Hank Haney, Tiger Wood's swing coach, recently took a stab at straightening the swing of the Hall of Fame basketball player Charles Barkley, who looked as if he were trying to hack at a rattlesnake, not hit a golf ball. The result is “The Haney Project,” a weekly show that makes its debut tonight on the Golf Channel.
YOU WORK WITH THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD. SO WHAT WAS IT LIKE TAKING ON SOMEONE WITH A SWING THAT IS PERHAPS THE WORST? With Charles, I had no idea where to start. I knew I was going to have to do some experimentation. That’s why the show’s named The Project.” It’s a pretty great challenge when you’re trying to help someone like Tiger, who’s arguably the greatest player ever, because it’s harder to improve at that level. With Charles, all I have to do is get him to hit the ball.
WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FROM PEOPLE ON THE TOUR ABOUT THIS VENTURE? I’ve had more reaction from people talking to me about the show with Charles than anything I’ve done in teaching because everyone knows about his golf swing. He’s got the most recognizable swing in golf. It’s obviously not for a good reason, but that’s why everybody’s so curious.
WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT WORKING WITH CHARLES? I guess you’re always surprised when you see somebody who works as hard as he does. You know he’s one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game, but I was surprised to see his mental focus and how dedicated he is to improving his game. He was a pleasure to work with. His work ethic was like Tiger’s. Every day that we practiced, he hit over 1,000 balls. You’re not going to find many people who do that.
By Karen Crouse
New York Times
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