Scottie Scheffler seemed to be completely lost with his golf swing on day one of the Players Championship as he struggled desperately with his driver and his irons.
Scheffler could not stop himself from missing miles right on more than 50 per cent of his full shots.
Advertisement
That must have been a seriously uncomfortable feeling for someone who is said to have the greatest control of his clubface since Jack Nicklaus.
Scheffler posted an opening round of 72 at The Players Championship on Thursday. On face value, that seems like a decent effort, especially considering the fact that the leaders are only at five-under.
However, anyone who watched the 29-year-old’s round would have noticed that he was a long, long way from his normal level.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
After his round, Scheffler said his driving issue at The Players was down to a lack of trust in where the clubhead was on the downswing.
Advertisement
And now Brandel Chamblee has shared his opinion on what is going wrong with Scheffler’s swing right now.
Brandel Chamblee has spotted the real cause of Scottie Scheffler’s problems
Scheffler was working hard on his swing on the range at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday afternoon alongside his long-time coach Randy Smith.
When speaking on Live From The Players, Chamblee explained what he believes is causing Scheffler so many problems at the moment.
“I just want you to notice this,“ the golf analyst said, with Scheffler’s swing paused at the top of his backswing.
“That’s the top of his back swing (short of parallel to the ground), okay? If you want to go to another click or two, he’s already coming down.
Advertisement
“Not only is that face open, it is miles across the line, if it would go on to parallel, but it doesn’t go to parallel.
“So, uh, I don’t even recognise this golf swing from Scottie Scheffler.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
“It’s a foot and a half shorter than it was last year, and the face is wide open.
“I mean, look, as a player, you get off from time to time, you know?
“It looks to me like the left wrist has got a little more cup in it. I’m not exactly sure why it’s shorter, but it is, in fact, shorter and wide open.
“I mean, we’ve been there.You can get a little off with your golf swing.
“And it’s just a couple of weeks. It’s not a year or anything. There’s plenty of time to get it done, but that’s the source of the problem.“
Advertisement
Chamblee is spot on there. Scheffler’s club head was stuck so far behind him on his downswing throughout his opening round at The Players.
Hopefully he and his coach are both aware of that issue, and he’s able to eradicate the problem before it becomes too deeply ingrained.
What Scottie Scheffler’s stats from day one of The Players prove
Scheffler’s best key statistical category on day one at Sawgrass was his putting.
That says it all really.
He was completely lost with his swing out on the golf course on Thursday and it should be no surprise that he was ranked 68th in strokes gained driving and 38th in strokes gained approach.
Advertisement
This is a man who has been ranked first on the PGA Tour in both of those categories over the past two seasons.
It’s worth noting that Scheffler’s chipping and pitching was really poor on day one of The Players Championship as well.
The man from Dallas, Texas, who many say is the best chipper in the game, was ranked 97th in strokes gained around the greens on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass.
He seriously needs to tidy his entire game up, if he is to challenge at TPC Sawgrass this week.
Read the full article here