An in-depth, analytic look at Phil Mickelson’s swing.
Very good posture. Phil’s back is relatively straight, not hunched over, and his hands fall below his chin; they’re not reaching for the club. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Scott Wickham; photo: Fred Vuich)
FAVORITE MOVE No. 1: As I explain in the video, the arms, shoulders and club start back together and the clubhead stays in front of him, which is textbook. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Scott Wickham; photo: Fred Vuich)
Phil has a very ‘old school’ swing from this point forward. Note the extra bend to his right knee, and the early appearance of his front heel coming off the ground. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Scott Wickham; photo: Fred Vuich)
Lefty’s arms are nice and level - so level that you can balance a club on top of his arms, an indication that the club is on-plane. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Scott Wickham; photo: Fred Vuich)
The benefit to lifting the front heel off the ground is that it allows you to turn more and then re-plant it on the downswing to create more power. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Scott Wickham; photo: Fred Vuich)
You can really see the power here by the torque in Phil’s shaft. It’s as if he’s pulling down on a rope, creating a ton of lag. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Scott Wickham; photo: Fred Vuich)
FAVORITE MOVE No. 2: You really can’t beat this position - the shaft is right on the trail forearm, perfectly on-plane, and he’s already transitioned into his front side. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Scott Wickham; photo: Fred Vuich)
FAVORITE MOVE #3: Great extension through the hitting area. The clubface is pointing a little left at impact, which makes sense since he’s hitting a draw here. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Scott Wickham; photo: Fred Vuich)
Phil’s driver swing is the left-handed version of Jack Nicklaus’ swing in so many ways, including the high release and exit of the clubhead through the shoulders. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Scott Wickham; photo: Fred Vuich)
Lefty’s front heel is fully entrenched in the ground now and he looks as if he’s about to settle into a comfortable, balanced finish position. (Analysis: GCA lead coach Scott Wickham; photo: Fred Vuich)