Getty Scottie Scheffler swings during the final round of the 2024 Masters.
Every single time Scottie Scheffler is shown on a golf broadcast, some sort of warning or disclaimer should be displayed on the screen that says, “Don’t try this at home.”
Anyone who’s ever watched the two-time Masters champion take a swing knows it’s nowhere near what an instructor would call normal. It’s safe to say that the vast majority of golfers keep their feet planted on the ground and in the same spot when they take a swing. Or at least that’s the goal, right?
For right-handed players, the right foot rises a bit as they reach the finish, and the opposite occurs for lefties.
But that’s not the case with Scheffler.
His feet shuffle quite a bit during his swing, and when he gets to impact, they actually jump and slide both up and a little backward as he follows through, making for some awkward-looking finishes. It’s not nearly as distinguishable on shorter shots, but when he’s hitting his driver, a fairway metal, or a long iron, it’s impossible not to notice. And it’s obviously been working for him.
So, exactly why does Scheffler swing this way? Well, it’s actually quite simple. It’s just how he’s always done it, as he once explained in a 2023 YouTube video for TaylorMade.
“It’s one of those things that’s kind of always been a move for me,” Scheffler said. “If you look at my swings from when I was a really little kid, that’s kinda something I always did.”
Scottie Scheffler Says He Shuffles His Feet For Power
Diving a little deeper, Scheffler explained that he shuffles his feet in an attempt to get more power.
“What I’m trying to do to get power in my golf swing is load into my right side and then come off my right side and go into my left. So, in order to get weight from here to there — when I slide my feet, it makes sure I get all my weight kind of through the ball.”
He continued by saying he’s occasionally attempted to keep his feet still. And while he says he can hit some shots that way, the feel just isn’t as good. “And I’m big on feel,” Scheffler stated, “so for me, I’m just kinda sticking with what I’ve done for a long time.”
Scheffler’s Coach Hasn’t Tried to Change His Swing
For two decades now, Scheffler has long been coached by renowned instructor Randy Smith, who’s a member of both the PGA of America Hall of Fame and the Texas Golf Hall of Fame and has worked with several other high-profile players over the years, most notably 12-time PGA Tour winner and Ryder Cup hero Justin Leonard.
In all the time he’s worked with Scheffler, one would think Smith would’ve tried to fix the footwork. But as Scheffler told Golf Digest on April 13, 2024, that’s never been a thing.
“When I first came out on tour, I think my footwork was kind of how I was known to people. I think a lot of people maybe viewed it as not that good of a trait in my golf swing. Some people may have said that it would be hard for me to be consistent, hard for me to play under pressure with that much action going on in my swing,” Scheffler said.
“But I’ve had the same coach since I was seven years old, and he’s taught me for 20 years now how to swing a golf club. And he hadn’t wanted to change it yet, so I don’t think we’re going to change it anytime soon.”