There’s plenty you can learn from the tenacious former Australian Open champion. Master the secrets of Jordan Spieth’s technique and learn how to swing like Jordan Spieth with expert tips on his setup, rhythm, and signature moves to improve your own game.
Jordan Spieth is one of the game’s most popular players, with fans all over the world. The 32-year-old from Dallas was the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup champion in 2015, the year he also won the Masters and US Open. Since turning professional, Spieth has secured 13 PGA Tour wins, including three majors, plus a pair of Australian Open titles.
1: Spieth sets up with his body in a balanced position. His feet, hips and shoulders are parallel to his target line with his forearms level. He plays with a weak left-hand grip, which influences his wrist positions and release pattern at impact.
2: He swings his left arm and hand slightly away from his body, keeping the clubhead outside his hands. This takeaway sets up to create a left-to-right ball flight.
3: While keeping his left arm in line with his left shoulder, the left arm rotates and the shaft moves between his arms. His left wrist has moved into a bowed (flexion) position, which helps close the clubface.
4: His left arm continues to swing and rotate over his right arm, which angles the shaft on plane.
5: Spieth sets the club into a great position at the top of the backswing. His weight is loaded into his right heel with his left-arm plane above his right shoulder. The right arm is in front of his chest so he can freely swing his arms on the downswing.
6: Spieth starts his downswing with his lower body by pushing down into the ground. That’s evident by the increase in knee flex as he drops his right elbow down-plane in front of his body while keeping his left arm angled across his chest and the shaft pointed inside the ball.
7: The arms and club continue to swing down the plane as his lower body opens and his right foot starts to push up. The right elbow leads the hands and club, storing the angle between his left arm and the shaft (clubhead lag) to set up a powerful release into the ball.
8: Pushing up with the instep of his right foot with the right knee driving up to the ball helps Spieth’s hips open so his lower body can lead the upper body into impact. The right elbow stays inside the left arm (note the window between his arms) to help prevent the clubface from over-rotating.
9: The hips open with his right arm extending and staying behind the shaft, keeping the clubface stable to produce a left-to-right ball flight.
10: The left elbow exits left of his chest (there’s a slight ‘chicken wing’), which helps keep the clubface open to the path for a power fade.
11: Spieth’s right arm swings across his chest with the right heel off the ground while maintaining his spine angle after impact.
12: The hips are fully rotated with the right shoulder rotated past the lower body, illustrating a full body release.
13: The right toe is vertical and the left foot rolled over from the lateral and rotational forces of the swing.
14: Spieth reaches a balanced finish with the upper body vertically over his left leg and the arms and club accelerated to a full finish with the hands, arms and club behind his body.
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.
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