Nick Faldo Swing Analysis
By on August 21, 2010, 9:14 pm
Nick’s swing in his prime favored control over power, which allowed him to win six major championships in the days before “bomb and gouge”. He is one player, however, who was left behind by the advances in equipment.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Wayne, one thing I have always wondered about with Faldo is how he seemed to go through a huge body change after he won his first few majors. With a lankier frame, his swing seemed more languid, yet more powerful like when he won his first Open. This was after his famous swing change and it was quite awesome to behold. Then he got big. He didn’t get fat by any means. He kind of did a Barry Bonds. But his swing started to look more mechanical. You think his swing was better in 96′ or 87′?
@thisisboringnow
Also, just incidentally: I really chafe at overanalysis of positions in the golf swing, and I wonder how much good it’s really done in the big picture. Statistically, factoring in changes in equipment, course conditioning, and the all-exempt tour, there really has been no great improvement from the days of Snead and Hogan, and later Nicklaus, Trevino, and Watson, to today. That’s just the plain truth, no matter how much the Tour office wants to convince people otherwise.
@thisisboringnow
I have disagreements with certain aspects of Leadbetter’s theory (including a certain amount of inconsistency), but Lead at one time had something like four of the world’s top seven players coming to him. His record is stupendous, actually.
And yeah, I get massively annoyed with people (usually the “Tiger invented golf” crowd–not you, OP) who act like neither Faldo nor anybody else could play the game at all before TW came along. #1 in the world isn’t so bad.
@thisisboringnow
I’m gonna second that. Jack Nicklaus made “head still” his most important fundamental for his whole life, and he hit it stupendously long.
Re Faldo, most people don’t know that before he started his work with Lead, he was one of the longer drivers on the Eurotour.
1. why not have leadbetter with you?
2. he doesnt need to hit it 320 here, tiger pull hooked it here this year because he was trying to hit it a long way. faldo clearly achieved what he was trying to do here.
Wayne- I think Faldo in many ways set the mould for future stars in getting a team around him and approaching the game almost scientifically- the coach, the physio, the psychologist.
After the split from Led Faldo still saw instructors- Chip Koelke and Jeremy Bennett amongst them.
I’d be interested to know who in the modern game works without a coach? I know Woods recently split from Haney but of today’s players who goes it alone?
@thisisboringnow Faldo set his own bar quite high. I see his present state as a huge disappointment in that he is no longer competitive and that his commentary is pedestrian when it should be the best on TV. Certainly his work with Led produced great results and, as you say, raised the profile of golf instruction worldwide. I think Faldo became too reliant on constant attention and when the relationship went south his game went with it.
@wdefrancesco
Wayne. Not wanting to be argumentative but who these days actually does it on their own?
The only guy I can think of at present is Tiger Woods and I have read net rumours that he is working with someone. Also thinking about TW he was coached throughout his life by various pros including Harmon and Haney.
To me Faldo and Led’s work raised the profile of golf teachers dramatically with the rebuild Faldo did. To me golf teachers should be thanking him.
Wayne- this video shows NF at 45 years old. Hardly in his prime.
A couple of things you overlook. 1. Keeping the head down is something you note Westwood doing. Is he short off the tee?
2. Faldo was taught later by Jeremy Bennett who got him in the top 50% of driving length so when he wanted to do it he wasnt short.
What I also cant fathom is why the guy who nearly single-handedly raised the profile of golf teachers should earn your criticism. 98 weeks world no1 and 6 majors he can be pithy.
Good analysis, I read years ago that the golf course he learnt to play on as a teenager, Welwyn Garden city, had a very narrow practice area and the young nick didn’t want to lose any of his practice balls! Hence from the start this preference for control and accuracy over speed.
His victories in the 90 and 92 British open are among my favourite golfing memories, so influential for a generation of young british golfers.
@wdefrancesco
I do think it’s important for good players to have a second set of eyes and a tune up frequently though.
speaking of Elkington, could you do an analysis oof Elkingtons swing Wayne?
I think that control over power will serve a player well in the long run, its more consistent and being able to control the distance of your shots rather than just crankin’ eveything to the full distance that its supposed to go gives a player a lot moreconfidence that he can out play a guy that just rips as far as he can *cough* Villegas *cough”
@gmbtempe good point, although it is interesting that after he broke with Led he never broke an egg. Can’t argue with 6 majors, though. Even though I am a teacher, I kind of like guys who do it more on their own.
I completely agree, i have every article and book ever written about or by Nick Faldo and a library of other books. Being a pro i consider golf the winning formula the most comprehensive golf swing book ever made. The detail is incredible and very precise. No book i have ever read comes close. The swing above was shot i believe 2001/2 and by that time his swing was stiff and rigid, without the flexability, flow and technical precision of ’88-’92. Still ripped it! Hero
Forget Swing for Life, if you really want detailed info and a great instructional book get Golf the Winning Formula. There is an amazing section with 4 different angles and heaps of pictures where Faldo describes how it feels to him at each stage…BRILLIANT!
Sorry for rant
I also wonder if to some extent he was a victim of his size in that while not exceptionally long he knew he would never need to really go for it like a smaller guy. If you compare Nick Price who has an almost identical action but is 3 inches shorter but in 92 was slightly longer (F = 262.1, P = 263.9). Faldo didn’t play enough rounds for rankings but would have been 73rd while Price was T58. Fairways hit, F = 81.6% which would have been 2nd and then 5th in total driving while Price was 4th.
Good stuff and thanks. IMHO a lot is valid but a bit out of context as key motivators for Faldo’s changes were to be able to hit the boring shots required to win the B Open and have a swing that would hold up under pressure. Remember at the time he was using persimmon woods and balata balls which are way different from today’s technology. I wonder if it were now whether his swing would be the same?
Good analysis. Looks like he’s setup to hit a high shot? Weight more on the right side and hands behind the ball. Also not keeping the wrist angle in the downswing and the slightly different follow trhrough indicates the same swing.
I love all the analysis you do, its very informed, though I think criticizing the way Faldo went about managing his career with a coach seems a bit ludicrous to me. How do you think he would have been better served to do it differently?