3 things you can learn from Matt Wolff’s eye-catching golf swing (and 1 thing you shouldn’t)

Matt Wolff’s eye-catching golf swing has swept through the game like a tidal wave. The former Oklahoma State standout has been labeled a “disruptor,” an “inspiration,” and a “genius.” He’s become the face of the “swing your swing” movement, and golfers everywhere see themselves in Wolff’s quirky move, but what can they actually learn from it?

1. Work On Finding Your Perfect Swing

The first and undoubtedly most important element of Matt Wolff’s swing is that it’s his own. Countless times over the years he’s been told he’d need to change it, that it would never hold up on Tour, that he should move away from everything that felt natural to him. But he stuck with it and made it his own. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t work on it — he does, a lot, that’s why he has a swing coach — but focuses on figuring out the things to change that will make him better, and not changing the things that won’t.

2. Turn Big On The Backswing

Wolff’s swing is powerful for a bunch of reasons, but let’s forget about the unconventional way the club moves for a second and focus on the way his body moves. As you can hear his coach George Gankas talk about below, Wolff makes a big turn with both his lower and upper body on the backswing. When he doesn’t, the club doesn’t set properly and he hits big blocks and hooks. That full and complete turn on his backswing isn’t just his power move; it also improves his accuracy along the way. More on that very shortly…

"There are some moves that don't look conventional, but down through the ball it's as good as anybody in the world."@Matthew_Wolff5's coach @GeorgeGankas breaks down the one-of-a-kind swing of the @3MOpen champion. pic.twitter.com/e7FFkj1Zxk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 8, 2019

3. Everything Moves In the Right Order

If you’re going to learn one thing from Wolff’s golf swing, it’s that it works because, a bit like Jim Furyk, everything moves in the right order. He makes a full turn on the backswing, which gives his body time to set. The club shallows, his weight shifts, and his body begins to rotate. This sequence of moves in his swing puts the club in an ideal position coming into impact that any golfer on the planet would be happy with. It’s a lot of movement that some golfers won’t be capable of, but Wolff makes it repeatable, and that’s all that matters.

People often ask me how Matt Wolf can hit the ball with that swing.

My response: Because you don't hit the ball with your backswing. pic.twitter.com/T1U3dEAZlc

— LKD (@LukeKerrDineen) January 31, 2019

…But DON’T Try To Swing Exactly Like Him

This is important. Very important, actually. Just because Wolff’s swing works for him doesn’t mean you should squirrel off into the one woods, Shooter McGavin-style, and try to swing like him. If you do, you’re missing the entire point. There is no one, perfect swing for everyone. Find your best swing, and find a coach who can help you perfect that. Remember, don’t be Shooter: