Swing sequence: Lexi Thompson, 2018 HSBC Women's WC

An extremely athletic setup. Lexi is fully balanced between her toes and heels, so much so that if you walked up to her and tried to knock her over, she’d be able to resist you. Her lines are also very good - the hands sit at the front edge of her shoulders and the club points right to her belt line.

Very much a one-piece takeaway - she’s taking the club away with her shoulder turn and keeping the hands very quiet. This allows her to keep the club in front of her toe line and move it back on-plane, creating a super-wide arc.

You can see from the ripples on her shirt just how much she’s coiled her upper body. The high-hands look and big shoulder windup is reminiscent of John Daly and other long hitters, yet she’s able to reach this position with a straight left arm, a testament to just how flexible she is.

BEST MOVE: This is Lexi’s magic move. She’s turning her hips forward, toward the target (about 20 degrees open) while keeping her chest and shoulders facing away from the target (about 90 degrees closed). This increases her X-Factor (i.e., separation between hips and shoulders), and allows her to really turn on the speed through impact.

Lexi’s shoulders are still closed to the target line and she’s maintained the angle between her lead forearm and club shaft well into the downswing, setting the stage for a very powerful delivery into the ball and release of force.

Lexi creates so much clubhead lag coming down and pushes up hard off the ground to release that angle. This explains why both heels are airborne, a la Laura Davies. She’s releasing the club like a whip and exploding the clubhead down into the turf.

Even though Lexi’s rear end has come underneath her and her legs have straightened, she’s still able to maintain her side bend away from the target. She hasn’t pulled her swing center away from the ball. As a result, her shoulders return on-plane to the same position they were in frame 2 on the back swing.

Lexi’s power and flexibility is in full display here. She’s rotated her body far enough through the shot to wrap the club all the way around her head. Note that the club shaft is on the same plane as her eyes and shoulders. Textbook!

Maria Palazola is the owner and director of instruction for the Golf Channel Academy with Maria Palozola, based at Big Bend Golf Center in the St. Louis suburb of Valley Park. An accomplished coach and player, Maria is ranked by her peers as one of Golf Digest’s “Best Teachers” in Missouri. For more information about Maria and to book a lesson - please click here

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Swing sequence: Lexi Thompson