Jon Rahm has a very compact backswing that allows him to generate a ton of power but amazingly accurate. Rahm’s lower body action gives him the ability to create power with his legs and accuracy with balanced footwork. The average golfer can learn a lot from watching his fundamentally sound golf swing.
In Photo 1, you can see great extension with his arms comfortably swinging away from his lower body as his weight shifts into the inside of his right foot while his left shoulder and rib cage get behind the ball. His quality posture allows the left shoulder to comfortably rotate under his chin, making it easier to complete his takeaway. As he rotates his shoulder, he doesn’t manipulate the club with his hands, so the club face angle is the same as his spine angle when the shaft is parallel to the ground—not toe to the sky or shut to the ground.
In Photo 2, he’s transferred his weight into an athletic right leg while maintaining perfect balance on his right foot at the completion of his backswing while his relaxed left leg allows the knee to kick in and slightly point towards the ball while keeping 90% of the weight on his right leg. Rahm’s sound posture also allows his left shoulder to comfortably rotate underneath his chin. He’s now fully loaded up and ready to fire.
Photo 3 shows Rahm’s downswing transition where his lower body weight has shifted onto his left side but his right foot is still on the ground almost as if he’s sitting into his knees. We call this a solid base. His left shoulder and rib cage are still coiled behind the ball waiting for just the right moment to uncoil and release his body and club through the ball.
In Photo 4, we see a beautiful release of his body and arms. Notice how his left glove hand is underneath his right hand and his forearms are basically touching. He’s allowing the toe of the club to rotate over through impact, creating a full release which many players struggle to do. You can also see his eyes are still focused on the ground where the ball was which allows his arms to relax and extend away from his body instead of his body chasing the ball towards the target. The fundamentally sound posture he has maintained through his swing allows his right shoulder to comfortably rotate under his chin, producing a smooth uninhibited rotation from start to finish.
By John Burckle
Photos Michael Weinstein
