IT’S a distinctive golf swing, one which challenges much of what has long been written in coaching manuals.
World number one Scott Scheffler makes an unconventional slash at the ball, a swing characterised by his feet slipping, sliding and moving around as the club comes into impact.
However, despite how it looks, there is no question Scheffler’s swing is not only efficient, statistically speaking, it is the most effective in all of world golf.
In 2023 he led the PGA TOUR in greens hit and was 12th in proximity to the hole, and nothing has changed in the early part of 2024, where after his first five events the tall Texas native is again leading the greens in regulation stats category at an incredible average of over 85 per cent, and with more greens hit this year leading to even more birdies, Scheffler is averaging in excess of six per round.
Further emphasising his ability tee to green, despite finishing fourth on the final FedEx Cup points list in 2023, Scheffler’s ranked as the 110th best putter on the PGA Tour. At his most recent outing at the Genesis Invitational played at Riviera in LA, he was last in putting for those making the 36-hole cut, yet still finished the week in a tie for 10th.
Running an educated eye over the Scheffler swing, Sydney-based teaching professional Glenn Whittle is in awe of the world number one’s ball striking prowess.
Scott Scheffler, currently the premier ball striker in world golf.
“He is an amazing ball striker,” Whittle expressed. “His greens in reg and proximity to the hole with his irons, is incredible.
“Everybody, me included, is fascinated by the fact that his feet lift off the ground and change position during his swing,
“One interesting technical point though if you watch his swing from down the line in super slow motion, yes his right foot is off the ground pre-impact which is common for a lot of good ball strikers, especially in the modern era when players are trying to drive the ball the predominant distances they do, but, if you look closely you’ll notice that his left foot doesn’t come off the ground until after impact, which is significant.”
Leading teaching professional Gary Barter, who co-hosts the Back Spin Golf podcast with Inside Golf’s Larry Canning and coaches the LIV Tour’s Matt Jones, US PGA Tour player Nick Hardy, along with a long list of emerging professionals and elite amateurs, was another to have high praise for Scheffler’s ability to make his unusual swing technique work as well as it does.
“We’re all fascinated with his golf swing, because to the naked eye there are arms and legs and feet going everywhere,” Barter began.
“The artistic part of the game is always battling the science and so-called getting positions right. But it does prove in 2024 that unencumbered, no brakes on, get up there and swing and hit, still works.
“Randy Smith, who is Scottie’s instructor, he’s had Scott since he was a young kid.
He’s been asked many times about his feet moving all over the place, and Randy’s comment has been ‘he’s always done that and its not something I want to change’.
“That foot slide we saw Norman have, we saw Calcavecchia have it, and now that’s become a common sight again watching Scottie play golf.”
However as physically gifted as he might be, Barter believes Scheffler’s mind is perhaps his biggest strength.
“He’s literally playing the game where nothing is interfering with anything. He’s playing with no brakes on, he’s not trying to force anything, or hold anything.
“When you still frame all the golden parts of the swing on a camera, all the spots that are important, he hits them all. And then you’ve got the mind to be able to do it. He’s clearly in a mindset where he’s not too worried about it,” Barter added.
In the weeks ahead Scheffler will aim to add to his six PGA Tour titles, he’ll look to defend his PLAYERS Championship at Sawgrass, before trying to add a second green jacket when he contests the Masters in early April.
With a unique swing guiding his ball into the majority of fairways and onto more than four out of every five greens, whether or not his putter cooperates, he’s a hard one to bet against.
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