Michelle Wie West is back. Here's how he prepares for his game
WEST CALDWELL, NJ – Michelle Wie West you are busy this week. In addition to his duties as tournament manager of the Mizuho Americas Open, the 36-year-old to play at this week's event.
Wednesday at Mountain Ridge Country Club was a testament to the busy schedule Wie West has to ride in this (temporary) return to competitive golf. His morning started with a press conference with the gathered media. Next, he entertained patrons with a short acting clinic alongside Rose Zhang. A quick lunch followed, and then he headed into the warm waters of New Jersey to warm up for his pro-am, stopping several times along the way to talk to fans or take calls with tournament participants.
In Wie West fashion, he's taking on a slightly chaotic week.
“I can use this experience to become a better tournament manager,” he said. “It's like I'm an undercover agent talking this week, so I'm really enjoying it.”
Pulling double duty as a player and host is always a challenging proposition (see: Tiger Woods on Genesis), but Wie West has one thing going against him: he hasn't played a competitive tournament in nearly three years. With her 10-year streak of winning the 2014 US Women's Open expiring later this summer, she announced earlier this spring that she would wrap it up at the Riviera in June. As part of preparations for his final farewell, he chose to use his release this week to find competing agents.
Almost three years since his last competitive round, Wie West has been working hard on his game to prepare himself. Before his return to competition, GOLF.com caught up with the five-time LPGA Tour winner for details on how he prepares for the week.
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How Michelle Wie West got her game back in shape
1. Relearning how to practice
Getting ready to compete among the best in the game doesn't happen by keeping on the move. It's about practice on purpose and doing well during his time in the classroom. For Wie West, that meant relearning How practice. For help with that, he reached out to his peers and gathered new ideas, putting together a routine that worked for him again.
“In the beginning, it wasn't easy,” said Wie West. “I got there and realized I didn't know what I was doing. It's amazing how you forget to practice.”
2. Using SportsBox AI
After Wie West found him the feeling returned to him How in order to practice, he needed to know what practice. This is where the SportsBox AI analysis app came into play.
“It was really amazing,” she said. “I really wish I had it back in the day because it would cut down on my practice time.”
Wie West explained that if he doesn't hit the ball well, he notices that he swings too much during the swing. With SportsBox AI, he can easily enter his chest and pelvis measurements to make sure he stays within a tolerable range.
3. Exercise activity
Dialing in his swing didn't just happen by hitting buckets of balls — it was also the result of a lot of time in the gym. Especially when you consider the swing errors that go into his swing.
“Sway comes from your body being a little lazy,” he said. “It doesn't load and it doesn't load properly.”
Wie West's workouts emphasize glute activation, rotator cuff strength and movement patterns that translate directly into her swing. By addressing the practical basis of his swing, he creates more reliable mechanics and moves that will hold up even during long weeks – and off – the course.
