Images from Golf Channel Academy Magazine’s swing sequence breakdown for Jordan Spieth.
FAVORITE MOVE No. 1: The very definition of athletic posture - Jordan’s hands hang just outside of his chin, which is key in driving, and his weight is distributed nicely from his toes to his heels. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Jeff Ritter; photo: Fred Vuich; for more GCA Magazine, click here)
Jordan’s arms stretch away from the ball, much like Tiger Woods circa 2000, promoting a big, wide swing arc and more clubhead speed. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Jeff Ritter; photo: Fred Vuich; for more GCA Magazine, click here)
Jordan’s hands track a bit out and away from his body, which is an indication that he’s going to hit a fade. The clubface matches his spine angle and is perfectly square. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Jeff Ritter; photo: Fred Vuich; for more GCA Magazine, click here)
The tilt of the shaft closely resembles the angle it was on in its original address position (frame 1), a sign that the club is tracking on-plane. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Jeff Ritter; photo: Fred Vuich; for more GCA Magazine, click here)
FAVORITE MOVE No. 2: I like how Jordan’s arms are working close to one another in unison, as if he’s pushing his elbows together. That helps support a nice matching look between the back of his left wrist and the clubface. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Jeff Ritter; photo: Fred Vuich; for more GCA Magazine, click here)
You can see part of Jordan’s left glute already visible, showing signs of the powerful early unwind necessary to hit a fade. The earlier your hips and chest begin to rotate back to the target, the easier it is to produce an out-to-in “fade” swing path. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Jeff Ritter; photo: Fred Vuich; for more GCA Magazine, click here)
He continues to rotate to get the club swinging left of his target line. This move is very reminiscent of Lee Trevino, who was a well-known fader of the ball. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Jeff Ritter; photo: Fred Vuich; for more GCA Magazine, click here)
FAVORITE MOVE No. 3: This is what I refer to as the jump phase of the swing. Notice how much straighter his legs are from the previous frame, an indication he’s using the ground to lengthen his legs and extend his hips forward, a very powerful move. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Jeff Ritter; photo: Fred Vuich; for more GCA Magazine, click here)
Note how Jordan’s right arm and the pitch of his eyes are on virtually the same plane as the shaft, an indication he’s swung on a nice arc around his body. He’s maintained much of the original side bend he had at address. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Jeff Ritter; photo: Fred Vuich; for more GCA Magazine, click here)
