Nisharlan Sewgolum
IT WAS amazing to witness Xander Schauffele win his first Major by just a shot on what was an exciting final day of golf at the PGA Championship.
Despite a tough layout, he opened up with a 62 and managed to pull off his first major victory. Many golfers would have to agree that his swing is something we can all learn from. His tempo and ball striking is kept consistent. His key to winning this past week was definitely his iron play.
Tempo is a vital key to maintaining balance and swing positions in the golf swing. Too quick of a swing forces the club to close and influences a hook shot while too much of deceleration in the downswing can force no rotation and the club face to open at impact. With this in mind it is a fine art to create the perfect tempo.
Taking a look at Xander’s swing, you would notice his wide take away and smooth backswing to the top. What might look like an effortless swing is still producing much power. How does he do this? Most tour players delay the acceleration until close to impact. The hands move quickly through the ball forcing compression and great height to the shot.
On the range next time, try this drill for tempo. Place a ball about two inches behind the ball you are going to hit. As you make your backswing, push the ball away going up to the top. This will help not rush the backswing and get you into a better position to deliver the downswing. As you get to the hip line on the downswing, create that power and shoulder turn through. Perfecting this motion will give you some amazing results. Catch you on the fairways!
– Sewgolum is a PGA AA golf professional, Golf Pro for Saudi Aramco and was voted Top 5 International PGA Pro for the year 2022.