This guest post was written by Zach Allen. Zach is a PGA-certified golf instructor that gives golf lessons in Burbank. Since 1997, he has taught aspiring golfers of all levels and ages — from 4-year-old beginners to professionals with over twenty years’ experience. His students have included nationally ranked juniors, touring pros, celebrities, and CEOs. The article originally appeared here.
He’s already come close to winning a major. He’s a winner on Tour seven times, and he’s only in his mid-20s. Give him a few more years, and we don’t doubt Dustin Johnson will have a few major titles under his belt. Why? First, he can absolutely crush the golf ball. And as impressive as Johnson’s prodigious length may be, you may be surprised to learn that he’s also among on the PGA Tour in birdies. That’s impressive and wouldn't be possible if Dustin didn’t have a few things working in his swing to make him more consistent.
In this case, Johnson has one of the most consistent spine angles in all of golf. From the top of his swing to the finish, his spine stays leaning forward toward the ball. By maintaining this angle, Johnson can more easily return to the ball without having to lift, dip or slouch at impact. It also allows him to make a bigger rotation. Here he’s hitting a middle iron, and just look at how open his hips are at impact! Try to do the same with your spine angle, and keep it tilted as he does here at impact. After impact, it’s okay to ease up and finish more upright, even though Johnson keeps his angle well into his finish.
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