There’s never been a more instinctive, creative or artistic golfer than Seve Ballesteros. His uncanny ability to hit the impossible shot from trouble and deftly handle the most difficult of short-game situations is attributable to one thing — his outrageous hands. It makes sense that the kid from Padreña, Spain, was destined to have the sickest mitts in history, considering he learned to play the game with a single club: a 3-iron! What followed was a uniquely historic career with five majors (1980 and ’83 Masters; 1978, ’84 and ’88 Open Championships), 50 European Tour wins (first all-time) and the recognition of transforming the Ryder Cup into the spectacle it is today.
Seve’s swashbuckling style and flair produced jaw-dropping shots of the highest quality while sprinkling in the occasional foul ball that he’d eventually rescue from anywhere, be it a copse of trees or a car park. His mechanics reflected a myriad of eras and styles, including a who’s who collection of moves: the free-swinging and unmatched rhythm of Bobby Jones, the lower-body action and leg drive of Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller, the modern-day backswing geometry of Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, the unmistakable finish and flair of the King, Arnold Palmer.
Learn from a real legend in the sequence below, taken in February of 1986, just before Ballesteros reached No. 1 in the OWGR at the start of that year’s Masters.
1. Address
Check how Seve’s arms and hands look so relaxed at address — zero tension whatsoever. Ballesteros waggled like he was about to take on Errol Flynn. A true athlete — light on his feet with his knees flexed and feet flared.
2. Takeaway
Like so many great “feel” players, Seve hinged his wrists early during the backswing. He did this while rotating his lower body away from the target almost immediately. The result: The clubhead moved more up instead of around.
3. Top
Seve’s soft arms come into play once again, producing one of the greatest top positions ever. His trail forearm is parallel to his spine, his hands are above his trail shoulder and his front wrist is flat. In this teacher’s opinion, this is perfect.
4. Downswing
Like so many great players in the past, Seve swings down steep while also keeping the club out in front of him. Doing this allowed him to create the rainbow of different shot trajectories for which he was known. The trick: a heavy dose of lateral motion to make it all work — he’s really working back to front here.
5. Impact
You can see more of Seve’s left arm at impact than at address. Why? He’s kept his shoulders closed, which prevents attacking the ball too far from the outside. And check his front leg: It remains flexed — not great for pushing off the ground but perfect for controlling the club manually with the hands. An artist at work!
6. Release
Head down, legs still flexed and body now rotating fully — a shot-shaper’s finish. In an era when clubheads were made of persimmon and the ball curved significantly even on center hits, nobody played the game better.
