Swing Sequence: Gary Woodland
ADDRESSGary has a very powerful setup. In the top photo, notice how his spine is tilted away from the target. By getting behind the ball like this, he pre-sets a huge turn in the backswing and a high launch angle on his tee shots.Swing analysis by Brad Malone, head of instruction at Arundel Hills Country Club, Gold Coast, Australia.
TAKEAWAYI love how his lower body is loading, and he's not setting back into his heels. He's in balance and taking the club away on a great path. He also creates as wide a swing arc as he can right off the ball (far left). That's a power move.Swing analysis by Brad Malone, head of instruction at Arundel Hills Country Club, Gold Coast, Australia.
HALFWAY BACKSetting the wrists in a fully-hinged position by this point adds an extra power lever. Also, you can see that the clubshaft bisects his right shoulder (middle) -- an indicator that he's taking the club back right on plane.Swing analysis by Brad Malone, head of instruction at Arundel Hills Country Club, Gold Coast, Australia.
THE TOPI don't know what I like better, his full body coil or the fact that the back of his left hand is matching the clubface angle (middle). That position is all about accuracy: It means he doesn't have to open or close the face to square it at impact.Swing analysis by Brad Malone, head of instruction at Arundel Hills Country Club, Gold Coast, Australia.
HALFWAY DOWNClubhead lag like you see here is great for creating speed. I like that Gary gets it without losing any swing width (far left). He does a great job of maintaining space between his arms and body so he has room to get through the ball.Swing analysis by Brad Malone, head of instruction at Arundel Hills Country Club, Gold Coast, Australia.
IMPACTGary has kept his spine angle through impact. He doesn't jump out of his posture despite swinging so hard. His hips are open, but his shoulders are parallel to the target line (bottom). That's control and power in one package.Swing analysis by Brad Malone, head of instruction at Arundel Hills Country Club, Gold Coast, Australia.
FOLLOW-THROUGHThis is textbook full extension. His momentum is pulling his body through. I also like that there's no flip in his hands, no clubface manipulation (bottom). That's a big key to keeping his monster drives in the right zip code.Swing analysis by Brad Malone, head of instruction at Arundel Hills Country Club, Gold Coast, Australia.
FINISHWhat's great here is how much he rotates his upper body to the finish: His right shoulder is pointing at the target. It's a bomber's swing, for sure, but he's gaining control. With his athleticism, there's no telling how far he can go.Swing analysis by Brad Malone, head of instruction at Arundel Hills Country Club, Gold Coast, Australia.