Rory’s swing: Face on

If you have ever tried spinning a top, you will know it’s those with the largest heads and thinnest stems that spin the fastest – and longest. It’s no coincidence that many of the world’s longest hitters throughout history – including Greg Norman, Davis Love III and Tiger Woods – possessed wide shoulders and slim hips. Rory is very much in the same bracket. In addition, he also has the added benefit of short biceps and long forearms – a combination known for being able to produce massive power.

Another noteworthy point about Rory’s top-of-the-backswing position here is that he is just short of parallel with the driver. He has made a truly great coil here with the left shoulder moving massively despite the lack of room between his chin and his upper body. You certainly have a sense of stored power. Nothing is held back here – his wrists, forearms and body are all contributing to creating power.

Face-on analysis

At address
You could argue here that Rory has the ball about an inch too far back in his stance – especially when compared with most other top players who generally prefer to play the ball directly under their left armpit. But with the shaft and hands directly over the ball it’s still a very balanced and powerful address position.

The takeaway
Rory here has ignited his backswing with his shoulders. The shoulder turn is the ‘father’ of the backswing movement since it establishes your plane and generates the widest swing arc. Having said that, Rory’s takeaway looks a little awkward and the clubface is a hint closed as his right arm remains a little too extended.

At the top
For a player who generates such an incredible amount of power in the backswing, Rory has a fairly restricted hip turn. He has to swing a little flatter than his takeaway and backswing would suggest. The saving grace for Rory here is the wrist hinge that enables him to get the club somewhat on plane at the top.

Starting down
Here’s the reason why Rory is more comfortable playing the ball further back in his stance than other top players. Rather than driving his weight powerfully forwards, Rory looks like he is ‘hanging’ back slightly as he starts down. Subconsciously, Rory will have shifted the ball position towards the centre of his stance to make solid contact.

Impact
Even through impact, you still get the impression that Rory is hanging back slightly. Look how his head has shifted position from the previous frame. Although it’s not possible to see from this angle, the unique characteristic of Rory’s swing is that the clubshaft rises through impact while his head position lowers and tilts away from the target.

The finish
This is a wonderful position. Rory maintains his spine angle all the way through impact while his entire body has cleared out of the way. There are reminders of so many greats of the game in Rory’s swing – Weiskopf, Ballesteros and Woods included. Rory also has the precision and consistent spine angle of my hero Tom Watson.

Rory’s swing: down-the-line analysis

Where it all began for Rory McIlroy