After Jackson Koivun’s first PGA Tour victory at the 3M Open, golf experts cannot stop raving about the young star especially when it comes to his unique swing. While definitely an unconventional approach, the specific motion he creates produces significant ball-speed per Zephy Melton of Golf.com.
He wrote, “If you slow Koivun’s swing down, you’ll notice how aggressively he fires his hips from the top of the backswing. For most golfers, this can throw the swing out of sequence, with the lower body outracing the arms. But just before impact, Koivun does something unusual: he recoils his hips, allowing for his arms to catch up.”
Koivun’s athleticism appears to be his most underappreciated, especially considering his unassuming frame. That specific conclusive motion draws the interest of golf instructors who analyzed Koivun’s swing.
Golf instructor Jonathan Yarwood said, “The interesting thing is that it creates a lot of torque, a lot of speed. The athletic part is the fact that he moves out of the way so he can manage the face and path.”
Breaking Down PGA Tour Phenom Koivun’s Swing
Similar to Scottie Scheffler, Koivun’s unusual motion is something he developed early on in life, which helped breed a sense of consistency.
Melton tracks down the reasoning for this type of motion, discovering the science and history behind such a process. Through his conversation with Yarwood, he learns how Koivun came to this swing pattern.
Melton said, “Yarwood compares the motion to a slingshot. The hips reach their maximum rotation early, then recoil, helping transfer energy into the arms and clubhead just before impact.”
“Yarwood explained that the move likely dates back to Koivun’s childhood, when he relied on his lower body to create as much power as possible. Most players are coached out of that pattern as they develop in favor of more conventional sequencing, but Koivun has kept it — and learned to time it with remarkable precision.”
While they encourage that this is not something golfer should necessarily emulate, it provides a roadmap for how someone can learn how to swing to their body. Every person is obviously different.
What Makes This So Unique?
Jackson Koivun’s swing is really unlike anything we’ve seen on the PGA Tour recently, which is another reason why he will be such a fun player to follow over his career.
Melton alludes to the fact that professional golfers need to find ‘compensations’ to make their swing work. It’s apart of making a ‘system’ work so that players can be successful.
Yarwood said, “Most people who do [Koivun’s move] get really out of whack. They don’t recoil their hips, they don’t move out of the way, and they flip the clubface all over the place. For 99 out of 100 golfers, it’s one of the worst moves you can make. But for him, it’s super effective. He’s perfected the timing of it.”
The only question for Yarwood is if Koivun’s swing is sustainble. Because of the level of tension Koivun creates throughout his body, that will create some questions about the longevity of his career. However, Yarwood still believes Koivun is a “breath of fresh air” and wants to see more young golfers similar to him come into the professional level.
Jackson Koivun’s Swing Called ‘A Breath of Fresh Air’ On PGA Tour