Swing Tips from a Super Bowl Champion

QUICK COACHING

A Swing Tip You Can Learn From the NFL Quarterbacks Who Played in the Super Bowl

By Ryan Adams, PGA

Published on Sunday, January 28, 2024

A thrilling match-up for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas on Feb. 11 ended as it should.

With drama.

The Kansas City Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 on a short pass play in overtime. The game was fun to watch, with high-flying offenses, stout defenses, plenty of storylines . . . and how could we forget Taylor Swift?

Believe it or not, though, there’s also a little golf lesson you can learn from the quarterbacks playing in today’s game.

Did you see how Patrick Mahomes (above) of the Chiefs and Brock Purdy of the 49ers were making their throwing motions? Well, there’s a lot of similarities between the way these quarterbacks sling it and how to create more powerful strikes with every club.

Let’s break it down.

Wind up and weight transfer

The first step for a quarterback is winding up their upper body and then transferring weight to the front foot to fire a pass. That’s a lot like the golf swing if you think about it: You make a full turn and then transfer your weigh to the lead side to maximize power. Look at Mahomes below as he steps into a pass:

He can’t make this throw without transferring his weight to the lead side. When they weren’t under pressure during the Super Bowl, Mahomes and Purdy started throws by stepping into them, and not hanging back. When you hang back on your trail side, there’s no energy going to the ball (or in the quarterbacks’ case, the pass) which makes it harder to create good contact.

Try this: Make practice swings with a full turn (shoulder under chin) and then on your downswing, take a step with your lead foot like you’re throwing a football or baseball. You’ll understand the proper sequence a lot better.

Unwind the lower body

Once you’ve made that first step, it’s time to unwind the lower body. You’ll see in the Super Bowl that the quarterbacks create space with their lower body by opening their hips and firing through with their upper body. Without that, it’s nearly impossible for them to make a proper move and throw the ball. Look at Purdy unwindingfor a big throw here:

Same goes for your golf swing. There’s no way for you to hit the ball squarely without unwinding and rotating your hips to clear out space for the arms, hands and club. Not only are you clearing out space but because you made that move we described above in the first step, your sequence is right on and that means really good contact with the ball.

Try this: To understand this hip clear-out, get in stance and then take your lead hand and press it into your lead hip. You should feel an open rotation, or a “clearing out” of your lower body. Another way to think about this is if you had a belt on and tugged it with your lead hand. Attempt hitting a few half shots with this idea in place with your wedges.

Hopefully this two-part tip is something that will help you, like it helps these great quarterbacks on the NFL’s biggest stage.

Master Your Swing: Simple Tips to Quickly Fix Your Slice

By Kevin Cotter, PGA

Slicing the golf ball is often caused by delivering the clubface to the ball in an open position at impact (for right-handed players, the clubface points right of the target). The good news is that fixing a slice is easier than you think! Here are the most common causes of a slice and simple cures to help you straighten out your shots:

Grip Position

Your grip is the first area to examine when dealing with a slice. If your hands are rotated too far to the left (for right-handed players), the clubface will likely be open at impact, causing the ball to slice. Ensure your left hand is in a “strong” position—where you can see two to three knuckles when looking down at address. This adjustment can have an immediate positive impact on your ball flight.

Wrist Position at the Top of the Swing

Next, closely examine the position of your left wrist at the top of your backswing. If your left wrist is cupped (bending inward), the clubface will likely be open, and if you return to impact in this position, it will result in a slice. Keep your left wrist flat at the top of your swing, which helps square the clubface at impact.

Forearm Rotation (Pronation)

Another critical factor is your forearm and hand rotation through impact. Suppose your right hand pushes against or overpowers the left hand through impact (see image below of right hand working underneath and breaking down left wrist) rather than allowing the hands and forearms to rotate correctly. In that case, the clubface will remain open, causing a slice. Instead, focus on naturally pronating (rolling) your hands and forearms through the ball to help square the clubface.

Swing Path

An out-to-in swing path is one of the primary causes of a slice. When your swing cuts across the ball from outside the target line, it creates sidespin, sending the ball curving to the right. Focus on swinging from the inside, then down the line.

Alignment and Stance

Incorrect alignment can also lead to a slice. If you’re aiming too far left, you may unknowingly encourage an out-to-in swing path. Check your stance and ensure your feet, hips, and shoulders are all aligned parallel to the target line. A proper setup gives you the best chance to swing along the right path.

A few simple adjustments can drastically reduce or eliminate your slice, leading to more consistent shots and a more enjoyable round of golf. Try out these fixes and watch your game improve!

Top Three Golf Swing Set-Up Tips

Stance

The stance is the foundation of the golf swing and like many other sports requires the player to prepare for athletic action. Begin by evenly dividing your weight between both feet, slightly favoring the balls of the feet not the toes or heels. Next, position the feet approximately shoulder width apart. Proper stance width helps maintain good balance, too narrow a stance increases instability and too wide restricts hip and shoulder turn, making it difficult for the player to properly transfer weight back onto and over the right leg during the backswing.

Turn the left foot (forward foot) outward toward the target about a quarter turn. This position allows the player to maintain dynamic balance throughout the golf swing and well into the finish. The back foot (right foot) should generally be pointed straight forward or at a right angle to the target line. This position allows power-generating resistance to build by stabilizing the right leg while the upper body turns around it.

Alignment/Aim

Aligning or aiming the body properly is crucial if one desires to develop a powerful repeating golf swing. The first key point of alignment is; align the leading edge of the
clubface square or at a right angle to the target line. Then set the tips of the toes, knees, hips, shoulders and eyes parallel to that same line. This method of alignment is
referred to as aiming “parallel left.” If a player is to err or deviate from this common principle it would typically involve the feet and body aiming slightly to the left of the
target. Keep in mind though, whatever combination of body and clubface positions a player employs is deemed acceptable if it results in the clubhead consistently traveling down the target line with the clubface square to that line.

Golf is a target game and it is very easy to get caught up in the complexity of the perfect golf swing. However, many who follow this quest fail to recognize that no matter how beautiful the swing becomes it is of little value if aimed incorrectly

Posture

Another key element to develop a powerful repeating golf swing requires the upper body to be tilted over the ball slightly at address. This is achieved by bending from the hips over the ball, not the waist. Bending from the hips allows the spine to remain straight and the buttocks to protrude slightly, whereas if we tilt from the waist the spine tends to curve. The head should also match the plane of the back; this allows the left shoulder to turn underneath the chin during the backswing. This very much helps maintain centeredness while completing the backswing.

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