DRIVING H PRACTICE H TOUR INSIGHT H FIVE-MINUTE LESSON H STRATEGY H THE ARCHIVE H MENTAL GAME H SWING
SWING STUDY: DUSTIN JOHNSON
AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE 2016 US OPEN CHAMPION’S POWERFUL SWING
Dustin Johnson has been the poster boy for the modern power-
hitting Tour pro for the best part of a decade. His technique is by
no means orthodox in places but it’s been fi nely tuned to deliver
immense clubhead speed through impact with complete control.
Two things allow DJ to achieve that. The fi rst is that he prefers to
hit a slight fade off the tee. Whereas in the past, the go-to shot
ADDRESS
As with all modern Tour pros, DJ
presents exemplary swing basics.
He stands tall with just a hint of
knee fl ex. He has his hands a little
further away from his body than,
say, Rory McIlroy, but he’s not
‘reaching’ for the ball.
30
GolfPlus Junior March-April 2020
for elite golfers was a soft draw, now it’s a power fade. In DJ’s
case, his shut clubface at the top of the swing requires him to
aggressively rotate his upper and lower body through the ball
so that he can hold the face square or slightly open at impact.
If DJ released his forearms Ernie Els-style through impact, the
ball would fl y left and further left every single time.
BACKSWING
DJ is unusual in that his arms rise
away from his body in the
takeaway. His left arm is ‘outside’
the target line and his right elbow
is set forward and out in front of
him with no sign of any folding.
Do not try this at home!
HALF BACK
By this stage, many players have
their left arm deeper and more
behind them. This exaggerated
position is due to DJ’s philosophy
of keeping the clubface pointing
directly at the ball in the early part
of his backswing.