Nick Watney’s Golf Swing

Written by Larry Keltto on July 2, 2011 in Full Shoulder Turn, One-Plane Swing, Passive Hands, Straight Takeaway, Strong Grip, Uncategorized, Wide Takeaway - 7 Comments

Ian Baker-Finch calls Nick Watney’s swing “the modern golf swing.” So true. The father of the modern swing was Peter Thomson, and Watney’s swing follows in that line. It’s technically sound. It’s extremely efficient. It’s out of a textbook. Or a lab.

Characteristics of Nick Watney’s Swing

• Unchanging spine angle

• Full shoulder turn

• Width

• Very close to being a one-plane swing

• Slightly strong grip

Butch Harmon has tutored Watney, so if you see Adam Scott in Watney’s swing, you know why. Here’s how Harmon describes Watney’s swing:

When Nick came to me, his hands were too active on the backswing, which made his swing arc narrow — a big killer of distance. The club got too far to the inside, so he would shift his weight away from the target on the downswing to get the club back in position to hit the ball.

I wanted Nick to feel his arms staying in front of his body as he turned back. We worked hard on building a backswing where his right arm and hand were as far away from his head at the top as possible. This gave Nick, who is 6-feet-2, tremendous width in his swing arc.

Sound familiar? Watney follows in a line that began with Thomson and continued with very athletic players — Harmon-coached Greg Norman, Harmon-coached Tiger Woods, and Harmon-coached Adam Scott.

Compare Nick Watney’s Swing To:

• Adam Scott and Charl Schwartzel (width)
• Peter Thomson (father of the modern swing)
• Brandt Snedeker (unchanging spine angle, nearly a one-plane swing, slightly strong grip, neutral setup)
• Jason Day (keeps hands in front of the chest)

Swing Like Watney! Products That Might Interest You

• Pro-Head Trainer, use it to improve your spine angle
• “The Pro: Lessons About Golf and Life from My Father, Claude Harmon, Sr.” by Butch Harmon
• Golfer’s Platinum Collection with Butch Harmon and David Leadbetter – 3 DVD SET
• “Four Cornerstones of Winning Golf,” by Butch Harmon

Nick Watney Golf Swing Video Vault

In-Depth Analysis of Nick Watney’s Swing Angles:

Nick Watney, Down the Line, Iron:

Nick Watney Straight On, Driver:

Nick Watney, SwingVision, Setting Up To Hit a Cut, Peter Kostis analysis:

7 Comments on "Nick Watney’s Golf Swing"

Larry Keltto July 3, 2011 at 11:09 pm · Reply

Watney’s swing has “major champion” written all over it. I’d love to see Watney, McIlroy, and Jason Day in a Sunday-afternoon battle at a major.

Nick Watney’s Golf Swing