Golf Asia – July 2019

RORY’S 5 BEST TIPS

DO THE GROUNDWORK

Rory always looks balanced and

relaxed when stood over the ball, but

next time you watch him hit a pitch

shot, pay special attention to his stance.

You’ll see his feet are close together

and his left or lead foot is flared. This

subtle positioning encourages his

body and arms to work as a unit

back and through. Here’s how.

TRAIN

RORY’S MOVE

LESS LATERAL MOVEMENT

When you flare the lead foot – and, to a

lesser extent, the knee – you create a very

effective brake against lateral movement.

This is important because it helps you set

and maintain the low point of the swing,

which falls opposite the lead chest. If your

torso is swaying about, the low point moves

with it and your attack angle and strike

become inconsistent. Like Rory, flare the

toe to lock yourself into position.

ASSISTED LEAD-SIDE
CLEARANCE
Just as in the full swing, you cannot hit the
ball with just your hands and arms when
pitching; you need your body to rotate to
deliver the club on the correct path and
angle. However with this shorter, less
dynamic swing, body rotation can need
some assistance. Rory achieves this by
flaring his left foot and opening out his
lead side. Do this and your lead side is
primed to clear, encouraging core rotation
and a connected arms-and-body delivery
of the club.

NARROW STANCE

As your feet get wider you become less mobile

through your hips and pelvis, and that hinders

core rotation. In pitching with his feet close

together, Rory frees up his body to rotate back

and through in harmony with his swinging

arms. Check your stance width, and make

sure there is only around a hand’s width

between your insteps as you address the ball.