In his first full season on the PGA Tour, Michael Thorbjornsen (“Thor,” for short) is really bringing the hammer. Through late July, the 23-year-old former Stanford All-American ranked fifth on tour in driving distance (318.6 yards) and third in total driving. His father and swing coach, Ted Thorbjornsen, explains how his swing works.

Thorbjornsen uses a 10-finger baseball grip because it felt comfortable as a junior. He thought he would change it at some point, but he kept playing well, so he never did.

Thorbjornsen focuses on creating more depth and keeping his hips level as he begins rotating into his right hip.

Thorbjornsen is keeping both his arms straight as he turns away, creating a big stretch in his upper body as he begins his turn.

Notice how Thorbjornsen's left knee moves towards the ground. This helps him achieve a big, wide backswing turn with his hands and club positioned farther behind him.

His hands separate quickly from his right shoulder as he transitions forward—a trait he shares with his idol Tiger Woods—while his back still faces the target.

With a reasonably steady head and level hips, he transfers his weight into the inside of his left leg while firing his hands down toward the ball with significant speed.

His shoulders are fairly aligned with the target line, his hands are closing the clubface to produce his patented little draw, and his fast hand speed provides insurance against flipping the clubhead.

Thorbjornsen wants to feel that he's covering the ball rather than falling backwards and flipping the clubhead through impact.

If he covers the ball with his body the way he wants to, his entire torso will be posted over his left leg.