This surprise Masters contender’s unorthodox swing? Here’s why it works

Sam Bennett, the 23-year-old reigning U.S. Amateur champion, has been turning heads at the Masters.

He hasn’t just played well at Augusta. At six under through two rounds, he’s tied for fourth (as of this writing) and seven strokes off the lead. Winning the green jacket this week would be a long shot but not inconceivable, because Bennett is unflappable when it comes to believing in himself.

When asked Friday evening whether he thinks he can catch and surpass the leader, four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, Bennett didn’t hold back, saying he’s got the ability because, “I know that my good golf is good enough.”

Gotta love the confidence.

Sam Bennett’s golf swing is an old school in-and-over

If you’ve been watching any of Bennett’s hot Masters, you might have noticed his unorthodox swing.

In the video below — courtesy of GOLF Teacher to Watch Lucas Wald — you can see how much movement Bennett has, which resembles an old school, in-and-over move. It’s the type of swing, Wald says, that “legendary players like Ben Hogan and Gardner Dickinson [on the right in the video] loved.”

Although Bennett’s swing appears choppy as he comes through on contact, Wald says the added flexion and rotation is what helps Bennett keep the clubface square for longer.

“There’s more flexion and more rotation in the swing, as well as right side bend coming down,” Wald says. “With the right-side bend, it keeps the right shoulder low towards the right hip.

“It’s a move that we don’t see that much in today’s game. Today, players sort of keep the clubface up and outside. The backswing goes straight back.

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“But a lot of the legends, Bobby Jones included, used something that was more in-and-over. This leads to the downswing being more flexed and in the middle, with a lot of rotation and clubface stability.”

Bennett himself admitted that he doesn’t “have a pretty swing.” But while Bennett’s move may not resemble some of his peers’ swings, Wald says it works well for Bennett because it emphasizes old-school mechanics.

“The reason why Sam’s unorthodox swing works so well is because he primarily relies on hitting mechanics that we have seen throughout the history of the game from many legends.

“You see [Bennett] scrunch, and you see his right shoulder drop towards the right hip. This keeps the clubface stable for a long period of time.”

Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor