Jason Day uses a huge, wide swing arc and serious fast-twitch muscles to pound tee shots high and far.
He also uses the same width in his short game shots -- a place where you can actually copy what he does without being a freak athlete.
"A wide swing arc is a big advantage in short game because it makes the bottom of the swing long and flat," says top Maryland teacher Bernie Najar, who is based at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills. "Jason takes the club back on a wide arc, without a lot of wrist hinge, and keeps that width by turning his torso through with his arms in front of his chest."
On a stock shot, Day doesn't turn the face open with his hands, or use a lot of hand action down through the ball, says Najar. As a result, the club comes through the shot with its natural loft and plenty of bounce on bottom of the club in play.
To feel it, hold the club in just your right hand, but choke up on the grip so that the top of the handle goes under the beginning of your long sleeve. Make swings with the chest, arm and club coming through together -- not with the head trailing behind or flipping through early. "What it does is give you a buffer at the bottom of the swing. You can catch the shot a little fat, but the bounce on the bottom will make the club skim through with no trouble," says Najar. "Hit it a bit thin and you're still fine. It will just spin a bit more."