How to Perfect Jon Rahm's Powerful Swing | Back 2 Basics Golf

How to Perfect Jon Rahm's Powerful Swing

Image: Credit: Federación de Golf de Madrid, Jon Rahm, CC BY 3.0

Current World Number One Jon Rahm is a player with a unique, homegrown swing.

Rahm won the US Open earlier this year, his first-ever Major win, and it looks to be the first of many. He putted back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th at Torrey Pines, then had to watch nervously as the rest of the pack finished their rounds. Nobody could catch him, and he finished one stroke ahead of Louis Oosthuizen, who shot an even-par after starting the final round as a co-leader.#

Rahm, a Basque Country native who resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, is now poised to continue to build on his legacy, using his US Open win as a springboard. He is ranked as the outright favorite among Bwin’s latest golf odds to take the 2022 title, ahead of Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson. Whether he can secure back-to-back US Open titles remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – his unique swing will delight fans and perhaps give some amateur players inspiration for improving their own game.

If you like what you see from Rahm, and want to emulate his swing, here are five pertinent things to remember.

Start

Rahm is a big man, six-foot-two tall, and when he first approaches the ball, he has a powerful stance. He has strong legs and powerful glutes and cuts an imposing, sturdy frame with the club in his hand.

His coach described him as 'not the most flexible guy' according to Golf.com, and his unconventional swing begins with his arms appearing to disconnect from his torso. As the club reaches a ninety-degree angle from the ground, his clubhead and arms line up perfectly.

Backswing

The PGA Tour average hip rotation on the backswing is close to forty-five degrees, but Rahm only reaches thirty. It makes his backswing appear shorter than many others on tour and contrasts with Dustin Johnson's powerful backswing.

Transition

From the end of the backswing onwards, Rahm twists his body towards the target, shifting the club to a near parallel position with his trailing arm. It gives the swing its somewhat stunted aesthetic and means his arms get down much quicker, leading in towards striking the ball.

Strike

Much of Rahm's power comes from his wrist joint, which he has to arch more than normal to get the clubface down. He then shapes his body with side bend and good rotation, which neutralizes the position created by that bowed left wrist. The club comes down slightly left of target but is pulled in for a good, clean impact. As he comes out of the strike, he adopts a more conventional position, although his body has now rotated left of target.

Adapt

If there's one thing to take from this analysis of Rahm's swing, it is not to copy another golfer's stance. Rahm tailors his approach to suit his limited flexibility and core strengths, which every good golfer should do. Play your game, adopt a swing that uses your strengths and try not to be led by someone else's successes.

Are you looking for more ways to improve your game? Make sure you check out Back 2 Basics Golf for Rangefinders, Putting Mirrors, Apparel and more!


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