Lessons THINK / PLAY / LIVE
112 GOLF.COM / S e p t ember 2019
LAG, LAG, LAG
Always a mystery, lag
is probably one of the
most overused and
misunderstood elements
of the swing. When the
arms, wrists and hands
are relaxed, the change of
direction from backswing
to downswing will produce
all the lag you could ever
need. Trying to “hold the
angle” to produce this look
only causes tension and
saps power.LYING ARMS
Champ’s arms are very
close to his body, with
his left arm incredibly
straight. While it may
seem that this is the result
of him “tucking” his right
arm to his right side, don’t
believe it. His arms are in
close because they are
relaxed and resisting the
change of direction from
the top, which also helps
produce that straight
left arm. It’s like a tug-of-
war: The body is unwinding
while the club is resisting
the change in direction,
and the rope in between
(his left arm) is being pulled
straight in both directions.SEPARATION FOR POWER
Champ’s sinuous frame
is perfectly designed to
produce power through
a dynamic change of
direction from the top,
with the lower body
running away from the
upper. The old analogies
of whip-cracking and
towel-snapping hold true.
The feel you’re after is
that your lower body
is cranking back toward
the target while your arms
and club are still finishing
the backswing.WITH ALL THE ATTENTION focused on the
impressive crop of college stars who turned
pro over the summer (Viktor Hovland,
Collin Morikawa, Mathew Wolff ), it seems
like years have gone by since we couldn’t
get enough of the longest player to hit the
the PGA Tour in the history of the game—
Cameron Champ. Make no mistake, Champ
isn’t just long; he’s a complete player who
should be taking down titles across the
globe for years to come.
What’s even more remarkable about
Champ and his prodigious length is that
he doesn’t do it with the mechanical
advantage of a 6 ’4” DJ or the linebacker
physique of Brooks Koepka. At 6 ’0” and
175 pounds, Champ uses athleticism and
technique to generate speed like the Tour
has never seen. Copy what you see here.
Just don’t blink, or you’ll miss everything.By: Top 100 Teacher Brady RiggsPositions like this—milliseconds
from impact—explain why
Cam Champ can whip it 130 mph
whenever he wants toSnapshot:
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