What is up with Rory McIlroy?

[gvogel]

I said this in another thread.  His new clubs with new shafts are giving him more distance, but less accuracy.

[munichop]

Per his presser he chased distance after the Bryson show at Winged Foot. Notah had a great observation this morning on the pregame about how chess like this is because Bryson is in the heads of the other players. Just like Tiger he has these guys chasing ghosts in their games. Rory needs to forget about distance and get an iron swing that can get his wedges closer than a five handicapper, work on his chipping and putting so what does he do? Tries to get better at the one thing he does best. This is an amateur brain at work.

[bscinstnct]

1 hour ago, Philomathesq said:

Let me preface my comments with this: I'm currently a bitter human being due to work preventing me from playing golf and/or partaking in any sort of real life for the past several months, so my current predisposition is to take the cynical viewpoint. With that out of the way...

 

While I don't think the sky is falling for Rory, I do think his best days are behind him. His personal life has clearly taken a much larger role in his priorities (no gripe here) and seems to have had an oversized effect on his game. Moreover, his general attitude seems to be lacking a true winner's mindset.

 

What I heard in his interview (and here comes the cynic) was him blaming his issues on himself, but also buttressing that with outside influences in a "it's not my fault" way. His comments, to me, came off as an attempt to blame his decision to chase speed on Bryson's dominating performance at Winged Foot, and his veiled attempt to take a dig at Bryson for using single-length irons. It seems like every time Rory talks about his problems, he has to mention someone or something else as a catalyst.

 

He's still one of the best golfers in the world, but his best days are behind him. He may pull out another Major, but I don't believe he will seriously compete for many wins going forward. 

Great post, I agree.

 

Rory is good enough he can still win anytime but once he started with the

 

Golf isn’t everything and even if I don’t win, life’s ok

 

I figured he wasn’t going to perform at his max

 

I can pretty much guarantee that TW and Jack had a distaste for not winning that probably caused physical revulsion in their very fabric of being and drove them to do whatever it took to be sure they were ready to kick the crap out of anybody.

 

Don’t be fooled by this ,”Jack didn’t practice and there was more to life” stuff you hear.

 

Jack was a psycho killer between the ropes and, as Trevino said, the guy practiced a ton. 

Edited March 13, 2021 by bscinstnct

[bscinstnct]

GC just said Rory old caddie workin for Victor Perez.

 

He -4 😂

[the bishop]

12 hours ago, Holy Moses said:

His SG: Approach is terrible this season. By far worst of his career. 

This.  He's been below average to bad in this area for a long time.  How many times have we seen him bone up a hole from 125 in?  I've lost count.  He can't figure that out?  Who's he trying to convince with this chasing distance canard?  I like Rory a lot but with the unbelievable amount of data available to these guys he took a look around and said to himself "I need to get longer"?  Please.

[MUNIGRIT]

Rory's swing seems a bit dumped under now and he is hitting blocks and hooks with it.

[Fairways_and_Greens]

He's chasing something in his short/mid-irons. His play is abysmal. Plus, it will get worse before it gets better, after playing PX his whole life and then switching to X7. 

This is from Richie Hunts Twitter, and is Rorys stats before the Players.

[straightshot7]

Why is Rory chasing distance and speed?

#1 in driving distance in 2017.

#1 in driving distance in 2018.

#2 in driving distance in 2019.

#4 in driving distance in 2020.

#2 in driving distance in 2021.

I have to think maybe he's being influenced by Bryson and thinking the game might pass him by if he doesn't work on his own speed...

 

But I think he'd be a lot better off focusing on 150 yards and in. 

[Draw Driver]

2 hours ago, gvogel said:

I said this in another thread.  His new clubs with new shafts are giving him more distance, but less accuracy.

Is it as simple as this, his position at the top and extension through impact has migrated over the last few years and a lack of confidence from there? 

 

The bottom line is he is not playing well given his caliber and has stated he his concerned. I would be too.

 

I like Rory. This isn’t a thread to be mean spirited, but to discuss how he gets back to what he was and the changes that includes. 

[elwhippy]

I love the guy to bits but why is he chasing DeShampoo? Rory has a very loose swing and if it is out of kilter it is going to be wild. What I cannot understand is how he cannot copy DJ and hit a fairway finding fade. Add in a better caddie who can talk him out of going for everything and he can be number one again. 

[PureStrikes54]

56 minutes ago, MUNIGRIT said:

Rory's swing seems a bit dumped under now and he is hitting blocks and hooks with it.

 

Per Rory his issues are literally the exact opposite of your diagnoses...He's playing wayyy more fades than early in his career and swing is wayyyy more in line. 

 

Picture 4 is as dumped under as it gets. 

 

“I know for years and years my whole golf career I’ve got used to dropping it underneath the plane on the way down, and from there I can manage it,” he said. “I can hold it off. I’m used to that feeling.”

“It’s a completely different pattern that I’m having to manage and … I’m not used to managing it, so that’s where the two-way miss comes in, and that’s where I just have to figure out what to do to get it back to a familiar pattern,”

 

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by PureStrikes54

[3whacker]

there was a theory that the late Ken Venturi once mentioned when he was commenting on DLIII. His theory was that players with a great swing with the driver , had difficulty with swinging a wedge because the motion was different...and you would think that the big hitters would be very proficient with a wedge because they hit so many of them because they hit so many long drives....the exception of course is TW, he was so exceptional at flighting his wedges and short irons....Rory's misses with a wedge make you scratch your head times because not only does he miss long, he also misses directionally too 

[MUNIGRIT]

21 minutes ago, PureStrikes54 said:

 

Per Rory his issues are literally the exact opposite of your diagnoses...He's playing wayyy more fades than early in his career and swing is wayyyy more in line. 

 

Picture 4 is as dumped under as it gets. 

 

“I know for years and years my whole golf career I’ve got used to dropping it underneath the plane on the way down, and from there I can manage it,” he said. “I can hold it off. I’m used to that feeling.”

“It’s a completely different pattern that I’m having to manage and … I’m not used to managing it, so that’s where the two-way miss comes in, and that’s where I just have to figure out what to do to get it back to a familiar pattern,”

 

 

I'm guessing you didn't pay attention to his post round interview where he said his swing was good at Winged Foot and has chased distance since then. He said his swing is too flat and rotational dependent. He is getting stuck and standing up to create power. 

[Guy In Lyon]

IMO his biggest problem at the moment is that he's trying to be another Bryson Dechambeau, instead of just being Rory McIlroy.

[PureStrikes54]

48 minutes ago, MUNIGRIT said:

I'm guessing you didn't pay attention to his post round interview where he said his swing was good at Winged Foot and has chased distance since then. He said his swing is too flat and rotational dependent. He is getting stuck and standing up to create power. 

 

Got it..."flat" and "dumped under" mean the same thing. Kuch better watch out....with that flat and rotational pattern he's at major risk of hitting big blocks and hooks.

 

12:30 on...literally describes the exact opposite of a "block and hook" pattern. 

 

Rory McIlroy: Tuesday presser 2021 THE PLAYERS Championship - YouTube

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by PureStrikes54

[Holy Moses]

2 hours ago, the bishop said:

This.  He's been below average to bad in this area for a long time.  How many times have we seen him bone up a hole from 125 in?  I've lost count.  He can't figure that out?  Who's he trying to convince with this chasing distance canard?  I like Rory a lot but with the unbelievable amount of data available to these guys he took a look around and said to himself "I need to get longer"?  Please.

Wasn’t just him. Most every player chasing distance.

[tacklingdummy]

Pretty sure these guys have been working the deep state of the PGA pushing players to pump up and chase distance. Hired by the shorter and more accurate PGA players. 

 

[tw_focus]

Rors has always been up and down. Missing cuts left and right one month, winning a few events a few months later. Nothing new here really.

 

BTW it's just one missed cut, guy has been playing okay lately. Too soon to raise the alarms.

[sonnygolf]

Lookkig forward to a fat Rory and more distance. 

[sonnygolf]

5 hours ago, bscinstnct said:

Great post, I agree.

 

Rory is good enough he can still win anytime but once he started with the

 

Golf isn’t everything and even if I don’t win, life’s ok

 

I figured he wasn’t going to perform at his max

 

I can pretty much guarantee that TW and Jack had a distaste for not winning that probably caused physical revulsion in their very fabric of being and drove them to do whatever it took to be sure they were ready to kick the crap out of anybody.

 

Don’t be fooled by this ,”Jack didn’t practice and there was more to life” stuff you hear.

 

Jack was a psycho killer between the ropes and, as Trevino said, the guy practiced a ton. 

 

Its a huge myth that Rory does not work hard. He works perhaps harder than 99% of the golfers. In the gym, on the range, practises all day every single time. He was like that as a kid - he will spend 15 hours a day and they had to drag him off the course. He is very deidcated and into the whole fitness perfection thing.  

 

When Rory says winning is not everything - that just him trying to take the pressure off himself. Deep down its bs! He WANTS to win badly. You better believe that.  Lets stop trying to make him a John Daly or some rock and roll guy out partying. He is a golf nerd just like Bryso on and many of the guys on tour. 

 

Golf is hard simple as that - you can work all you like but its hard! 

[dlygrisse]

This interview does not lead me to believe he is close to playing well. 
 

 

 

[NoodleSalad]

So in chasing Bryson's long game, Rory learned 2 things, he can't get to Bryson's length and he doesn't have Bryson's wedge game or touch around the greens.

[Ironman_32]

8 hours ago, Philomathesq said:

What I heard in his interview (and here comes the cynic) was him blaming his issues on himself, but also buttressing that with outside influences in a "it's not my fault" way. His comments, to me, came off as an attempt to blame his decision to chase speed on Bryson's dominating performance at Winged Foot, and his veiled attempt to take a dig at Bryson for using single-length irons. It seems like every time Rory talks about his problems, he has to mention someone or something else as a catalyst.

 

Whether its true or not that BDC influenced him, it does seem like a place to lay the blame. 

 

Random thoughts:

-In a stock market comparison, Rory is like a blue chip company that has very high revenue and very high expenses, and he's trying to boost the share price by brining in more revenue; maybe just reduce expenses?

-as stated, he's already long enough. He seems like he chases distance a lot; remember when he got really in shape but that didn't help much. 

- theres been way more golfers whove lost it chasing distance than those who have succeeded, you think everyone on tour would know that by now. 

[Philomathesq]

22 minutes ago, Ironman_32 said:

Random thoughts:

-In a stock market comparison, Rory is like a blue chip company that has very high revenue and very high expenses, and he's trying to boost the share price by brining in more revenue; maybe just reduce expenses?

 

This is an excellent comparison. Stop chasing revenue (distance) and focus on reducing expenses (i.e., focus on fundamentals). 

[Ironman_32]

23 minutes ago, Philomathesq said:

 

This is an excellent comparison. Stop chasing revenue (distance) and focus on reducing expenses (i.e., focus on fundamentals). 

Thanks.

 

Its just interesting...like, does Rory come up with that himself, or does someone else crunch his numbers and tell him first priority is hit it further? I took one minute on the PGA website, Rory 2nd in driving distance, 80th in SG putting, 3rd SG driving, 15th SG tee-to-green...one of these things is not like the other...

 

Plus, you look at driving distance, BDC is #1, but after him, the top of the list doesn't include recent tour winners. 

[Josh L.]

Rory should call Bones and pull him out of retirement to make a run together. I don't necessarily think having his buddy on the bag is hurting, but I surely don't think it's helping him. I'd like to see Rory go on another run and win a few majors, and hopefully complete the career Grand Slam in the process, but it's tough to know what's really going on, chasing distance, off course distractions, family life being more of a priority, who knows. I hope he gets it sorted, premier Rory is good for golf.

[Holy Moses]

13 minutes ago, Josh L. said:

Rory should call Bones and pull him out of retirement to make a run together. I don't necessarily think having his buddy on the bag is hurting, but I surely don't think it's helping him. I'd like to see Rory go on another run and win a few majors, and hopefully complete the career Grand Slam in the process, but it's tough to know what's really going on, chasing distance, off course distractions, family life being more of a priority, who knows. I hope he gets it sorted, premier Rory is good for golf.

John Wood is also available. Wood said for the right player, he’d get back on a bag. Jason Day needs Col Swatton back on his bag ASAP. Maybe Bones is holding out for Jimmie Johnson to retire.

[Medson]

5 hours ago, Philomathesq said:

 

This is an excellent comparison. Stop chasing revenue (distance) and focus on reducing expenses (i.e., focus on fundamentals). 

Okay. Finally something I can understand here. 
 

I say let’s get this thread to 80+ pages because the Jordan Spieth one is slowing down!
 

Rory had some slumps in the past. Once with the Titleist to Nike change. I think he’ll be back. Probably with more majors too. 
 

Alright, who’ll be the “what’s up with …” 

[Josh L.]

1 hour ago, Holy Moses said:

John Wood is also available. Wood said for the right player, he’d get back on a bag. Jason Day needs Col Swatton back on his bag ASAP. Maybe Bones is holding out for Jimmie Johnson to retire.

I forgot Wood was available, I'm not saying its the key to all Rory's issues, but these experienced professional caddies bring a little more to the table off the course than just having your buddy loop. Might bring some motivation to Rory. 

[MMB1500]

The same thing is up with him as always. He's a mental basket case who can't get out of his own way. The "I was chasing distance" thing is just the latest in a long line of excuses. 

 

Even with 4 majors I consider him to have massively underachieved given his talent, something almost entirely down to his mental fragility. 

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by MMB1500