He’s the only golfer to earn the PGA Tour’s Comeback Player of the Year award twice, overcoming injury and swing issues to emerge as one of the world’s best. Even more amazingly, the proud Wisconsin native has done most of his damage since turning 40 in 2007.
Ask the average fan what makes Stricker so successful, and they’ll likely credit his putting. Indeed, Stricker is one of the game’s finest on the greens. But his long game is not to be overlooked, especially since Stricker’s swing is one of the simplest actions you’ll find among tour pros.
Stricker’s move: Keeps wrists firm, with minimal wrist cock, throughout the backswing.
When most pros reach the point where the left arm is parallel to the ground, they’ve hinged the wrists to place the shaft at or near vertical. Not Stricker. His shaft points at about a 45° angle to the left arm. Stricker says he focuses on keeping the wrists firm and rotating his left arm, which ensures an on-plane swing.
You see much the same thing in Stricker’s downswing. In contrast to the whip-crack action many pros unleash at impact, Stricker’s wrists are very quiet. He’s not the longest driver out there – in fact, Stricker ranked just 113th in driving distance for 2011 – but most of us would settle for an average of 288.8 yards off the tee.
Why it works: The best thing about Stricker’s swing is its simplicity. Because the big muscles of his shoulders, hips and torso are in control, Stricker is less reliant than other golfers on impeccable timing. It’s also an easily repeatable motion, making Stricker’s swing quite reliable under pressure.
How it can work for you: Plenty of amateurs overuse the hands and wrists in an effort to create power. They start the backswing by quickly jerking the clubhead away from the ball, then cast the head abruptly downward from the top.
If yours is an overly handsy swing, concentrate on the first few inches going back (the takeaway). Simply start the swing by moving the left arm and shoulder (for a right-handed golfer) in unison. There’s no need to worry about the wrists hinging on the way up. As long as your forearms rotate naturally, the wrists will follow suit.
One word of caution: Don’t take Stricker’s mental key of keeping the wrists firm too literally. Firm is fine, but stiff is another matter, and may result from a conscious effort to maintain firmness. Focus on those big-muscle motions and the rest will take care of itself.
4 Comments
I like it Rock, shallow approach and all that, but golf is full of contradictions isn't it?
Have you seen Padraig Harrington's enlightening series up on YouTube? He's a strong advocate of lots of wrist action for almost all golfers and almost all shots (unless you are a big hitter when less is better). Malaska too. Stricker is a big man so it doesn't hurt him much to dial out the hands.
I notice your on great swing has lovely soft hands. At 75(+) you probably couldn't swing like Striker and get the ball out there without hurting yourself🥴
I'm from WI like him and I was lucky enough to meet him and get a picture together when I was younger. He's extremely kind and talks like a normal guy rather than a pro athlete. I've always been a fan of his swing too
I remember Stricker's comeback in the early 2010s he was a great player, often in contention.
Hi RYR, there was a great segment on Stricker's short game technique during the Saturday broadcast of the US Senior Open. They showed four practice shots from about 25-30 yards of which he consecutively holed two 🙂 left the announcers speechless!