Exclusive: by Jordan Spieth
Australian Golf Digest playing editor
What you do during the backswing has a major impact on how well you hit the ball, so
I spend a lot of time refining that part of my swing. If you set the club in a good position at the top, odds are you’re going to make an effective downswing and hit the ball the way you want to hit it. The two backswing moves I work on with my Aussie coach, Cameron McCormick, are things I bet can help your game. First, make a good, athletic turn off the ball, and second, swing the club more around your body. Let me show you how…
Improve your turn with a solid right side:
Stability is really important when you swing back. If your legs are wobbly and your body sways away from the target, or your posture changes from what it was at the start, you’re going to have a tough time getting the club back to the ball with any consistency.
Cameron and I use a drill called “The Necktie” to help improve my stability on the backswing. Here’s how it works: Dangle a club from your sternum with your left hand. Now pivot your body – hips and shoulders turning back together – so the clubhead moves from centred between your feet to pointing at your right foot [right]. Feel your right leg acting as a support beam as you wind your upper body over it. This will give you a good idea of how the body should pivot and not slide during the backswing.
Necktie drill: Hang a club from your chest and turn so the club points to your back foot [orange circle].
Around, not up: Feel like the club is moving around your upper body on the backswing.
At the top, I want my left arm to match the angle of my shoulders.
