Leadbetter: Why hasn’t Rory McIlroy won a major since 2014?

by.David Leadbetter 

published at GolfWRX

Rory McIlroy is arguably one of the most naturally talented players in golf, and I have always been a big fan. His athleticism, power, rhythm, and even finesse around the greens are a joy to behold. When he’s in full flow, his game is magnificent and exciting to watch. The big question is, considering his abilities, why has Rory not won more majors?

Rory has seemed to be the total package since a young age and has suffered very few injuries over the years. The only significant one I recall was when he broke his foot in a pickup soccer game! He is undoubtedly the best driver of the ball in the game today, combining length with accuracy, and stands alongside past greats like Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, both renowned for their driving ability.

So, what’s holding Rory back from dominating the game like Tiger Woods in his prime? Yes, he has won four majors and 40 tournaments worldwide as a professional, plus millions of dollars. But as all keen observers know, a player’s greatness is ultimately measured by major victories. The reality is that Jack Nicklaus has won 18 majors, Tiger 14, and Brooks Koepka in recent years has won 5. Rory’s last major victory came in 2014, over 10 years ago, and the clock is ticking. While he has come close to winning majors on numerous occasions, opinions on his shortcomings vary widely. These range from missed putts, his caddie’s quality, excessive desire, not enough desire, swing issues, poor course strategy, being a good front runner but not when chasing the pack, inconsistency under pressure, or even just simply bad luck.

Much like the many discussions of Ben Hogan’s so-called “swing secret” back in the day, the truth about Rory’s struggles is likely a combination of factors — both physical and mental. It’s certainly not for a lack of effort on Rory’s part. He has explored everything from different swing coaches to fancy training aids, mental training, hypnosis, diet, strength and conditioning — you name it. Having worked with some of the greats over the years, I believe the missing ingredient and flaw in Rory’s game lies in the consistency of his technique. Every tour player will tell you that confidence in their swing and control of the ball is the catalyst that fuels their success.

Here, I believe, lies the crux of Rory’s issues. If you look at multiple-major winners through the years, they all share a common trait – they are great iron players. Think of Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods, and more recently, players like Scottie Scheffler, Books Koepka, Jon Rahm, and Xander Schauffele — superior certainly with their short irons. (Greg Norman, while one of the best drivers in history, was only an average iron player. It’s telling that with his enormous talent, he won just two majors. Just imagine if you could combine Greg Norman’s driving with Nick Faldo’s iron play!)

The stats back up that Rory’s weak spot seems to be his iron play from 100 to 175 yards — the critical scoring range. If you compare Rory’s iron stats to Scottie Scheffler, the current world number one, the difference is quite remarkable whereas they are neck and neck in the driving stats. 

Simply put, if he hits these clubs closer to the hole, he’ll have more birdie chances! Rory’s putting is solid overall; the work he’s done with Brad Faxon has been invaluable. And while he often excels on par-5s with his superior length, there are after all four par-3s and ten par-4s where he could see improvement with better iron play. Hitting shots closer to 15 feet rather than 30 feet could certainly make a big difference, especially in majors, where obviously there is greater pressure. His near misses, which often come down to a shot or two, his flaw creates a problem by not hitting the ball close enough to the hole on his approach shots.

So, now that we’ve identified the problem, let’s look for a possible cause. I personally believe Rory’s issues with shorter clubs are mechanical. While he certainly hits a lot of great shots from 100 to 175 yards, as you’d expect given his talent, when the pressure is on as in majors, his flaw with his iron play appears. I’ve seen Rory miss greens with wedges and 9-irons, or have long approach putts which is a concerning sign. Rory has spoken about staying more connected with his arms and body, keeping his swing shorter, preventing the club from crossing the line at the top and not getting “stuck” coming down. All these insights are spot-on, but as with all golfers, addressing the root cause, as opposed to the effect, is key. For example, just swinging shorter to avoid crossing the line might look good, but it could also rob him of his natural, free-flowing motion, especially with the driver.

I was pleased to see him reach out to Butch Harmon, who by all accounts observed that Rory’s takeaway was the problem. His hands were working away from his body, creating a gap, which set the club outside before then rerouting it behind him and causing him to cross the line particularly on his longer clubs. The takeaway is critical as it sets up the sequence and synchronization of the swing. With the club moving outside at the start, in actual fact the club is traveling on path farther than need be to complete its journey to the top. This creates a sync or timing problem where the body completes its rotation, but the arms continue swinging. With Rory’s aggressive lower body move on the downswing the arms then lag behind and the “stuck” feeling of the club coming too far from the inside results. This feeling doesn’t really affect his driver because he has more time and compensates by backing up on the ball – a real power move for Rory. However, with his short irons, this “stuck” feeling can be a liability and requires expert timing of the hands to square the face up.

For a time after visiting Butch, Rory in his routine was rehearsing a practice waggle to help his takeaway by keeping the club closer to his right thigh. This is effective in my opinion only when the core is involved, to get the arms, hands, and club moving – as Ernie Els describes it, as initiating his backswing with his “belly button!” If the core is not involved and the hands and arms try to control the movement, then it’s unlikely that the problem can be solved. The core/obliques need to be engaged from the very start to assist the club in moving away on the correct track. Rory’s separation at the start of his swing and synchronization issue did not seem to be as evident earlier in his career. My theory is that as he’s bulked up, with a thicker chest and upper arms over the years, this has influenced his takeaway. Just a theory, but something worth considering.

To drive home this point, compare Rory’s takeaway to that of Ludvig Åberg, whose swing many consider the best on tour – check the gap between the top of the grip and their right legs! 

Photo via SwingKingsGolfBKK

Photo via Jonathan Yarwood Golf

In conclusion, my feelings are if Rory could improve his takeaway, his swing, especially with his short irons would be more efficient, more in sync, and this part of the game could reach new heights for him. He still has time, and it would be incredible to see him dominate the game with the natural talent he so clearly possesses. This is just my opinion and another one to add to the ever-growing list. 

And here’s the moral of the story for golfers of all abilities: Maintain your strengths, identify your weaknesses, and work on them.