Master Your Backswing: 4 Tips Inspired by Rickie Fowler's New Technique

On Friday, Rickie Fowler delivered an impressive performance at the American Express, shooting a sizzling 62 to vault into contention. A major key? Having a more repeatable swing.

It's been a journey for Fowler to get back to that consistency. His trademark laid-off position at the top became unreliable, affecting his confidence. In 2023, Fowler began a resurgence, thanks to working with legendary coach, Butch Harmon. They developed a more efficient and predictable swing by adjusting his setup to get his hands up near the trail shoulder during the backswing.

This change has improved his control and allowed him to shallow the club on the downswing, leading to more solid impact and consistency with his woods and irons. Case in point: Fowler was T3 in greens in regulation after two rounds.

For golfers seeking a more reliable swing like Rickie's, here are three essential tips and a recommended drill to help elevate your backswing.

A strong swing starts long before you take the club back. Check to make sure that your grip is relatively neutral, or at the very least, that the hands are working together. Make sure to set yourself in a stable stance. Pay attention to your spine angle and body alignment. A slightly more upright posture can help create a backswing that gets a little higher and keeps the hands a club in front of you. You still want to bend forward from the hips but strive to get a little taller.

To achieve a more controlled and predictable swing, intentionally work on keeping your hands higher during the backswing.

Going back, visualize your hands staying just in front of or on your toe line. As you rotate back and approach the top of the swing, getting those hands close to being in line with your trail shoulder should be the goal. This adjustment going back will better set you up to have a slightly shallower path during the downswing, allowing for a more inside-to-out path as you move into the ball.

A quick drill to practice this involves using a mirror or filming yourself. Check to see if your hands are indeed near the trail shoulder at the top. This visual feedback can be extremely beneficial.

Your downswing sequence relies heavily on good hip rotation leading the way and having patient hands. As you begin your downswing, initiate the movement with your hips. Think of your lower body as the engine that starts the motion and leads the upper body into impact. This will help you avoid over-using your arms and hands, which can lead to inconsistent strikes and direction.

For "feels" practice, consider focusing on a slow-motion downswing drill where you emphasize the feeling of your hips leading the motion down, ensuring that your arms flow naturally behind them.

This simple but effective drill focuses on maintaining proper positioning at the top of your swing, keeping a good connection with the hands and club in front of you, and gaining a feel for the slight shallowing of the club. Here's how it works:

1. Place a towel under your armpits before starting your swing. The goal is to keep this towel in place for as long as possible throughout the backswing and into the downswing.

2. As you take your club back, focus on raising your hands towards your trail shoulder while ensuring the towel remains snug.

3. As you transition to your downswing, feel your hips unwind and resist the arms from trying to get too far ahead. This is the significance of keeping the towel in place until you approach impact.

This drill emphasizes the importance of maintaining a connection between your arms and body while promoting the shallower club path that Rickie Fowler has epitomized in his renewed swing.

Incorporating these tips and the towel drill into your practice regimen allows you to develop a more predictable and solid iron game, just like Rickie Fowler showcased at the American Express.