Every time Jon Rahm hits the golf ball, a natural question pops to mind: How does he hit the golf ball far… with such a short backswing?
The answer is because Rahm’s swing is a move that has been specifically and expertly tailored to his unique body. It may look different, but it’s the perfect swing for him. Watch the video below to learn why.
I dare say there”s nobody who has done more for the “swing your swing movement” in recent years than Jon Rahm. It’s become mainstream, but for Rahm, it wasn’t always easy. Growing up, Rahm says people were constantly trying to change his swing to look more conventional.
“They had one swing method, which is, how can we make you have a perfect-looking swing? Because that’s supposed to be better, right? I still see coaches on the PGA Tour doing that. Just having one formula and never breaking from those lines For two years, I fought the coach, saying, ‘I am not doing that. You teach me how to hit a draw or fade with what I have.’ Thank God I stayed that stubborn.”
Thank God it’s right. Because if he didn’t, it’s hard to believe Jon Rahm would be the golfer we know him as today.
Rahm has spoken openly about being born with a club right foot. His right leg is about half an inch shorter than his left leg, which severely limits his lower ankle mobility which in turn restricts how much he can turn into his trail hip.
Rahm’s coach, Golf Digest Top 50 Teacher Dave Phillips, said that if Rahm tried to turn into that leg too much, he would come out of his posture and over time probably end up injured. It’s why we see a young Rahm, as a junior golfer, standing straight up like a beanpole.
But over time Rahm started to realize what he can and can’t do, and built a swing around it. He may not be able to turn his hips as much as others, but what he could do was bow his lead wrist. That’s his golf swing’s superpower, Phillips and his TPI co-founder Dr. Greg Rose explains. His lead wrist has gotten more and more bowed over the years, which he matches up with a traditionally weaker lead hand grip that’s more in his palm.
Loading his lead wrist like this helps Rahm’s already big, strong upper body pull the club down really forcefully. Like a lifter pulling a huge amount of weight in a short amount of time. You don’t need a big wind up when you’ve got as much brute upper body strength as Jon Rahm.
And finally, Rahm’s backswing may be short, but it’s also really fast. This is important, because it creates a fast counter movement. Like pulling a slingshot back before releasing it forward, or squatting down before jumping up. A faster backswing puts more clubhead speed into the overall system. Simply put, a faster backswing creates a faster downswing.
Put all these things together, and you get Jon Rahm. A golf swing built around maximizing his strengths, and one that is uniquely his own.
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