How To Bomb It Like Rory McIlroy
One of the biggest strengths of Rory McIlroy’s game is his ability to launch his drives consistently to great distances and with accuracy – so much so that he currently ranks first in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee on the PGA Tour. Let’s break down his swing.
Main photography by Jared c. tilton/getty images
1. McIlroy establishes a balanced setup with the back of his right arm, front of his right knee and the middle of his right foot vertically aligned. His feet, knees and shoulders are parallel to his target line with the forearms also level. This is a sound fundamental that all golfers can emulate.
2. His left arms swings under his left shoulder and he keeps the club in front of his body.
3. The right elbow folds the club on plane, with the hands in front of the chest. The shaft bisects the right shoulder and the shaft points slightly inside the ball, illustrating that the club is on plane, which helps get him into an ideal backswing position.
4. Here, McIlroy has a full turn with his upper body producing a powerful coil against a stable lower body. The right leg is also loaded with the pressure down into his right heel. He has a very neutral position at the top, with the clubface parallel to his left forearm and the shaft slightly across the line.
5. McIlroy starts down by pushing more into the ground with his feet and his lower body increasing the flex in his knees while lowering the hands, arms and club on plane.
6. The club is lowered into a beautiful position to strike the ball with the shaft on top of the right forearm and the left arm slightly inside the left shoulder. His hips are leading the shoulders, creating power and a clear delivery line to the ball.
7. McIlroy has returned the club into an awesome impact position, with the lower body more open than his upper body. His right shoulder is down and behind the strike, with the forearm in line with the shaft and stabilising the clubface through impact.
8. He has a full release of the right knee, hip, shoulder, arm and shaft, with the club exiting on plane and bisecting the right shoulder with a square clubface.
9. The club continues to swing up and around his body while maintaining his spine angle. His left foot is down and his right heel is up, with the right knee moving closer to the left.
10. McIlroy’s left elbow folds with a high right shoulder illustrating a full body release. He is creating a rectangle formed from the left shoulder to left elbow to left wrist to the shaft bisecting the middle of his head.
11. Despite his speed, McIlroy always concludes his swing with a balanced finish position. His right knee is touching the left knee, with hips fully rotated. His right shoulder points down the fairway with both arms folded 90 degrees and the club freely released behind his head.
When you study McIlroy’s positions with his drives, he is a wonderful example to emulate on the driving range and golf course.
Photography by getty images
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 Rory McIlroy’s golf swing, which has helped him win 29 PGA Tour titles including the Masters and Players Championship this season.
