Harrington’s putting coach tells us about his short game approach

August 22nd, 2008 | Padraig Harrington

Harrington’s putting coach tells us about his short game approach
By Gary Van Sickle
Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated
Published: August 21, 2008

www.si.com

Remember all those putts that Padraig Harrington holed on the final nine of the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills? Meet Dr. Paul Hurrion, a bio-mechanics expert who is Harrington’s putting coach. In the world of golf instruction, he’s become the next big thing. He serves as a putting guru for half a dozen other European tour players and also has his own signature line of putters available from www.GELGolf.com

I thought I might learn something about Harrington or putting, or both, so I called his office in England. Here are some highlights of our conversation:

SI: I’m surprised there aren’t more guys like you who analyze putting, considering what a big part of the game it is.

Hurrion: “It’s a very good thing for me. I don’t want to point a finger at the PGA, but in the UK, our PGA manual was maybe two inches thick on how to teach the golf swing — 200-plus pages on full swing golf instruction - and you’re lucky if there are four pages on how to teach putting… It has changed a little over the years, but there hasn’t been a systematic approach with grip and posture and alignment for putting. It’s more about feeling comfortable over the putt, and comfortable isn’t always optimal.”

SI: How did a former cricket player like yourself get into analyzing putting?

Hurrion: “I’ve always liked golf. I played mostly cricket and other athletics, but I had a bad injury so I started playing more golf. I got down to scratch about the time I got my Ph. D. I was interested in howthe ball reacts to the putter face. We developed software so we can analyze movements. You know how you see a ball hit with a driver in super slow-motion, and the ball compresses and the face caves? I did the same thing with a wedge and sand irons, and when I did it with a putter, I went, geez, hold on a second. I had to check to make sure the camera was correct. The ball was on the putter face for less than a millisecond. I did a study for Yes Golf back in 2000 when they first came out with their C-grooved putter. Grooves do work; they have an impact on ball roll. But how you’re holding the club has far more influence over the ball than the grooves, or even the putter. I’d say it’s 90-percent user, 10-percent club.”

SI: So if I’m putting poorly it’s my fault.

Hurrion: “No question. Professional golfers are great at disassociating. It’s not them. It’s always the putter or the green or the spike marks. But when you look at the numbers, it comes down to you, I’m afraid.”

SI: What did you think of those putts Padraig holed on the last three holes of the PGA? Two of them were pretty difficult. If he misses those, Sergio Garcia still wins.

Hurrion: “Definitely. I think Padraig one-putted eight greens on the back nine, had 26 putts for the round. That’s what we have worked to do, take the manipulation out of his stroke. If you’ve got any manipulation on that stroke, whether it’s body or hands, it’s not good. When it comes down to that moment of impact, about half a millisecond, there’s not much room for error, I’m afraid. “That back nine, once he got that look in his eyes, he was clearly in the zone, totally focused on what he was doing. We just worked so diligently on setup and posture and the club fitting him. He’s not thinking about that, he’s solely into reading the putts, trusting the line and letting it go. The great testament to me was last year at Carnoustie. He never even went on the putting green during the week. He was so happy with his putting he was like, leave it alone, just hit a couple of putts and go to the tee.”

SI: How’d you get together?

Hurrion: “At Valderrama in 2002. I had some footage of him. We were introduced through a mutual friend, Harold Swash. I was a relative unknown at the time in the golfing world. I didn’t have a pedigree or anything in golf, my previous work had been in athletics and cricket. I just said, this is what we’re seeing. He was interested, and in January 03, Padraig came over for a day and away we went.”

SI: He seems to have a mechanical approach to the game.

Hurrion: “Yes, he leaves no stone unturned in his approach.”

SI: What was his putting stroke like before you met?

Hurrion: “It was very good. He was very high on the stats in Europe. He was a good putter. People said, how can you improve on Padraig, he’s one of the best out there? Well, you take the manipulation out of the stroke. If you do that, you’ve got a chance to repeat the stroke. He had a lot of moving body parts. It mimics his full swing as well, rocking back on the heels. One of first things we did was make his stance wider, to give him a stable base. That was a quick fix to reduce manipulation. It’s not the end answer because the wider you go, the lower the sternum gets and the less fluid the stroke becomes. You have to fix the body physically.”

SI: You mean work out?

Hurrion: “Absolutely, no question.

SI: You need to work out to putt?

Hurrion: “Yeah, it’s a strength exercise. You’ve only got to look at Tiger and see how still he stands over a ball.”

SI: That makes sense, but you’re the first guy I’ve ever heard say that.

Hurrion: “I’m coming at it from a physics standpoint of how can you repeat something. It takes half a millisecond, and if your hips are rocking and rolling, it’s very tough. You need strength to stay still.”

SI: How long before Padraig’s stroke got to where you wanted it?

Hurrion: “It’s a work in progress. There’s more to come. You never stop. The moment you stop, everyone goes by you. He can still get better.”

SI: How much better can he putt than he did at the PGA?

Hurrion: “I’ve got my homework to do. Padraig sent me a list of all the putts he wants me to look at from the PGA. I record everything and then I can analyze it later. He wants me to look at good ones and bad ones. He wants me to create a database that we can always refer back to.”

SI: Like the putts at 16 and 18?

Hurrion: “The one at 16 was very impressive. It kept his momentum going.”

SI: SO he really approaches the game from a scientific standpoint?

Hurrion: “I describe it as a business standpoint. If you run a business, you ask, what do I need to improve and succeed? You analyze everything and figure it out. Everyone plays their little part, and if they all keep improving, you end up being successful. Padraig has worked incredibly hard to get everything he’s gotten.”

SI: So what’s it like to play a small part in winning three major championships?

Hurrion: “It’s very satisfying. There are more to come, no question. The great thing to me is, Padraig will still keep working.” He can & will win more majors!

Harrington - Hurrion Interview (Fairways of Life)

August 17th, 2008 | Padraig Harrington

This is a recording of the interview set up with Dr Paul Hurrion for host Matt Adams which was aired on the PGA Tour Network Radio on August 16 and now sits on Matt’s own website, www.FairwaysofLife.com  The ’Fairways of Life’ radio show broadcasts every Saturday and Sunday, one hour before the LIVE coverage of the PGA Tour on the PGA Tour Network XM 146!

The Fairways of Life Show is a celebration of all-things golf! From luxury golf travel, the latest gear and equipment, the game’s great history, to it’s most compelling personalities, like Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Greg Norman, among others. The Fairways of Life Show understands that golf is more than just a game!

http://www.fairwaysoflife.com/media.asp  Harrington - Hurrion Interview  16th August 2008

The interview is by New York Times Best-selling author Matthew E. “Matt” Adams who has sold over 1,000,000 books, making him one of the most successful authors of the last five years. Matt Adams is an international golf media personality, appearing regularly on the Golf Channel, where he fills the role of both reporter and columnist, and he is the host of the Fairways of Life Show on the PGA Tour Network, which is beamed around the world via satellite.

___________________________________________

The following interview can also be found in written form on www.golf.com in which Gary Van Sickle (Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated Magazine)

Gary Van Sickle, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, joined the staff in 1996 and covers golf for the magazine and its Golf Plus section. He was a sportswriter and columnist at The Milwaukee Journal for 13 years, covering a variety of sports. Van Sickle was born in Midland, Mich., graduated from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) with a journalism degree and currently resides in Wexford, Pa., just outside Pittsburgh. He’s a scratch handicap (more or less, depending upon the size of the bet), and advanced through local U.S. Open qualifying in 1996 and played in sectional qualifying with Tour players Larry Mize and Tom Purtzer, just missing a spot in the Open by a scant 17 shots.

Team Harrington fills vital support roles for golf hero

August 12th, 2008 | Padraig Harrington

Padraig Harrington is now on Tiger’s tail and that’s because of the appliance of science.

In 12 years as a Tour pro, Harrington has shown an insatiable desire to improve year on year. Every time he decided something was lacking, Harrington sought out a specialist in that area and then his renowned work ethic kicked in.

Now, thanks to his team of experts, he displays physical, mental and technical skills that mean the sky is the limit for his golfing future.

So who are the members of Team Harrington, and what part did they play in his stunning victories in the Open and the US PGA Championships?

Bob Torrance: The coach Torrance, now 75, has overseen the development of his player’s technique to the point where Harrington is now the biggest rival to Tiger Woods’ golfing supremacy. Torrance loves golfers who are prepared to work long hours to chase perfection, and in Harrington he found a soulmate.

“You’ll never achieve perfection, but you’ve got to keep trying to get it,” says Torrance.

They have been together since 1997.

Ronan Flood: Already a good friend and a scratch golfer before he took on the job of carrying the bag in 2004, Flood is now Harrington’s brother-in-law, and has played a key role in helping the player maintain his equilibrium in the white heat of Carnoustie, Royal Birkdale, and Oakland Hills.

Dr Bob Rotella: An internationally-renowned Sports Psychologist whose brand of mind mastery in relation to golf developed Harrington’s already formidable mental prowess from 2002 onwards.

Dr Paul Hurrion: A leading international Biomechanist, he has specialised in developing research and analysis of putting. He uses hi-tech cameras and computer software to assist golfers in learning the ultimate techniques in relation to putting.

Dr Liam Hennessy: An expert in Sports Physiology. Apart from the years of developing the blend of strength, stamina and suppleness in Harrington’s body, he has designed programmes to guard against injury and optimise the player’s food and drink intake on and off the course. He paid his way big time at Oakland Hills when he spotted that Harrington wasn’t taking enough fluids on board during the first two rounds. Once the hydration problem was sorted out, Harrington’s focus improved dramatically.

Adrian Mitchell: Has been Harrington’s manager since the golfer signed to the International Management Group in 1995. Business has been good for both parties as Harrington’s earnings soar in excess of €30m.

Dr Dale Richardson: A doctor of chiropractic medicine, Richardson was crucial to keeping Harrington going despite a neck disc problem at Carnoustie and a wrist injury at Birkdale.

Family: Wife Caroline has been invaluable to Padraig’s success, and sons Paddy and Ciaran are a great source of delight to the Champion. His mother Breda and the other members of the Harrington, Gregan and Flood clans are an integral element of Harrington’s support base.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/golf/

Padraig crowned USPGA Champion!

August 11th, 2008 | Padraig Harrington

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington has clinched his second major title in the space of three weeks after storming to victory at the USPGA Championship last night - his third in 13 months!

The Dubliner carded a four-under-par final-round 66 at Oakland Hills in Detroit to secure a two-shot victory over Spain’s Sergio Garcia and American Ben Curtis. He sealed the win with a 15-foot putt on the final hole. Harrington is first European to win the championship since 1930.

One good Sunday delivered as Padraig shoots consecutive 66’s to deliver his third Major in thirteen months and in the process break all sorts of records for a European Tour player.

Padraig is the first European to win back to back Majors, the fourth person in history to win the Open and USPGA titles in one season and the first European to win the USPGA Championship since Tommy Armour in 1930.

A sparkling mornings work where he was up at the crack of dawn to complete his weather interrupted third round included four birdies in a row from the 13th to leave himself at one over par for the tournament and only three behind going into the afternoons final round. The golfing Gods decreed that he would play with an old sparring partner as Sergio Garcia and Charlie Wi made up the second last three ball of the day.

The Spanish prodigy threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Padraig as he opened up a three shot lead over Padraig going into the back nine but this is now Padraigs playground and he knew that if he hung around long enough he would get a chance to wrest the title from the would be pretenders to Major glory. A stunning 32 shots later ending with a 15 foot putt for the title on the 18th green broke all hearts.

The famed Claret Jug now has the Wannamaker trophy for company on Padraigs kitchen table…

Congratulations Padraig from all at Quintic…





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