Listen to Sergio Garcia analyze his trademark swing in his own words

Sergio Garcia has been a household name in golf since running (literally, running) onto the scene at the 1999 PGA Championship. Though he eventually lost in that back-nine duel against Tiger Woods, Garcia established himself in professional golf and has enjoyed a successful career since.

Garcia’s swing has served him well through his 20+ years as a professional, allowing him to win 25 times between the PGA Tour and European Tour, including collecting a green jacket in 2017. But what are the specific hallmarks that have driven Garcia to so much success? He broke down his swing for us in 60 seconds.

Setup

Garcia’s stance is extremely narrow as he addresses the ball, bordering on being one of the narrowest on Tour. To get into this address position consistently, Garcia begins with his feet together before he opens his left foot “quite a bit” and then parts his right a little less.

“This is going to let me be fairly consistent on my ball position,” Garcia said. “I want to make sure that my setup is nice and tall. Sometimes I get a little too crunched down and I lose room to be able to swing the club.”

Swing

Garcia has a nice and slow takeaway when he initiates his swing, and he establishes a wide arch on the backswing. Maintaining that even tempo is key for him to set the clubface in the best place possible. He “throws” his hands down towards the ball from the top of the backswing, which generates tons of lag and, therefore, power.

Finish

“I try to finish nice and strong on my left side,” Garcia said. “As tall as possible and as balanced as possible.”

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