Why you should find a swing that works for you
Tyrrell Hatton is now a genuine major contender having won three times on tour and played on the 2018 winning Ryder Cup team. Here Dan Whittaker explains what makes his swing tick…
He understands so well what he does and he knows his swing inside and out. There are certain things in there that you wouldn’t necessarily teach anyone else to do, which are unique to him, but it obviously works for him.
He loses a little bit of height towards the end of the backswing and he has to recover that through the ball so he backs out of it a bit. At times he might not be the straightest off the tee but he does an amazing job of matching his arms and his body. So when he is turning his arms do connect to his body very nicely.
Early pro am this morning, good job by the team finishing 3rd 👌🏻
Happy with how I hit the ball so 🤞🏻for a good week!! #NGC2017 pic.twitter.com/0u20DwjlRI— Tyrrell Hatton (@TyrrellHatton) November 8, 2017
At the really top level this is what you do. Loads of guys understand what they are great at and what they might not be too great at and the big thing is to understand how well you move and certain ball flights. Tyrrell works with his dad so they have obviously worked on certain aspects for some time.
At the top level you already have a massive degree of consistency so you have to question whether you should go through those difficult changes in your swing or just try and improve other areas to make those key small but crucial improvement.
Tommy Fleetwood is the same, he has been and tried other methods but is now with his boyhood coach Alan Thompson and look how great he’s been playing the last few years. These players understand what they do and how they move.
What to practise:
Sometimes it’s just a case of keeping going with what you’re doing. Players growing up in a Tiger Woods era, where it was the norm to keep changing your swing and he did it regularly and brilliantly, have felt the need to keep their swings evolving but others have struggled and there’s a lot to be said for knowing what you have.
There is a lot mentioned about Hatton’s temperament but, again, it works for him. Quite a lot of players need something to perform, some look like they don’t care but they say they are boiling inside. Others need to be vocal, like Hatton, while others need to be having a laugh to get the best out of themselves.
There isn’t one way to swing a golf club, you have to find what works for you.
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Dan Whittaker is an elite golf swing and performance coach based at High Legh. For more information, visit his website
Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.
