62 golfdigest.com | may 2019
right side down
▶ I used to have my right hand
too much on top of the grip and
my right arm straight at setup.
If you’d laid a club across my
forearms, it would’ve pointed
dead left. To offset that, I’d roll
the clubface open going back.
That one move set up my slice.
The first change Boyd and I
made was to move my right hand
more under the grip. I quickly
started curving the ball less.
You might think tour pros make
only sophisticated changes, but
that simple move made a huge
difference. If I feel a little off one
day, it’s the first thing we check.
The stronger right hand also
helps me put some bend in my
right arm and set it close to my
side. As Boyd is showing (right),
I want my right arm under my left.
The feel for me is, the right elbow
is bent and tucked. This change—
and the new grip—helps me get
a good start to my swing, with the
clubface rotating naturally. I don’t
even think about the face.
square at the top▶ My left arm used to be more
vertical at the top of the swing,
with the shaft pointing out to
the right. Now my left arm is
across my chest, and the shaft is
parallel to the target line at the
top (left). Also, you can see the
clubface is at the same angle as
my left forearm; that’s square.
My clubface used to be wide
open, the toe hanging straight
down. I know we’re getting a little
technical here, but I want you to
see these changes—they literally
set up the rest of my swing.
Now I don’t have to make any
last-ditch effort coming down to
compensate for an open face.
My swing is also shorter,
because I love the feeling of
my right arm staying close
throughout the swing. If that
means short of parallel, so be it.
Boyd and I don’t look for textbook
positions; we let the ball flight tell
us what’s right. I have plenty of
room to create speed, and most
important, the face is in a strong
position. No slicing from here.