It was another masterclass from Jon Rahm as he sealed the Race to Dubai crown with a dramatic one-shot victory at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
From 15 starts on the European Tour, the Spaniard has now won six times and amassed 11 top-five finishes. An incredible stat considering he’s just turned 25.
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We all know Rahm is a prodigious talent whose next step is surely to climb onto the major ladder. But, for now, this level of consistency is nothing short of incredible.
I’ve picked out five things he does well that I think help make him the relentless force he has become…
Jon Rahm swing analysis: Takeaway
Rahm has a textbook one-piece takeaway. Moving away from the ball, his arms and body stay well connected and in sync.
The 25-year-old also has plenty of width in the initial part of his swing with the club staying square and nicely in front of his hands. He is giving himself the best chance to set the club properly at the top, meaning there is less to do on the way down.
Jon Rahm swing analysis: Left wrist
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Not many people talk about it but ‘Rahmbo’ has a very weak grip. In comparison to the traditional cupping of the left wrist associated with the more common neutral or strong grip, at address his is flat.
If he then made what would be classed as a conventional backswing, the clubface would be open at the top and therefore much harder to deliver consistently to the ball.
To counteract that, he bows his left wrist a la Dustin Johnson. However, whereas Johnson’s strong wrist set means his clubface is substantially closed, Rahm’s weaker grip enables him to keep the club square, and in a great position to unwind with power while retaining control.
Jon Rahm swing analysis: Transition
The new world No. 3 has a very stable base from where to transition into his downswing. At the top, he is centred and has loaded beautifully into his right leg while keeping a good gap between his knees.
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From here, the left knee drives forward and the right elbow makes a beeline towards the ball. This allows the club to shallow, creating a tremendous amount of lag. With the club behind him and the arms in front, halfway down he is in the perfect position to rotate through to impact and deliver an immense combination of power and stability.
Jon Rahm swing analysis: Impact
It will be a surprise to no one that Rahm’s impact position is one of extreme efficiency.
Firstly, he does a great job of retaining the same body angles at impact as address. His weight is forward and his hips have opened, allowing the hands to get ahead of the ball, giving him the best chance of guaranteeing quality and consistency of strike.
Although he has a tremendous leg drive, he resists the temptation to launch early off the right foot, instead rolling through his instep, maximising the force he can generate from the ground and helping further stabilise the club.
Jon Rahm swing analysis: Release
From this impact position, Jon can dictate the shape he wants to create through his release. Obviously he isn’t waiting until impact to pick his shot, but it’s still a lovely position to be in.
With the driver, the Spaniard favours a cut so you’ll see his club exit left more often than not. However, with his irons he tends to utilise different flights so he’ll release it more down the line.
These are just some of the things I see in Rahm’s swing that I think have made him so successful. Coupled with his tremendous physical and mental attributes, it surely can’t be long before we see him capture one of golf’s big four titles.
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If you have any questions about Rahm’s or any other golfer’s swing, let me know in the comments below or you can tweet me.
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