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Hit the Ball Solid Like Max Homa
By Keith Stewart, PGA
Published on
Max Homa of the United States plays a shot on the 15th hole during the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.Getty Images
Max Homa secured his fourth victory on the PGA Tour Sunday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Championship. The host course, TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, played very difficult as his eight under par score was enough to win by two strokes over three players. In fact, only twenty players finished under par. How did Homa’s ball striking best his competitors in this stern test?
PGA Professional Mark Blackburn began teaching Max Homa in 2020, the same year he won the National PGA of America Coach of the Year award. Max felt he had hit a wall and knew he needed to get better. He transitioned to Blackburn and the rest is history. The two have now combined for three wins in just fifteen months on tour! Homa was always known as a tremendous player, but his ball striking needed to be more effective.
When you watch Homa’s swing, you very quickly notice how efficient it is. Amateurs can copy his consistency without too much trouble. All it takes is a better understanding of what makes the club move along the same path going forward and then again back through impact. To begin building your own repeatable swing, start by getting to the practice range.
Once you arrive, get warmed up and ready to hit some full swing irons shots.
- Once you are ready, grab an eight iron for this drill.
- Now take out your seven-iron, the driver and a fairway wood.
- Start by laying the seven-iron on the ground halfway between you and the ball and
parallel to the target line. - Lay your driver down in line with the seven-iron extending toward the target.
- Then take the fairway wood and place that on your trail side in line with both of those
clubs yet extending away from the target. - You should now have three clubs lying in a straight line halfway between you and the
ball at address and parallel to the target line.
Address the ball and start your takeaway. Your lead arm should match that line of shafts when it is parallel to the ground. If they are not in line together, then move that lead arm to make it straight over the club line you created on the ground. Continue to the top of your backswing. Now swing down and through the impact zone until your trail arm comes upand is parallel to the ground. This arm should match the club line on the ground again.
Too many times, our arms are crossing that club line on the ground. Great ball strikers like Max have a mirror image move. They match the lead arm on the way back, and then the trail arm to the club line again on the follow through. Doing this will simplify the path of your golf swing. In doing so, you’ll strike the ball more solidly. Continue the drill by taking half swings from halfway back to halfway through matching the arm to the club line repeatedly. Make sure you start hitting balls as part of this exercise. Notice the new consistency and compression you create on each strike.
People love Max Homa because he comes across as a very normal person and a great guy to hang with and enjoy life. His move isn’t superhuman. Get your arms moving correctly in your swing and you’ll be able to “max” out your own move!
