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Hideki Matsuyama: Strength And Poise - Australian Golf Digest Hideki Matsuyama: Strength And Poise - Australian Golf Digest

How to generate power and consistency like Hideki Matsuyama

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama possesses a unique golf action that has a signature “Matsuyama Pause” at the top of his backswing. The 33-year-old superstar won twice in 2024, including the Genesis Invitational, and the season-opening event of 2025, The Sentry, in January. Let’s look at the key elements in his swing that has established Matsuyama as the most decorated Asian golfer on the PGA Tour.

Photo 1: Hideki starts in an athletic setup with his feet, knees, hips and shoulders parallel to his target line. You’ll notice there is a little more knee flex compared to other tour players.

Photo 2: Here, he ensures his hands, arms and chest ‘move’ away together at the start of his backswing while keeping the clubhead outside his hands.

Photo 3: Halfway up, Hideki maintains a stable lower body as the clubhead starts to hinge up between his arms, which will help him load up his wrists, arms and body on his backswing.

Photo 4: Hideki is in a great position here where there is a 90-degree angle formed between his left arm and the club shaft when his left arm is parallel to the ground.

Photo 5: Hideki’s upper body is fully turned with his left arm across his chest. His lower body is pushing down into the ground, helping him generate speed in the downswing.

Photo 6: This is where we see Hideki’s signature pause at the top of the swing to help sequence his downswing from the ground up.

Photo 7: His left arm stays across his chest as his hands lower down the plane (not out towards the ball) and the shaft points slightly inside the ball.

Photo 8:  Hideki gets into a great delivery position with his right forearm pointing towards the ball, the club shaft parallel to the target line with a slightly open clubface. His right heel is up, illustrating he is starting to push up off the ground with his right toe and the ball of his right foot to generate vertical force.

Photo 9: His feet and legs are pushing up as his arms begin to extend the club down and from inside-out to the ball at impact.

Photo 10: His head and right shoulder stay down and behind the ball with his hips rotated more open than his shoulders.

Photo 11: Hideki’s head is still facing down as he stays in his spine angle and his hands, arms and club continue to accelerate past his body.

Photo 12: His hips here are fully rotated, as his right knee rotates in and up to his left knee. The right arm is fully extended to a high finish over his left shoulder.

Photo 13: As he prepares to complete his swing, Hideki’s upper body stays tilted under the spine angle as his arms fold the club on plane.

Photo 14: A classic finish where his body, arms and club are fully released to the finish. He maintains perfect balance on his left foot and right toe, with the right shoulder pointed down the fairway.

Spend some time studying the key positions in Hideki’s golf swing and you might go on to hit as many fairways as he does on the PGA Tour.   

Todd Anderson is the director of instruction at the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass, home of the Players Championship. The 2010 PGA of America Teacher of the Year has seen his students amass more than 50 victories across the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, including two FedEx Cup titles. He is currently rated by Golf Digest as one of the top 20 golf instructors in the United States. In this tutorial, Anderson breaks down Hideki Matsuyama’s golf swing, which has helped deliver 11 PGA Tour wins.