Rebuilding the swing that put Wyndham Clark on top at the US Open

Wyndham Clark opened the 2026 US Open with an impressive six-under-par 64 and backed it up with a 1-under 69 to maintain his weekend lead at Shinnecock Hills.

His success, however, is not just the result of a few good rounds. Instead, it is the result of months of work he has put in with his coach, Patrick Coyner – director of golf education at Cherry Hills Country Club and GOLF 100 Top Teacher.

Reconstructing Clark's swing

The pair began working together in September 2025, and according to Coyner, Clark had picked up a few bad habits that led him away from the mechanics that helped him win his first major title, the 2023 US Open. One of the biggest problems, he says, stems from Clark's lead wrist.

“His lead wrist had gone into hyperextension,” Coyner said. “So his backswing was long and the clubface was wide open.”

From here, Clark's hole would rise, and as a result, he would become much smaller. This forced him to pull back from it, causing a lot of spinal tilt away from the target and compensations on impact.

“Because he was tilted and he was stuck, he couldn't hit the shot he was trying to hit,” Coyner said. “So he's either going to hit a really good shot, miss to the right or stop and check it.”

This frustrating two-way miss wasn't just killing Clark's consistency; it also lowered his confidence. According to Coyner, Clark struggles to control his first lines and often finds himself preparing for mistakes rather than committing to his goals.

“He almost had to improvise to get the idea that was going to happen,” Coyner said. “He was playing for mistakes a lot.”

Coyner's plan to get him back on track was simple.

“We just got the shape of his lead wrist. We shortened the swing of the arm, and added more width to it,” Coyner said.

Since making these changes, Clark has more control over his clubface and ball flight. Although he still has great swing, his arm swing is shorter and the face is in better shape.

Back to basics

As the US Open approached, the focus shifted from rebuilding the swing to improving efficiency – especially off the tee.

“The focus right now is driving the ball as much as we can,” Coyner said.

An important part of that effort was developing Clark's understanding. By refining his displays and first lines, Coyner helped Clark rely on what he saw. Coyner even took their string (usually reserved for green practice) out of the scope to use as an alignment aid.

“It helped him get used to the way it looks and feels like it's being targeted the right way,” he said.

Reinforcing the idea that sometimes it's the simple basics that have the biggest impact.

Preparing for Shinnecock

As important as their setup work this week was to prepare for Shinnecock's notoriously tough conditions.

Coyner, Clark and his caddy, Dave Pelekoudas, used practice rounds to test wind patterns and terrain to analyze how different misses would play out depending on the upcoming forecast.

As they designed their lesson plan, pinpointing where he couldn't miss was a priority for Clark and his team.

“Finding the best places not to miss is an important part,” Coyner said.

They were so detailed in their preparation that they even mapped out how changing wind directions from one round to the next would affect recovery shots on the green.

“Understanding how the wind affects chips and pitches and putts is probably as important as understanding how much it will affect your full swing,” Coyner said.

Knowing which misses would leave manageable chances up and down – and which areas were to be avoided at all costs – Clark went into the week completely confident in his game and a clear game plan.

“I think he showed up Thursday knowing he's really comfortable, no matter what the course throws at him,” Coyner said. “And that's a big part of the commitment.”

And after a weekend of solo travel, it's safe to say their work is paying off.