Worldwide Golf

Brian Harman became a Major winner last year after a fantastic display at Royal Liverpool to win the Claret Jug, and recently put in a respectable performance as defending champion finishing in a share of 60th place at Troon.

The 37-year-old left-hander was a dark horse to win last year, especially given the fact he only had a handful of strong finishes in Major championships up until that point. However, when you break his move down frame by frame it’s easy to see why the American managed to claim the claret jug.

Since his victory on the links 12 months ago, Harman has managed to cement his spot at the top of world golf with some more great results including a share of second place at this year’s Players Championship. It would seem like he’s knocking on the door for another big win.

And if you were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Champion Golfer of the Year at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic this year, hopefully you managed to learn a thing or two which you’ve now taken into your own game. However, if not, don’t worry, follow on here as I unpick his brilliant swing.

Harman starts in a perfectly balanced position with solid foundations. I would like to highlight just how comfortable he looks in this moment, arms hanging down from the shoulders with space between them and his thighs.
His swing starts very simply with the upper body moving the arms away from the ball. Note how the golf club is out in front of the hands as opposed to being pulled inside of the hands and arms.
The American operates the swing with a slightly open clubface as the wrists begins to set up the left forearm. The right-hand position is being maintained in front of the right shoulder.
Note how the gap between Harman’s elbows is being maintained. Far too often, I see this gap increasing into this position as golfers lose width with their trail arm. His left elbow is in a perfect position, matching his spine angle.

The Open Champion has maintained his posture wonderfully with the body fully spiralled around and up to the top of the backswing. Note how he’s using the ground correctly by pushing down with his lead side.
Take a look at the position of his club shaft at this moment; it’s above the trail elbow with clubhead behind his spine. Next time you are at the range, take a look at your clubhead at this moment and check to see if you have kept the club behind your hands.
I enjoy how stable Harman remains during impact. This is something all amateur golfers could benefit from. Far too often we see golfers jumping during impact, and although this can be a natural consequence of a powerful downswing, it is something that can cause inconsistency.
The American maintains his posture wonderfully his right side moving around and up. As with all consistent players we can see how he’s maintained the distance between his legs and hands.

As alluded to earlier, he uses his stability really well which is a large contributing factor to his consistency. Next time you’re at the range, hit balls while maintaining your trail foot position on the ground. You’ll need to reduce the speed as you are not finishing the swing but take note of the strike.
Harman demonstrates his wonderful flexibility in this frame as he fully releases the golf club around and up to the right. Posture still being maintained, left shoulder below right.
A very simple golf swing fully utilising his stability to create consistency. Harman, in terms of PGA Tour distance, is not the longest but is for sure a consistent ball striker. It is clear to see how he won The Open Championship in such impressive style.

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SUMMER CONTENTS 2024

FRAME BY FRAME BREAKDOWN

Brian Harman became a Major winner last year after a fantastic display at Royal Liverpool to win the Claret Jug, and recently put in a respectable performance as defending champion finishing in a share of 60th place at Troon.