but I always thought Phil to be very stiff
I would say that being "stiff" and having "flawless timing" could be subjective views of the same thing.
I think that this section of the forum is to highlight the strengths of various drummers and not to resolve who is the best. When someone needs help with a certain aspect of drumming they should look here for examples of drummers that are strong in that area. If someone wanted help with counting out something I would recommend listening to "Journey from Mariabronn" and playing along with Phil.