Harrington not downbeat

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Harrington lifted the Claret Jug at Carnoustie in 2007 and again last year at Birkdale but chose to make major swing changes over the winter.

Those changes have come in for scrutiny following a poor 2009 which saw Harrington finish 12 over par at Turnberry but the Irishman said: "I suppose I like all this stuff, I'm intrigued by it all. I always want to get better and this is a way of getting better. I will be a better player as a result of this and I will have the last laugh."

Harrington revealed he has been receiving advice from anyone and everyone about his swing, the most notable coming from Tom Watson.

Watson said: "I look at Padraig Harrington right now, he shortened his swing and I think he's having troubles because of it.

"I liked the length of the swing last year, and now he's shortened the swing and he's having a hard time with it. You lose your rhythm when you shorten the swing."

But Harrington insisted with a smile: "I've never tried to shorten my golf swing. It's amazing that everybody's got that in their head.

"That's something the media have come up with to try and analyse it. It may have shortened, but I've never tried to shorten my golf swing. What actually happens is I've actually got a little bit stuck because I was lifting my arms so I couldn't go any further.

"I'm a great believer, as (my coach) Bob Torrance is, that your swing finds its own natural length, as Tom Watson's has. It is very nice that he (Watson) would take time out and give a helping hand but I've never tried to shorten my swing.

"Why would you do that? Over life your swing will get shorter, Mother Nature does that. Plenty of people have come up to me and offered advice and it's all taken on board, but I've never tried to shorten my swing."