIR, 107 in FIR and 140th in T2G

2016 just when you think it couldn't get worse.. 135th, 166th and 185th in SG-T2G

 

With Hunter's destruction, Tiger's debacle starting early 2014, and Westwood lasting like 6 weeks with Sean, and a former student who twitter blasted Tiger to leave him asap, I am in shock he has any students at all. Rose is his ONLY saving grace and a big one at that as Justin is considered a top striker. But from past trends, I'd expect Rose to start his quick decline about now...

 

Couldn't agree more.

He praises how Trackman has revolutionized the game but tells his student to hit down on a driver.

 

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I don't care for Foley but I will say I agree with him on this video. Driving has always been one of the stronger parts of my game and, since getting all consumed with hitting up on the driver, my driving has suffered. Of course, I read a golf tip and I over exaggerate it so it's not the tips fault.

[norge5]

Maybe he's human and he is just going through a rough patch with his game. We can all relate to that, can't we?

[carn9698]

For every player that can handle complicated golf instruction (Sir Nick with Leadbottom; Rose with Foley), there must be 10 for whom too much information gets in the way of playing quality golf. Hunter Mahan and Michelle Wie are just the tip of the iceberg. Personally I don't think that Lydia Ko is as athletic with her golf swing as she was pre-Leadbetter; but Lydia has such great tempo that even my golf instruction might not be able to screw up her game. :taunt:

this true. A few scratch players I have played with are as dumb as a box of frogs. I think a lot of them just see target and do not even acknowledge the trees and out of bounds like most of us.

[tnord]

whether or not foley is right in that video is completely irrelevant - because unless its in relation to a specific individual - it can be both right and wrong.

 

in general, for your average 30 hdcp masquerading as a 20, hitting down with a driver probably is better, and really, as mentioned, tour average AOA is negative as well. that's a fact, not biased opinion like "foley ruins people."

 

http://blog.trackmangolf.com/trackman-average-tour-stats/

 

Mahan and Rose were two of the premier ballstrikers in the game, Rose still is. Every player has their swing issues, every coach has their issues too. I've listened to Foley speak a reasonable amount, and like a lot of what he has to say, but I don't take everything as gospel from him or any other instructor. Even from my own coach who has worked with major winners, I don't think he's perfect either.

 

regardless, everybody deals with family life differently. Mahan seems to be focused on securing his long term future financially and spending time with his kids (sold his mansion to Spieth). I tip my cap to him. GMac is another one that has had his focus shift, so has Tiger.

 

I want Mahan back on the radar as I loved watching him play. I wonder who left who with regard to Hunter and (John?) Wood, who is now with Kuchar.

[farmer]

For every player that can handle complicated golf instruction (Sir Nick with Leadbottom; Rose with Foley), there must be 10 for whom too much information gets in the way of playing quality golf. Hunter Mahan and Michelle Wie are just the tip of the iceberg. Personally I don't think that Lydia Ko is as athletic with her golf swing as she was pre-Leadbetter; but Lydia has such great tempo that even my golf instruction might not be able to screw up her game. :taunt:

this true. A few scratch players I have played with are as dumb as a box of frogs. I think a lot of them just see target and do not even acknowledge the trees and out of bounds like most of us.

I have played a million rounds with a guy who lines up absolutely square to his target line, with no thought involved.

[straightshot7]

The Foley effect.

[DonMega884]

Sean Foley destroyed tiger woods body. I think by the end of that era woods was taking a divot with his driver off the tee.

[rgk5]

Sean Foley destroyed tiger woods body. I think by the end of that era woods was taking a divot with his driver off the tee.

 

Nonsense. Bio-mechanically, nothing Foley advocated hurt Woods, hell, it never hurt me at age 67 when I started the Foley methods, Tiger's over rigorous fitness regimen is more to blame.

[rangersgoalie]

Funny, back when I started trying to play competitively again, I was really struggling with getting enough spin on my iron shots.

Was working on my irons, and was hitting shots on a trackman. My numbers were low as usual,

And the guy who was teaching there was telling me my angle of attack wasn't steep enough to get the spin required. I told him when I increased it, I hit the ball lower, with less spin. He didn't believe me until I hit a few, and lo and behold, a** high heaters with no spin.

 

He couldn't fathom that there was more wrong than the simple textbook answer from track man.

 

I've worked on my backswing,many very importantly, my transition, which has allowed me to hit it much higher, pick up a little spin, and not hurt as much...

 

My point? Hell I don't know, but the absolutes talked about sometimes aren't absolute for everyone

[norge5]

Sean Foley destroyed tiger woods body. I think by the end of that era woods was taking a divot with his driver off the tee.

Come on Man!

[norge5]

Sean Foley destroyed tiger woods body. I think by the end of that era woods was taking a divot with his driver off the tee.

 

Nonsense. Bio-mechanically, nothing Foley advocated hurt Woods, hell, it never hurt me at age 67 when I started the Foley methods, Tiger's over rigorous fitness regimen is more to blame.

Tiger's body gave out. Sometimes there isn't a reason. It just did. Maybe his fitness regimen bought him more time?

[Man_O_War]

now in his mid 30s, married with kids, multi multi millionaire and probably burnt out from never really breaking through as a world #1 type player when he was right on the brink of it.

 

sorry, with that short game he was NEVER close to a world #1 type player. Good player though. Top 10 is about the best he would be. Which is not shabby at all.

[Bimmer1]

He never was the same after he sat next to Phil at that "we hate Tom Watson" Ryder Cup press conference............ That damn Phil!!!

[Strike Force]

Hunter Mahan

 

Official World Golf Ranking: 170

 

FedEx Cup Rank: 173rd

 

Scoring Average: 72.172

 

 

3rd child on the way

 

Lost his swing

 

Struggling to find a balance with family responsibilities, a golf swing gone sour and sponsors demanding results.

 

Things are not looking favorable...

[JaNelson38]

Steve Stricker 2.0. Steve's dip in his mid-30s and the reasons for it are almost a carbon copy of what Hunter is going through.

 

Family, kids, and being a star before he was ready mentally for it. Hunter's Ryder Cup got into his head, just like how Steve said in that article he wrote that his confidence started to wain the first time he was paired with Tiger and he felt he had no chance to compete with his game.

 

Compound that with swing issues and it's a toxic combination. Hunter has a ton of work ahead of him but he's got the talent to get it back.

[Strike Force]

I believe Hunter is moving toward being a lost soul (of sorts) as he yearns for the way things used to be in his life, instead of his future. His family responsibilities haven't helped with his golf game, and I think he's learning that his swing method is for a young man's body now that he is getting older. I believe Hunter has been moving toward this understanding and conclusion for some time. I think he is definitely concerned (worried) about how things in his life have changed, and in particular how his golf game has unraveled...and he just doesn't know how to handle it, or deal with it.

[vitaminsteve]

Steve Stricker 2.0. Steve's dip in his mid-30s and the reasons for it are almost a carbon copy of what Hunter is going through.

 

Family, kids, and being a star before he was ready mentally for it. Hunter's Ryder Cup got into his head, just like how Steve said in that article he wrote that his confidence started to wain the first time he was paired with Tiger and he felt he had no chance to compete with his game.

 

Compound that with swing issues and it's a toxic combination. Hunter has a ton of work ahead of him but he's got the talent to get it back.

I dont think Mahan is the putter Stricker is. He is another of a growing pile of golfers that have gotten the Foley treatment. Next up Justin Rose. After Hunters cheerleader wife leaves him and takes whatever she can. He will always have dancing with the stars

 

 

[Motley]

Foley is the same guy that said balls make a sound at impact due to air coming out of them ... WTF

 

Wait......WHAT? He really said that? Holy s*** that is funny.