[PHOTO: Michael Reaves]
Nelly Korda, an eight-time LPGA Tour winner and owner of one of the best swings in golf, makes a small, controlled move with her arms before she takes her swing. After she has addressed the ball and looks ready to hit it, she takes the club back a couple of feet with her arms and wrists straight. She then returns the club to the ball before going to make her swing. You can watch the move here:
Erika Larkin, one of Golf Digest‘s Top 50 Teachers in America, said this pre-shot move “seems to be her version of a waggle, but with a bit more structure”.
“To me, it looks like she’s keeping her hands quiet along with the clubface,” Larkin explains. “There’s a connection between club, hands, arm and shoulders in a one-piece takeaway. It’s a great foundational feel and movement for others to emulate, especially if you’re someone guilty of twisting the clubface or setting your wrists way too early in the backswing.”
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On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you’re someone whose swing is too rigid, Larkin recommends a standard waggle, where you let your wrists hinge away from the ball and back towards it a few times before you hit the shot. This helps players get a little loose and feel rhythm, Larkin explains.
Regardless of your swing tendencies, it can be beneficial to make one final move before you hit, like Korda does.
“Having some fluid motion before the real swing is always a good idea to stay athletic, recall a swing feel and settle in to hit your shot,” Larkin says.
