In 2013 Rory McIlroy ranked 26th on the PGA Tour. In 2014 he ranked 3rd. In 2013 McIlroy was among the top 30 finishes in the Fed Ex Cup rankings. This year he finished 3rd with 3, 050 points. That’s quite a turn around—even for a golfer as good as McIlroy.
How did he do it? He took some golf lessons from Michael Bannon, his old coach, after the 2013 season. Bannon helped McIlroy recapture the swing that had made him the No. 1 golfer in the world. He used checkpoints and feels that he had taught McIlroy as a kid.
Obviously, these changes worked. McIlroy won over $8 million in 2014 and is again ranked No. 1 in the world.
We review four changes in his McIlroy made below. Ingrain these changes in your swing and you’ll not only break 80, you’ll also shrink your golf handicap.
Revisit your address position
It’s easy to fall into bad habits at address. Bannon helped McIlroy banish his bad habits when setting up. Today, he keys on four checkpoints when addressing the ball: keeping his back flat, establishing a wide base, flexing his knees slightly, and tilting forward about 30 degrees.
Drill: Take your address position. Use your fingertips to push your hips back, making sure you keep your back flat. Your butt should pop out. Now check your belt buckle. If should point just beyond the ball—and not straight out in front of you.
Turn and load for power
McIlroy tends to overturn on his backswing. Bannon helped him limit his shoulder turn to 90 degrees. McIlroy stops his swing as soon as he feels his shoulder under his chin. Other checkpoints for McIlroy when loading for power include maintaining a straight left arm, turning fully with his left hip, and keeping his shoulder under his chin.
Drill: Take your address position then swing back. Stop as soon as you feel your shoulder under your chin. Now turn your lower body more than you normally would. Try to get your belt buckle to turn away from the target when you reach the top of your swing. This extra hip turn allows your shoulder to turn at a full 90 degrees.
Drive the left knee down
Bannon got back to basics with McIlroy’s irons. McIlroy likes to move down and forward from the top as he unwinds. This moves the bottom of his swing just beyond the ball. He does this by driving his left foot down hard (checkpoint) and his left knee forward (checkpoint). The feeling he wants is that he is trying to leave a footprint in the ground.
Drill: Take your address position with an iron. Allow your left knee to come off the ground as you reach the top. Then plant it down in the dirt. Do it hard, so your weight shifts forward. Once you’ve planted your foot, push off on it and firm up your leg, creating a strong post to hit from.
Use your body to hit wedges
McIlroy had trouble getting it close in 2013. He ranked 153rd in shots from 125 to 150 yards out. This year he ranked 14th. His error was moving his body and arms separately.
Bannon got him to move his body and arms as a single unit.
Now McIlroy swings with dead arms and uses his torso—not his legs—as the engine of his swing. He also keeps his upper left arm tight against his chest (checkpoint). This move helps him knock it close more often.
Drill: Assume your address position, with a wedge in each hand. Swing them simultaneously, as if you were hitting a shot. Try to keep the clubs parallel to each other the whole way through the swing with your arms and hands in front of your chest.
McIlroy had one of his best years in 2014. In fact, he was ranked as the No. 1 golfer in the world as of October 5th. His revitalization is due mostly to the swing changes he made last year. Make those same changes in your swing and you’ll take your game to a whole new level.
Great tips thanks Jack, more please. I know they will improve my game because I was unaware of them, Rest assured I will remember them always which means I will also remember where they came from.
Thanks a million . Peter