America's next super-powered teenager has arrived – and his name is Jackson Koivun.
Koivun, a 21-year-old freshman in his junior year at Auburn, became the champion one month ago, and has already earned his first PGA Tour victory. With four rounds of 25 under, Koivun won the 3M Open in his third professional start by three strokes – more than any other World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
“Obviously, having the World No. 1 in the field makes it even more fun,” Koivun said.
It is not played.
Although Koivun has long been popular in the novice game, this past weekend was the first time many golf fans got a glimpse of the wunderkid. There has also been a lot of discussion about his game, including the complexity of his unusual game.
Why Koivun's swing works
When you watch Koivun swing, one thing immediately stands out: he doesn't look like a textbook. You won't mistake its silhouette for the swing of Adam Scott or Tiger Woods. Yet the unusual movement is a big reason why the former Auburn star produces so much speed.
If you slow down Koivun's swing, you'll notice how violently he pops his hips from the top of the backswing. For many golfers, this can throw the swing in sequence, with the lower body overtaking the arms. But just before impact, Koivun does something unusual: he pulls his hips back, allowing his arms to clasp.
“It's a fun, athletic move,” says GOLF Top 100 instructor Jonathan Yarwood, who has coached the likes of Michael Campbell, Nelly Korda and Ben An. “The good thing is that it creates a lot of torque, a lot of speed. Part of being athletic is that you get out of the way so you can manage the face and the way.”
Yarwood compares the movement to a slingshot. The hips reach their maximum rotation early, and then move back, which helps transfer power to the arms and clubhead just before impact.
Yarwood explained that the move may have started from Koivun's childhood, when he relied on his lower body to build as much strength as possible. Most players are trained in that pattern as they grow up liking the routine, but Koivun kept it — and learned to time it with incredible precision.
“It's a unique and very interesting example,” Yarwood said. “I don't look at it closely, but I look at it with interest.”
This is also why Koivun's swing is not something most golfers should try to copy. All elite swings rely on a series of compensations – or “matches” – that make the movement work. Remove one piece without the others, and the whole system can fall apart.
“Most people do it [Koivun’s move] really get out of the way,” Yarwood said. “They don't back off their bums, they don't get out of the way, and they flip faces all over the place. For 99 out of 100 golfers, it's one of the worst moves you can make. But for him, it works very well. You made your time perfect.”
Yarwood's only long-term question is not whether the movement is working (Koivun's results already answer that) but whether it is sustainable. The amount of torque the movement puts on his pelvis, spine and lead side is huge, he says, and maintaining that level of precision during a long run will be the real test.
“You're blown away,” Yarwood said. “We want to see a lot of these young kids coming up like him.”
“>
