The Swing Thought That Closed The Deal for Tommy Fleetwood

When you are walking down the range at any professional event, there are good ball strikers, and then there are #ballstrikers. These are the guys that make “the sound™” when they make contact. Tommy Fleetwood is without a doubt in this elite class of professional golfers that when you see them headed to the range, you follow, watch, take notes, admire.

But being a world class ballstriker doesn’t always go hand-in-hand with having complete control over your golf ball. Tommy has always been known as one of the better iron players on tour, and a large part of this can be attributed to his hands. His hands are very active in his swing, particularly though impact. 99% of the time, he has complete control over what is happening. Although, when the lights are bright and the pressure is on, relying on timing and your hands can be tricky. Nevertheless, he was able to change the narrative after capturing his first PGA Tour win and subsequently, the TOUR Championship.

How Tommy Swings

Tommy is what my coach likes to call a “thrower” of the club (I know this because I am one too). Through impact, throwers release the club more with their hands, which is very common with players who hit draws. When swinging from the inside, this is a way of releasing the club to ensure the ball turns over and doesn’t miss wide right.

It’s not to say that this way of swinging the club is good or bad. Patrick Reed, another thrower, has had plenty of success under pressure. This motion just demands more precise timing, which is why so many of today’s players gravitate towards hitting a fade. By covering the ball with your body and holding the face off, you can take your hands out of the equation.

This is also why you see Tommy’s patented hold off finish, a feel that helps him mitigate this habit as much as possible. Instead of following all the way through and holding the picture perfect finish, we see Tommy stop with his hands and arms extended in front of his body. This feeling is a drill that you can do on the range to help quiet the hands through impact and release the club more with your body. However, no matter how hard he tries, it is still there. You can see in the image below, with how Tommy releases the club. The club works more out to the right, and you can see that the club is about to pass his hands before it gets around his body.

Compare that to the best player in the world, Scottie Scheffler at a similar position in his swing. His hands exit the swing low and left around his torso (see image below).

This leads to way more control over the start line and curvature of your ball, which is the foundation to his dominance, especially when the pressure is on. This is why you hear that a fade is easier to control than a draw. You are using more of your body to cover the golf ball and start it left, and then instead of having to turn your hands over, you are holding off the club face to promote the curvature back to the right.

So what was different this time around?

Tommy trusted himself.

Tommy’s talent has never been in question. He has put in tens of thousands of hours on the range doing the same thing over and over again, building a swing that makes golf Instagram swoon. It wasn’t skill that held him back, it was belief.

That’s what made his struggles down the stretch in TOUR events so puzzling, especially given his history of success overseas and in Ryder Cups, arguably the most pressure packed environment in golf. He knew how to win, but at times he second guessed. Take this year's Travelers Championship: Standing over his approach into 18, indecision with club selection led to a weak swing and a missed green

Fast forward to Sunday, and it was different. Tommy never wavered. On a day where he ranked dead last in Strokes Gained: Of the Tee, he leaned on his iron game and putting, ranking 7th and 9th respectfully in those categories. Aside from his approach into 15, you could see Tommy trust himself and his hands, and he should.

So cheers to Tommy Fleetwood, not just for finally breaking through, but for proving to himself what the rest of us already knew. For someone with his ability, this win could be the floodgate moment. And maybe, just maybe, it gives the rest of us throwers, the ones who still like to play a draw, a little inspiration as well.