Padraig Harrington.....2015 Honda Classic Champion

Seves Three Iron

MungoMan wrote: »

Paddy's had a rough day today and he'll have the weekend off.

As a fan, I feel the same way as someone who supports a premiership team who are doing badly (time for a new manager)......

I'd love to see him try a new caddy.

Ronan has done a fantastic job, but he's been on the bag too long surely.

Paddy had fantastic form under his previous caddy (McNeilly or whatever his name was), but after a few years, he freshened things up, surely time to consider doing the same again.

There must be over familiarity between caddy and player after 6 years together, there has to be.
I'd like to see him with someone who doesnt know him so well, just a new trial.......a sort of a new beginning

What other players keep the same caddy for longer than 6 years, I dont know the figures. All I know is that if I was a gifted golfer, I wouldnt want the same caddy for longer than a couple of years.

Interesting post, not having a go but what specifically makes you think Ronan Flood is the problem? I've heard others make same point.

Personally I would view his putting as the obvious issue. If you look at his stats from Sawgrass he once again missed a number of putts inside five foot. It's his achilles heel for a long time now. He has changed coach and added a performance coach but as far as I can see he could do with a trip to Dave Stockton or someone like that. Perhaps it's even time for the belly putter?

MungoMan

Seves Three Iron wrote: »

Interesting post, not having a go but what specifically makes you think Ronan Flood is the problem? I've heard others make same point.

We'll, maybe this sounds stupid, but I think even if Ronan is not the problem (and I'm sure he's not the problem for Harringtons poor putting), I'd still love to hear that PH had a new caddy.

Ronan has shown that he's a great caddy, but it's just the over familiarity thing, they've spent so much time together, and they are probably great mates...............a new unfamiliar caddy might freshen things up, and challenge Paddy a bit..

Aidric

There is no defending that rubbish from Harrington yesterday. After a good opening round again and putting himself in a position to challenge he blows up in the second round.

He needs to address his putting issue pronto. A place outside the worlds top 100 is the only thing on the horizon right now.

Martin567

Aidric wrote: »

There is no defending that rubbish from Harrington yesterday. After a good opening round again and putting himself in a position to challenge he blows up in the second round.

He needs to address his putting issue pronto. A place outside the worlds top 100 is the only thing on the horizon right now.

T15 in GIR for the first two days and still missing the cut. Unfortunately, this has been the story of Padraig's season so far. He's made massive strides with his long game in the past 9 months and I hope he can now get back to something like his normal putting standards as soon as possible.

It just goes to that putting is probably the most important part of the game. I think it was 2010 that Boo Weekley was No 1 in GIR for the year on the PGA Tour but still failed to keep his card at the end of the year.

FixdePitchmark

Martin567 wrote: »

T15 in GIR for the first two days and still missing the cut. Unfortunately, this has been the story of Padraig's season so far. He's made massive strides with his long game in the past 9 months and I hope he can now get back to something like his normal putting standards as soon as possible.

It just goes to that putting is probably the most important part of the game. I think it was 2010 that Boo Weekley was No 1 in GIR for the year on the PGA Tour but still failed to keep his card at the end of the year.

At his age, get on with it and take belly. Or something else like it.

SnowDrifts

He has been told that the belly putter will be banned within 5 years and that is why he is not going to try it.

My view is that he would be much better off to go the belly route even if it is for only 5 years. He is boarding on the yips ans the belly putter is know to correct that. Would it not be better to put well for 4 more years and return some consistent scores.

Also, you never know, maybe he needs a break from the blade. He could pick it up after 5 years and find it's sweetspot again like as was in better times.

ssbob

As all of us know, putting is about confidence, one good week with the putter and Paddy will be flying again, he was the master of clutch putts over the last couple of years, you don't lose that overnight!!

death1234567

SnowDrifts wrote: »

He has been told that the belly putter will be banned within 5 years and that is why he is not going to try it.

I really doubt that's true. If they ban the belly putter then all long putters will have to be banned. Its too late to ban them now IMO, They are part of the game.

AldilaMan

ssbob wrote: »

As all of us know, putting is about confidence, one good week with the putter and Paddy will be flying again, he was the master of clutch putts over the last couple of years, you don't lose that overnight!!

Ask Ernie Els

ssbob

AldilaMan wrote: »

Ask Ernie Els

Ernie lost it over a sustained period not overnight!

AldilaMan

ssbob wrote: »

Ernie lost it over a sustained period not overnight!

By that reckoning PH has lost his over a sustained period and it's not coming back. Once the putting goes at that age it doesn't come back because fear takes over. You only have to look at young guys on the PGA tour putting hard to the back of the hole - fearless

Speak Now

Ranked rock bottom (186th) from putting inside 5 feet season to date.

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?403

Russman

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

Ranked rock bottom (186th) from putting inside 5 feet season to date.

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?403

Wow !! Thats amazing, hard to believe. How the mighty have fallen.

Also a little scary to see Sergio up there in 6th place

Henry Ford III

He's very inconsistant unfortunately. I wonder how much of the problem is a mental one?

wobbles-grogan

Henry Ford III wrote: »

He's very inconsistant unfortunately. I wonder how much of the problem is a mental one?

Golf is (i would say anyway) 80% in your head.

Aidric

Down to 95th in the world rankings. He is down to play the Byron Nelson this week.

Nice link on those putting stats, truly deplorable.

GreeBo

Russman wrote: »

Wow !! Thats amazing, hard to believe. How the mighty have fallen.

Also a little scary to see Sergio up there in 6th place

He was never higher than 47th over the last 10 years from what I can see...maybe we all just thought he was better than he actually was?

endabob1

GreeBo wrote: »

He was never higher than 47th over the last 10 years from what I can see...maybe we all just thought he was better than he actually was?

?
Are you saying Harrington has never been higher than 47th?

ssbob

http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/players/playerid=293/statistics/index.html

Link to Paddys stats on Euro Tour from 2005-2012, 2011 & 2012 have been deplorable in terms of putting. He was in top ten in putting stats from 2005 - 2010 and then 51st in 2011 and 143rd so far this year..........

Speak Now

The putter is costing his stroke average (Which isn't actually bad) one shot per round. That's a major monkey on your back starting every tournament.
Probably hardest part of your game to turn around as well

Martin567

Slightly off topic but it does show the extraordinary standard of putting from the top professionals that a 92% success rate from 5 feet or less would leave him last on this particular statistic.

He is averaging roughly one missed putt from inside 5 feet in every round which he obviously needs to cut out. If any of us ordinary mortals had that level of success with shortish putts, I'm sure we would think our putting was red hot.

Speak Now

Martin567 wrote: »

Slightly off topic but it does show the extraordinary standard of putting from the top professionals that a 92% success rate from 5 feet or less would leave him last on this particular statistic.

He is averaging roughly one missed putt from inside 5 feet in every round which he obviously needs to cut out. If any of us ordinary mortals had that level of success with shortish putts, I'm sure we would think our putting was red hot.

That stat would include lots of tap in putts though, maybe more accurate to look at the 3 to 5 feet range to show his putting woes.

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?02427

So in short he has already missed 22 putts from this range in 2012.
Over the previous 2 years he only missed a total of 27 :eek:

I looked back further and the last time his stats were this bad from this range was 2008

Above is PGA only.

182 of 186 with a 76% success rate.

Trampas

his interview with sky after thursday round of 69 was mostly negative thoughts.

needs more positive thoughts going through his head than negative.

Martin567

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

That stat would include lots of tap in putts though, maybe more accurate to look at the 3 to 5 feet range to show his putting woes.

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?02427

So in short he has already missed 22 putts from this range in 2012.
Over the previous 2 years he only missed a total of 27 :eek:

I looked back further and the last time his stats were this bad from this range was 2008

Above is PGA only.

182 of 186 with a 76% success rate.

That stat is definitely a better indicator than the other one. It always seems to be the way that when you have a problem with a particular part of your game that you continually get tested on it. There are a few players in the upper part of that list who have played a similar number of rounds as Padraig but have only faced around half the number of putts in this range as he has. I wonder is his chipping not quite as sharp as before or is he leaving his approaches further from the pin than in previous years?

AldilaMan

Martin567 wrote: »

That stat is definitely a better indicator than the other one. It always seems to be the way that when you have a problem with a particular part of your game that you continually get tested on it. There are a few players in the upper part of that list who have played a similar number of rounds as Padraig but have only faced around half the number of putts in this range as he has. I wonder is his chipping not quite as sharp as before or is he leaving his approaches further from the pin than in previous years?

That would be Bob Rotella's 1st question

GreeBo

Trampas wrote: »

his interview with sky after thursday round of 69 was mostly negative thoughts.

needs more positive thoughts going through his head than negative.

I think he just needs less thoughts going through his head tbh.

ssbob

GreeBo wrote: »

I think he just needs less thoughts going through his head tbh.

Easier said than done:D I have tried:D

Milkers

Martin567 wrote: »

There are a few players in the upper part of that list who have played a similar number of rounds as Padraig but have only faced around half the number of putts in this range as he has. I wonder is his chipping not quite as sharp as before or is he leaving his approaches further from the pin than in previous years?

Excellent observation, in fact looking at the stats again it is striking how many attempts he has had from that range given his number of rounds. Could his lag putting be way off also?

supernova84

It's amazing to think he had only one 3 putt in the Masters (18th hole final round). It's all in his head. Hope he can get a win soon, maybe that's all he needs to spur him on!

rednik

He set such a high standard and remained in the top 10 for so long it was going to be hard to keep up. He has to be so frustrated with his effort over the last couple of years but I think there is more to come from him. What it takes is anyones guess. So many golfers have achieved some sort of sucess over the years but what seperates them from the true greats is sustaining the sucess over the years.