Kiradech Aphibarnrat is a cult hero within golf — “Asia’s John Daly,” as he’s been titled. The World No. 37’s career has been on a continual uptick in recent years (he’s now won four times on the European Tour), an ascent he attributes to hard work.
He reminded everybody of that fact last week. On his official Instagram account, he snapped a few pictures of his irons featuring a perfect wear spot right in the center of his clubs.
Seriously though, #goals.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bog7yttFgTg/
Many people who see Aphibarnrat’s swing often get distracted by its more powerful elements, like the length of his backswing and the lag on his downswing. What’s often overlooked is that Kiradech gets in a lot of really textbook positions along the way.
Below, for example, is his impact position. His weight has shifted, his left leg has posted, his upper body tilted, and his arms swinging through squarely and freely.
It’s his textbook technique, ultimately, that allows him to hit it in the sweet spot so often — and explains that A+ wear spot on his clubs.
GOLF’s Alan Shipnuck, in an article from earlier this year, spoke with the Thai golfer about some of those changes:
In ’16 he made some swing changes on his own — “I tried to take the club back like Adam Scott” — and lost his way. Late in the year he began working with Mike Walker and his mentor Pete Cowen, who has ministered to most of the best players to come out of Europe over the last quarter century. “He has lots of idiosyncrasies, but they’re great,” says Walker. “All we’ve done is simplify things and get him back to being himself. He’s a shotmaker, just a phenomenally talented ballstriker.”
