Scotty’s set-up proves his move. More than a decade ago, when PGA Champion Scotty Scheffler was in high school, I wrote the first OSA post, The Secret in The Open Stance, and linked writings like Shoulder Width and The Golf Swing 10-27-12 originating in 2010, post-revelation. OSaFSGL – Author’s Edition is the new and expanded Open Stance and Three Short Game Lessons published in 2015. Within the original text, I covered the swing plane and ball position combinations that, although sub-optimal, work to play golf. Scotty proves all of them.
When you watch Scotty swing, you see his leading arm bend in his backswing. You see his feet shuffle in his downswing, and you see a neutral to weak grip. He combines his idiosyncrasies with a predictable set-up to create the most optimal possible outcomes. Mr. Scheffler sets up closed to open, like Mr. Hogan did, from driver to sand wedges.
What is common to them both is their delayed recovery of supple hinges. Hogan’s wrists and Scotty’s lead arm create the same load release dynamic requiring their set-up philosophy, which has more to do with ball position than swing plane. Conversely, you’ll notice at the top, Mr. Hogan’s lead arm is rigidly straight, while Scotty’s lead wrist is nearly without a hinge. Ultimately, Hogan’s leading arm and Scotty’s leading wrist “mechanics” offset the excessive bend in leading lever components.
Let’s discuss their swing plane before their set-up. Scotty’s swing plane is very upright. Hogan’s is very flat. Scotty is 6’4”. Hogan was 5’8”. Club length partially offset this difference, but is still in the neighborhood of a 5” discrepancy. Hogan was much further from his ball relative to his height than Scotty. That alone may justify a flatter or more upright move. Scotty does, however, allow his club to fall cross the line at the top, whereas Hogan was more laid off.
Hogan was flat, laid off, deep in the pocket with a weak grip, closed stance, and forward ball position – each of which mitigates one or another idiosyncrasy. Scotty is upright, across the line, shallow in the pocket with a weak grip, closed stance, and forward ball position – each of which mitigates one or another of his idiosyncrasies.
You know, no one ever accuses Scotty of having a “Classic Swing”. But, strangely, we have interpreted Hogan’s as a some kind of paradigm of efficiency. I think modeling our swing and set-up philosophy after Hogan is like golf’s version of cultural appropriation. Hogan was a survivor, grinder, and most certainly a golfing outlier. I believe less than 1% of golfers possess the kind of mindset Hogan lugged around. Why would we copy a collection of swing extremes when we don’t have the time to make em work together? Cuckoo! Now, let’s get to Scotty’s set-up.
Scotty gets progressively less closed with each shorter club. The reason golfers with relaxed jointry and upright plane set-up closed is to build a safeguards to a club face arriving closed to impact. Naturally, a weak grip
helps. However, a lowered ball flight results.
Scotty counters over-rotation concerns just as Nicklaus, Weiskopf, and Watson did… with an upright delivery plane, allowing release without rotation, which helps eliminate worry of missing (left). Nonetheless, Scotty’s shoulders are aligned open to his feet, at address and impact, to make sure his ball starts left of his feet line. (My writings have never claimed we cannot play good golf from a closed stance. I will address joint health and physiology at a later time).
I’m just now realizing this is more like a book than a post. Let me summarize. Whether or not you believe Scotty’s set-up proves his move, I need to add that Scotty is not a model for anything other than the confluence of happiness (Psychology), adaptation (Anthropology), work ethic (Religious practice), goals (Intention), and Need, which counter any number of swing fluctuations. Physiologically, swings like Scotty’s last as long as the other tumblers remain. And, as one who knows, of all the tumblers, happiness is our most important.
John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy
The Grip (a.k.a. The Hands on The Handle)
Our Shoulders Hook Our Golf Ball, Not Our Hands