Jon Rahm won in the desert this week, his second victory on the PGA Tour this year, shooting -27 to win by a shot.
Steve Stricker shot -23, including a round of 60, to win by six shots on the PGA Tour Champions. He is only the second player to shot a round of 60 or lower on both the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions (the other being Paul Goydos).
After hearing of Stricker’s round of 60, Rahm commented in an interview that Stricker’s wedge game is second to none, and he was very impressed that Stricker, 55, shot so close to his age.
So, why do I bring all this up?
Both golfers have short back swings.
Most amateur golfers are convinced they need to swing like John Daly to hit it far.
As a result, they end up with way too much extra stuff going on in their swings that has the opposite effect.
Rahm, in fact, is one of the longest hitters on tour.
Granted, he’s a pretty big dud at 6’2, 220 (probably a few more pounds there).
Stricker is about my size, 6 feet tall, about 190.
Stricker is not known for his length off the tee, but given how competitive he’s been on the PGA Tour, even in his later years, he has adequate length.
Both have very efficient swings. Rahm simply attacks the ball harder than Stricker, and due to his size and strength, is able to hit it pretty far.
I have often argued that, if there is one player whose game most golfers should try to copy, it’s Stricker.
He probably gets more out of his game than just about any professional player. His swing is as simple as it gets, he has a top notch wedge game, and he’s a superb putter.
I believe he now has at least five wins in his last eleven starts, and he does not play a full schedule, which makes his game even more impressive.
So, what does this mean for you?
Work on developing a more efficient golf swing, and focus a lot more of your practice on your short game and putting.
My Scratch Golfer ebook is a great reference for teaching you how to do all of these things. Learn more here.
