WORK IN PROGRESS
Mickelson and Harmon are keeping the big picture in focusBy Matthew RudyPhil Mickelson is nothing if not decisive.From 2004-'06, Mickelson had the most productive stretch of his professional career, winning a major championship each season and eight tour events overall. But he felt like he needed to make changes -- like Tiger Woods did -- to become a threat to win every major. So in April 2007, Mickelson made the difficult decision to break from his longtime teacher and friend, Rick Smith, and get together with Butch Harmon -- the instructor who supervised Woods' original swing-reconstruction project in 1997-'98.The cellophane was barely off the relationship when Mickelson started seeing results. After a month, he won the Players Championship. Another step came in September of last year, when he went head-to-head with Woods at the Deutsche Bank Championship and shot a final-round 66 to win.Precision off the tee is Mickelson's main goal, so Harmon has helped him develop a shorter, more controlled action. "Phil had a tendency to over-rotate his hips, which would make his driver swing get too long -- well past parallel," says Harmon. "We've worked on maintaining the flex in his left leg on the backswing to restrict his hip turn."Mickelson has also improved his footwork, quieting his lower-body action so he makes a smooth shift to his front foot on the downswing instead of spinning out. "We're also working on maintaining the width at the top of his swing -- keeping his left arm from collapsing and letting the club dip past parallel," says Harmon. An intense fitness routine has helped Mickelson better maintain his posture through the swing. "It's the foundation of the changes we've been implementing," says Mickelson.His results in majors this year were inconsistent: He tied for fifth at Augusta and for seventh at the PGA but wasn't a factor on Sunday at either tournament. But Harmon believes Mickelson isn't finished improving. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," he says.