Top 10 Tour Pros' Swings

September 21, 2011

By golfdigest.com

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10.) Ian Poulter

Ian Poulter is living up to a flashy imagePHOTOS: SWING SEQUENCE"Ian has the ability because of his great hand-eye coordination," says his swing coach, David Leadbetter. "He used to be able to walk on his hands. Even when his swing is out of sync, he still can manage to get the club in a great position at impact."Poulter says he works with Leadbetter only a few times a year, and the focal point always seems to be the backswing.—Ron Kaspriske

9.) Steve Stricker

Here's a tour swing you can copyPHOTOS: SWING SEQUENCEThe key to Stricker's swing is, it has fewer moving parts: It's a stiff-wristed action controlled by a big body turn. Most better players maximize wrist hinge on the backswing to gain leverage at impact -- like cracking a whip -- but Stricker's wrists are fairly quiet. That's why his swing is shorter, and why he's among the top 30 on tour in hitting fairways."When you hinge, you need good timing to hit the ball where you want," Stricker says. "By trying to eliminate wrist cock, my swing's more under control."—Ron Kaspriske

8.) Phil Mickelson

Mickelson's shorter, wider iron swing is paying offPHOTOS: SWING SEQUENCEVIDEO: VIEW HIS SWING IN MOTIONMickelson's swing today is about where Harmon envisioned it (see Harmon's comments on each frame). Phil's backswing is wider and more effective at setting the club and his body at the top. His boilerplate shot--a high, tiny fade--is brought off with ease. "Phil hasn't lost any of his creativity at working the ball and adjusting his trajectory," Harmon says. "The difference is, he doesn't have to work as hard to do it."— Guy Yocom

7.) Adam Scott

Rip it off the teePHOTOS: SWING SEQUENCEVIDEO: TWEAKING HIS SWINGAdam Scott is only 30, and with 17 tournament victories worldwide, including seven on the PGA Tour, you could say he's enjoying a successful career. But somehow, his potential doesn't seem realized. Even Scott will say that. As evidenced by his T-2 finish at the Masters, which included a stout 67 in the final round, Scott is a contender for major championships. For Scott, chasing those wins doesn't mean a swing overhaul. His adjustments have been simple since parting with Butch Harmon in the fall of 2009 and teaming with new swing coach—and brother-in-law—Brad Malone. —Ron Kaspriske

6.) Matt Kuchar

Kuchar's game is booming with the one-plane swingPHOTOS: SWING SEQUENCEVIDEO: ANALYZING HIS SWINGAn overhauled swing has made a big difference, according to his teacher, Chris O'Connell. "When I first met Matt, he would aim left of his target, turn his shoulders flat in the backswing, and then thrust his hips toward the target line," O'Connell says. "This inside-to-outside path, coupled with his aim, required him to block the ball toward the target. He also had a very shallow angle of attack and excessive clubface rotation through impact. He was way too reliant on timing, and he couldn't produce enough spin on middle- and long-iron shots." —Ron Kaspriske

5.) Ernie Els

Ernie makes it easy: Balance helps it all flowPHOTOS: SWING SEQUENCEVIDEO: HIS SWING IN MOTIONLike some of the great swingers who came before him—Sam Snead is the best example—Ernie begins to move his lower body back toward the target just before the club gets to the top. This dynamic change of direction creates a tremendous amount of torque. Look at the stretch across his shirt in frame No. 5 below. Torque is what produces clubhead speed, and Ernie produces it with less effort than most tour players. He doesn't rush anything, either. He lets the torque uncoil from the top of the backswing—a great thing for the average player to copy. He really does exemplify the cliché "swing easy and hit hard." —David Leadbetter

4.) Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler has learned what can't be taughtPHOTOS: SWING SEQUENCEVIDEO: HIS SWING IN MOTIONFowler's view of the golf swing comes down to this: What he doesn't know can't hurt him, and what little he does know works. Fowler, who had two top-five finishes through February in his first full season on the PGA Tour, is basically self-taught, except for some sessions with local pro Barry McDonnell. Growing up in Murrieta, Calif., Fowler, had no golf hero and emulated no one. He has never read an instruction book ("I did look at the cool drawings in that Ben Hogan book," he says) or even examined his fluid, blurry-fast swing on video. The result is a freewheeling move that's a screaming denunciation of the mechanical methods of the previous era.—Guy Yocom

3.) Fred Couples

My driver strategy? Smash the ballPHOTOS: SWING SEQUENCEVIDEO: HIS SWING IN MOTIONDriving it a long way has always come naturally to me, but now I'm hitting it straighter than ever. Some of that's the new equipment, but I've improved my mechanics with Butch Harmon. My swing is less dependent on timing these days, and that's made the driver probably my best club.I'm also more comfortable hitting the driver at different speeds. I might bomb it on a par 5, but on a tight par 4, I'll smooth one out there at 80 percent. One thought that has helped me with the driver is, Smash it. I don't mean swing hard; I try to compress the ball with a dead-solid hit. That image works at any speed.—Fred Couples

2.) Rory McIlroy

How Northern Ireland's can't-miss kid finds his powerPHOTOS: SWING SEQUENCEVIDEO: BASICS OF HIS SWINGThe most striking aspect of young McIlroy is not his list of victories or achievements, however. It's the rhythm of his swing and the ease with which he hits the ball. "Rory's swing does have a wonderful flow to it, always has," says Michael Bannon, head professional at Bangor Golf Club in Northern Ireland and McIlroy's only teacher. "You can tell how comfortable he is by the speed at which he plays. All he needs is a couple of looks at the target before he hits."—John Huggan

1.) Tiger Woods

The Evolution Of Tiger's SwingPHOTOS: SWING SEQUENCEVIDEO: ANALYZING HIS SWINGA progression of Tiger Woods' swing from four stages of his career—the early 1990s to the present (2011). See how his technique has changed with the influence of his different teachers: Rudy Duran, John Anselmo, Butch Harmon, Hank Haney and Sean Foley.

World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession