Rory McIlroy is taking a novel method to vary his golf swing and – if all works out – nail down a 3rd consecutive Race to Dubai title.
On the finish of an extended 12 months, McIlroy addressed what he thought have been just a few faults in his swing, significantly on the backswing. So he spent three weeks swinging in a studio simulator, banging balls in opposition to the display screen and unable to see the flight of the ball. With a monitor in entrance of him, the setup allowed him to engrain the feels and work solely on his physique and swing actions with out making corrections primarily based on the form of the photographs. Solely up to now week has he gotten again out on the course to see the progress.
“The one approach I used to be going to make a change, or not less than transfer in the appropriate path with my swing, was to lock myself in a studio and never see the ball flight for a bit and simply focus completely on the motion,” he instructed reporters Wednesday in Abu Dhabi. “I’m horrible at, if I’m attempting to make a sure swing or change, and I begin to mis-strike it or not hit the photographs I need to hit, I’ll simply revert again to what I used to be doing as a result of it’s comfy.
“I feel doing this within the studio, it was a giant key for me to simply attempt to begin getting the swing again to the place I would like it to be.”
McIlroy mentioned he’s had a busy 18 months, and a busy aggressive schedule (subsequent week shall be his 27th begin of the 12 months), that hasn’t allowed him to dedicate the required time to make a change. McIlroy’s swing, he mentioned, was too reliant on timing and his transition, and that the tweaks he’s making ought to assist tighten among the begin traces and slender his dispersion.
“It’s one thing simply to make my golf swing extra environment friendly,” he mentioned, “and if it’s extra environment friendly, then it means it’s not going to interrupt down as a lot beneath strain.”
McIlroy, who enjoys a large lead within the DP World Tour’s season-long race, has received twice worldwide this 12 months however his season possible shall be remembered for his many shut calls, most notably on the U.S. Open, the place he blew a two-shot lead with 4 holes to play. Inside the previous few months, he has additionally squandered probabilities to win on the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship.
“If I take a look at my 12 months, the one factor that I might criticize myself on is the truth that I’ve had these probabilities to win, however after I’ve had these probabilities to win, OK, some could have been due to the putter, however others have been due to my ball-striking letting me down at a vital level,” he mentioned. “I feel simply attempting to wash all that up in order that at any time when I do get beneath that strain, I can have 100% belief in my swing and know what’s going to occur.”
McIlroy might clinch his third consecutive Order of Advantage title, and sixth general, with one other sturdy efficiency in Abu Dhabi. He’s additionally enjoying subsequent week within the season finale in Dubai.
“It’s in all probability nonetheless not fairly the place I would like it to be in comparison with the place it’s inside,” he mentioned of his swing. “However it’s a must to discover that stability between making the movement that you really want, but additionally attempting to hit the golf shot that you really want as properly. That’s why these two weeks shall be a very good indication to see the place I’m at.”
