Fred Couples Golf Swing

Written by Larry Keltto on May 14, 2011 in Full Shoulder Turn, Head Dip, Long Backswing, Open Stance, Strong Grip, To the Outside on Takeaway, Uncategorized - 13 Comments

The Fred Couples golf swing is one of the great mysteries of the game. To the naked eye, Couples is so relaxed, so tension-free and so effortless. As Jim McLean says, it looks like Freddie is about to fall asleep as he approaches the ball. But Couples is one of the longest hitters in the history of the game. Our mind has a difficult time reconciling the ease and the distance. How does that happen?

Below is an absolutely superb analysis of Couples’s swing, done by McLean. In it, he points out the major characteristics (note how extreme Couples is in several areas; very unusual for a player to be extreme in so many things):

• Very strong lefthand grip

• Left foot flared out (in a second, you’ll see why that’s needed)

• One-piece takeaway that starts outside

• Way past parallel at the top

• Huge shoulder turn

• Big lateral move in the downswing

• Head dip on the downswing

• Hits against a stable left leg

• Very relaxed arms

• A pronounced cocking of the wrists at the top

Jim McLean on Fred Couples’s Swing:

I don’t know about you, but the big takeaways for me from the video are the soft, relaxed arms; the shoulder turn; and the lateral move. And I have to believe that the lack of tension is what makes it possible for Couples to make such big movements. It has to be noted, too, that he’s a great athlete: big shoulders, superb flexibility and (from I’ve read) big, solid legs. As a teen, Couples was offered a professional baseball contract but chose golf instead.

I think it’s important to note, too, that swings often match a person’s personality. During the second round of the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine, I spent a couple hours watching the guys hit on the range. I’ve never seen anyone on a driving range anywhere as relaxed as Couples was that day. He carried himself like a guy hanging out at the beach. He would hit a ball and then schmooze for 5-10 minutes, hit a ball, then schmooze for 5-10 minutes. It was amazing. The no-tension swing matches who Couples is.

Adjectives For the Fred Couples Swing:

Fluid, relaxed, languid, long, rhythmic

Fred Couples Swing Sequences

• Down the line and straight on
• Golf Digest Swing Sequence

Compare the Fred Couples Golf Swing To:

• Rickie Fowler and Sam Snead (huge shoulder turn)
• John Daly (past parallel at the top, big lateral move)
• David Toms (very little knee bend on setup, relaxed body)
• Craig Stadler (steepness of the shaft in the backswing and a flying right elbow)

Fred Couples Video Vault

Wayne DeFrancesco analyzes the Fred Couples golf swing:

Good look at Fred’s lateral move:

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• “Tour Tempo: Golf’s Last Secret Finally Revealed”
• Tour Tempo Player

Why Fred Couples Uses a Belly Putter

Putting has always been Couples’ nemesis. But now he’s using a belly putter, and he’s putting much better. Couples explains why the belly putter works for him.