Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Barney Puttick offers his in depth Paul Lawrie swing analysis to find out what you can learn from watching the rhythmical Scot
For me, Paul Lawrie is one of the most underrated major winners of modern times. The longevity of his career points to a world class game. It also happens to be the case, that a quick look at this Paul Lawrie swing analysis shows he has one of the most technically sound golf swing’s in the world.
As with every good player, the angles he sets at address are very solid. What I really like about the early part of his swing (and you’ll need to take a look at the video that accompanies this piece to see it) is the little forward press he adopts to trigger the golf swing. Too many players stand at address thinking about all sorts of technical aspects and they become rigid and tense. Paul’s forward press keeps his forearms and shoulders relaxed and triggers the wonderful rhythm that has become his trademark.
Importantly, this rhythm is exactly the same no matter which club he is using. He could be holding a driver or a wedge, it’s always the same. What makes his swing so pleasing to the eye is that it looks relatively slow but he accelerates just at the key moment – through impact. This is where some of us go wrong!
The thing I like most about Paul’s swing however, is that he has a classic coil and re-coil – it is the antithesis of stack and tilt. At the top of his backswing, he has coiled up and his weight over his right side then he keeps his right shoulder at the same height in the downswing. In the finish position, look how far forward of the ball position his right shoulder finishes. This is a sign superb flexibility and is undoubtedly one of the reasons he is still going well into his forties.
If you take one thing from this swing, let it be the unhurried transition from backswing to downswing. There is a flow, a relaxed start to the downswing that means his arms and body work together as he re-coils.
