Take an analytic, frame-by-frame look at Sergio Garcia’s driver swing.
Brian Jacobs is the owner and director of instruction for Brian Jacobs Golf, located at Ridgemont Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. A Hank Haney Certified Instructor, Brian has made several appearances on Golf Channel’s ‘Morning Drive’ Coaches Series, and is a leader in growing the game of golf in the Rochester area. For more information about Brian and to book a lesson please click here
Proper alignment sets the tone for a good swing, and Sergio has it. His feet, knees, hips, shoulders and eyes are all aligned square to his target line. Sergio appears to be setting up to hit a slight draw, as his club face and chest are pointing fractionally to the right.
At the end of the takeaway, the club head is just outside Sergio’s hands, meaning he’s in a great position to maximize his width at the top of the backswing. His shoulders, not his hands, are moving the club head up and away from the ball.
Halfway back, the club shaft begins to move more inward and up. Pay close attention to Sergio’s leg work - his lead knee is working back toward his trail knee, which helps him apply force into the ground for maximum power.
Sergio’s top-of-backswing position proves that there’s more than one way to produce consistent results. His swing is much shorter than most long hitters and the shaft is laid off (i.e., pointing left of the target), but the club is in perfect alignment with his lead arm and shoulders, and he’s in a great position to return the club face square at impact.
Sergio’s signature move: Note how far the club head has dropped from the previous frame! His arms pull the club back while his lead hip begins to open and clear space for the hands, arms and club to swing down into impact. This shallowing-out effect creates tremendous lag, which you’ll see in the next frame.
BEST MOVE: Note the distance between the club head and Sergio’s lead forearm. Now that’s lag!! Sergio’s body is pulling the club through from behind the trail knee, not in front of it like so many slicers of the ball. This produces the ideal in-to-out path, perfect for hitting a powerful draw.
This is the result of unloading all of that stored power and lag through the ball. Note the tremendous extension of the arms, wrists and hands and the full rotation of the hips. It’s no wonder that Sergio averages close to 120 mph club-head speed!
Sergio’s body has fully rotated with the lead leg posted and the trail foot balanced and up on its toes. His trail foot is as soft as a feather, which is a great image for all golfers to carry through impact and into their finish position.
Brian Jacobs is the owner and director of instruction for Brian Jacobs Golf, located at Ridgemont Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. A Hank Haney Certified Instructor, Brian has made several appearances on Golf Channel’s ‘Morning Drive’ Coaches Series, and is a leader in growing the game of golf in the Rochester area. For more information about Brian and to book a lesson please click here
