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Mesmerizing side-by-side shot tracer clip shows Rory’s normal swing vs. his low ‘bullet’

February 10, 2020

It doesn’t matter what he’s talking about. Whenever Rory McIlroy opens his mouth, he says something interesting. And perhaps never more so than when he’s talking about his own golf swing.

It’s one of the many reasons why I love Golf Channel’s Golf Pass subscription. It’s loaded with lots of interesting Rory golf swing tidbits, including this one about his “bullet” driver.

It started with School of Golf host and GOLF Top 100 Teacher Martin Hall probing Rory about some of his swing thoughts on ordinary drives. On the whole, the current World No. 1 likes to keep things simple.

Rory McIlroy Driver Swing Thoughts

  • Align shoulders square
  • Keep feet slightly open to the target line to help them clear.
  • Ball position inside left heel.
  • He picks an intermediate target a few inches in front of the ball.
  • He monitors his lead hand grip, which Rory says tends to get a little too strong.

But Rory also has a secret weapon: His “bullet” driver, a shot he turns to when he needs a more driving, accurate ball flight to combat the wind. Here are his swing thoughts for that, which, interestingly, doesn’t involve teeing the ball any lower. Take note, golfers…

Rory McIlroy “Bullet” Driver Swing Thoughts

  • Tee ball up normal height.
  • Keep your height more on the downswing; less side bend, more on top of the ball.
  • Feel a more sweeping motion to shallow the angle of attack during your downswing.

Side-by-side, you can see the difference in trajectories. The swings are almost identical, too. If you slow them down, you can see the club exit slightly more left in his “bullet” swing. But either way, it makes for a pretty mesmerizing watch.

And regardless, take the time to watch the entire clip. It’s well worth your time — and your game will thank you for it.

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