In golf, timing is everything – not just in the swing but also in career decisions. For Max Homa, the timing of his recent overhaul couldn’t be more challenging. The once-rising star has missed the cut in six of eight tournaments this season. His world ranking has plummeted from 10th to 81st in just one year. Amidst these struggles, Homa completely revamped nearly every aspect of his professional life. He changed his swing coach from Mark Blackburn to Scott Ran. He switched equipment from Titleist to Cobra. And most recently, he parted ways with long-time caddie Joe Greiner after six years together. Were those changes to get out of a rut, or did something else prompt them?

Max Homa’s pursuit of improvement drives a major career overhaul

He spoke candidly at his pre-Masters press conference on Tuesday, addressing the sweeping changes that have defined his past year. “Pretty much since this week last year, I didn’t hit it well for a long time, felt like I was running in circles,” admitted Max Homa.

“Mark Blackburn is I think one of the smartest people I’ve ever spoken to and an amazing coach, but it just felt like — I mean, it was just time, which su**s,” Homa explained about his coaching change. This difficult decision came after Blackburn, with whom Homa started working in 2020, helped guide him to multiple PGA Tour victories and a career-high world ranking of #10 in 2024. “It’s not like something you want to do,” he continued, reflecting on the emotional toll of these transitions. The decision wasn’t made lightly, especially considering his third-place finish at the 2024 Masters (-4) remains his best major performance.

“Mark and I have very similar brains,” once said Homa about his former coach. “The way we think, and process information is super similar, so when Mark gives information to me, I get it. It’s been a very easy learning curve.” Their split must not have been easy for either, but if the driving force behind the changes is improvement, then it’s something that has to be done.

Regarding his equipment switch, Homa was more opportunistic. “The club stuff I had actually always been interested in, Cobra. Contract was up, so tested it and the stuff was really good,” he revealed. In January 2025, he signed with Cobra, replacing his Titleist clubs with a new set including a Cobra DS-Adapt LS driver and King MB irons. His commitment to quality drove every decision. “Had never changed something to not get better,” Homa emphasized. This philosophy guided each transition, despite short-term performance costs that have seen him drop to 185th in Strokes Gained: Approach (-1.460) this season.

“The swing changes have been the biggest issue, I would say, or just like the thing that’s taken the longest,” Homa admitted. Despite the struggles, he stands by his decisions. “But I would have still done what I did. I just wish I could catch on a little bit quicker,” he said. His only top-50 finish this season came at The Sentry (T26), a stark contrast to his previous consistency. “You don’t want to flounder and so that’s why I made all these changes,” Homa explained about the comprehensive overhaul.

Addressing potential critics, he clarified his motives. “It’s not just to make changes. I know some people say golfers like to blame things and then get rid of that and it’s not their fault. It wasn’t that,” he insisted. “It’s just I’m just trying to look to get better and reach my potential,” Homa concluded. This pursuit of excellence has defined his career since bouncing back from losing his Tour card in 2017, showing resilience despite his current struggles.

While the swing changes remain a work in progress, Homa’s struggles with consistency point to the deeper technical aspects of his game transformation.

The technical specifics of changing Max Homa’s swing mechanics

Under coach Scott Ran, Homa has fundamentally restructured his swing, implementing a flatter backswing with reduced arm lift to eliminate steep downswings and promote better body rotation. The results in practice have been promising.

“When I’m going good on the range or at home, I’m hitting it better than I can ever hit it,” Homa explained. “I’m shaping shots better than I ever shaped ’em. Do everything like great.” He can now control ball flight with unprecedented precision during practice sessions. But transferring these mechanics to tournament play has proven difficult.

“Just still not used to certain misses. Still react to certain lies and things on the course,” Homa shared, highlighting the gap between range sessions and competitive rounds. This disconnect helps explain his dramatic performance drop despite feeling close to a breakthrough. The technical challenges extend beyond swing mechanics. “When I get in a rhythm, it seems to be the issue is hitting one at a time, waiting in between, different lies, different wind, different pins,” he detailed. The tournament environment—with its varied conditions and pressure—has exposed the vulnerability of his rebuilt swing.

Will Homa’s bold changes eventually pay off? Only time will tell if his patience during this difficult transition leads to the breakthrough he’s working toward.