Golfing Herald welcomes back Glencor Golf, golf holiday specialists based in York, England. This time they have written a really entertaining and informative guest article all about:
‘Improving your golf swing with these celebrity golf tips’
It’s a well-known fact that celebrities love golf, and with their vast fortunes, they should be able to access the very best golf tuition…Right?…Wrong!!
Despite being rich and famous, these folks’ swings come in all shapes and sizes, just like the rest of us. Some celebs, like Matthew McConaughey, are renowned for their near-perfect form, while others have got a long way to go.
We’re not sure about you, but we find this quite motivating. Golf is a game to be enjoyed, and there’s enough snobbery from certain types of golfers that we don’t need celebrities putting everyone else to shame with a flawless technique that’s out of the reach of mere mortals.
With this in mind, we recently worked with a PGA professional to analyse the swings of top celebs, and to highlight the lessons their swings can teach us, regular players. This list will cover everything from general form to granular technique, to the importance of appreciating the fundamentals.
Here goes.
Matthew McConaughey
We mentioned Matt already: his swing is well known in golf circles for being very high quality. Our PGA professional said that despite Matt’s swing being “very powerful”, it is “slightly across the line at the top”:
In real terms, this means that the club points further right than is ideal for a right-handed golfer like Matt (and, statistically speaking, like most of us).
Top tip: Keep the shaft parallel to the target to strengthen your backswing.
Justin Timberlake
This pop icon boasts another proficient swing, with “a perfect address position and proper alignment”, which increase the likelihood of a straight drive.
Despite this solid form, Justin suffers from early weight shift, with “his weight pretty much all on the left leg at the moment of impact”. This kills distance of longer club swings.
Top tip: Avoid shifting your weight too early if you want to transfer as much power to the ball as possible.
Donald Trump
Seeing The Don out on the links is likely to cause controversy these days, with political opponents claiming he should spend less time playing and more time being president (similar to Trump’s criticisms of Obama, interestingly).
But aside from all that, he is known for a powerful swing. “He achieves a perfect position at the top of the swing”, our analyst tells us. “His spine posture is well maintained” during the swing, “and the extension through the ball is pretty good”.
“Donald has a unique but consistent swing”, they add.
Top tip: Donald Trump swings slightly under the plane. To get more consistency from your swing, bring the clubhead higher.
Samuel L Jackson
This Hollywood heavy hitter plays a good game. Our PGA professional notes Sam’s “handsy” swing, and his “ability to manipulate the club with his hands through both the backswing and the downswing”.
In real terms, this means Sam has more control over the curve of his shot.
One drawback, however: “Sam moves his pelvis closer to the ball at impact, meaning his body gets in the way of his arms and club”. This is known as an Early Hips Extension and can result in a poor shot due to lack of posture.
Top tip: Maintain your posture right the way through your shot. To avoid Early Hips Extension, try not to move them forward as you swing.
Will Smith
Fresh Prince of the Links, Will generally plays a good game. “The butt end of his shaft should be pointing to his left shoulder or at his t-shirt logo, and not at his belt buckle”, says our analyst:
Top tip: To ensure consistency and accuracy in your swing, aim the club shaft at your left shoulder, rather than straight vertical.
Barack Obama
Another presidential contender, Barack is known to enjoy a round of golf or three. He plays left-handed too: quite uncommon!
As with Samuel L Jackson, Obama suffers from a lack of hip clearance on his downswing. Our analyst said that “by not using his lower body properly to bring more hand action to the moment of impact and follow-through, the swing suffers”, adding that “his right knee must remain flexed in order to keep his balance and posture”.
Top tip: Use the strength in your lower body at the moment of impact, and allow this to flow by keeping your hips back.
Clint Eastwood
A “nice and smooth” swing means Clint’s game looks relatively effortless. His main struggle though, according to our analyst, is “not having a straight back at address, which leads to many swing compensations”.
While a hunched posture or rounded shoulders can’t always be avoided, Clint’s swing is a good reminder to stand up straight as much as possible, to remove the need for compensatory gestures.
Top tip: Stand up straight, if you’re able to! And if not, spend time learning about how to offset the compensatory parts of your swing, so that your technique does not suffer.
Jack Nicholson
Due to “extreme weight transfer” in his swing, probably caused by “trying to swing too hard in order to get the distance”, Jack’s swing is ultimately quite wild. Just check out his finishing stance, compared to what’s expected:
This unnecessary movement will reduce accuracy and form, and make Jack’s game less consistent.
Top tip: Focus on form and keep your weight where it should be. Don’t transfer your weight too much, or move unnecessarily.
Ray Romano
Here’s another celebrity whose game isn’t the best, but who obviously gains a lot of enjoyment. And really, that’s all that matters in the end!
Ray aligns his body and the club well, “but it all goes wrong with the first move”, our PGA professional tells us.
There is just too much wrist action: “Ray should keep his hands quiet and let the muscles in his back and shoulders do their job”. Scooping the wrists before contact is often a subconscious attempt to help the ball into the air, but in reality, it just leads to poor shots.
Top tip: Let your back and shoulder muscles do the work, not your wrists!
To recap
There we have it: some fantastic golf tips that you can bring straight to your game.
Here they are in a list for reference:
- Keep the shaft parallel to the target to strengthen your backswing.
- Avoid shifting your weight too early if you want to transfer as much power to the ball as possible.
- Avoid swinging slightly under the plane. To get more consistency from your swing, bring the clubhead higher.
- Maintain your posture right the way through your shot. To avoid Early Hips Extension, try not to move them forward as you swing.
- To ensure consistency and accuracy in your swing, aim the club shaft at your left shoulder, rather than straight vertical.
- Use the strength in your lower body at the moment of impact, and allow this to flow by keeping your hips back.
- Stand up straight, if you’re able to! And if not, spend time learning about how to offset the compensatory parts of your swing, so that your technique does not suffer.
- Focus on form and keep your weight where it should be. Don’t transfer your weight too much, or move unnecessarily.
- Let your back and shoulder muscles do the work, not your wrists!
Glencor Golf partnered with a PGA professional to carry out this analysis – we hope you found it useful!
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