{"id":484463,"date":"2026-02-19T04:01:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T04:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/484463\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T04:01:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T04:01:08","slug":"collin-morikawas-golf-swing-is-looking-really-dialed-and-the-data-proves-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/484463\/","title":{"rendered":"Collin Morikawa’s golf swing is looking really dialed\u2014and the data proves it"},"content":{"rendered":"

It never felt quite right that Collin Morikawa was on a two-year winless streak. The guy is too talented a golfer; too solid a ball-striker; too smart a person for it to last. It always felt inevitable that he\u2019d snap it sooner or later.<\/p>\n

Last week at Pebble Beach, it happened.<\/p>\n

Collin gained roughly 1 million Strokes Gained: Approach at Pebble (9.681, if you want specifics), which meant he lifted the trophy despite being a worse-than-average putter on the week.<\/p>\n

What prompted this breakthrough? A few interesting tweaks to his golf swing. Better yet, we\u2019ve got data from state-of-the-art golf swing app SportsBox AI to prove and explain how one of the best players in golf might, hopefully, probably be back to his best.<\/p>\n

If you look at the number I\u2019ve circled here, you\u2019ll notice SportsBox measure of Collin\u2019s Sway Gap at the top of the backswing is about half an inch less now than it was.<\/p>\n

\"\/content\/dam\/images\/golfdigest\/fullset\/2022\/Screenshot<\/p>\n

You can read more about Sway Gap here, but basically, it\u2019s a measurement of the difference of alignment between your upper and lower body.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re standing straight, you have zero sway gap\u2014your upper and lower are on top and bottom of each other.
\nIf I was to lean over to my right side, I\u2019d have a bigger sway gap.<\/p>\n

Collin\u2019s upper body used to sway more off the ball\u2014giving him a bigger sway gap. This is fine, but generally it\u2019s more suited to players who hit a draw (see Kirk, Chris), because it can help you swing more to the right.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not what Collin, a fader, needs. He needs to swing more left.<\/p>\n

When his upper body swayed back more, opening a bigger sway gap, it pulled his arms more around the body, and it\u2019s why he swung more to the right, which would undermine his preferred pull-fade.<\/p>\n

But now, Collin\u2019s sway gap is smaller. His upper body is more on top of his lower body on the backswing.<\/p>\n

\"2261476366\"<\/p>\n

Matthew Huang\/Icon Sportswire<\/p>\n

This means his hands track more up towards the sky, and less around his body on the backswing.<\/p>\n

\"2261827656\"<\/p>\n

Mike Mulholland<\/p>\n

\"\/content\/dam\/images\/golfdigest\/fullset\/2022\/Screenshot<\/p>\n

Which helps the club come down a little steeper on the downswing, which helps him swing more left. A better match-up for his ideal fade.<\/p>\n

\"2261476761\"<\/p>\n

Matthew Huang\/Icon Sportswire<\/p>\n

Interestingly, this new movement has also resulted in a slightly shorter backswing\u2014I\u2019ve circled his hand path length metric here, which means his hands aren\u2019t travelling as long a distance. Yet Collin\u2019s ball speed is slightly faster than it was last season anyway.<\/p>\n

\"\/content\/dam\/images\/golfdigest\/fullset\/2022\/PNG<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s the effect of a little confidence boost, or he\u2019s been adding some speed training on top of this. Either way, it\u2019s working. He\u2019s in the winner\u2019s circle again, and his golf swing is back to being matched up in a way that makes him really dangerous.<\/p>\n

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