HIT IT LIKE HIDEKI by ron kaspriske S T OP. & GO! gutter credit tk gutter credit 56 golfdigest.com | august 2018 Photograph by First Lastname Photographs by Finlay Mackay ubba watson lets both feet shift toward the target as he smashes the ball, and Jim Furyk loops his club from a nearly upright orientation at the top of the swing to one of the best impact positions in golf. Jordan Spieth’s left Belbow juts toward the target through impact, and Dustin Johnson bows his left wrist as he takes the club back. If you’re learning how to swing or just taking a lesson to improve, the idiosyncracies of many of the game’s best players probably wouldn’t be things an instructor would try to get you to copy. They’re too individualistic. But that’s not the case when it comes to the signature feature of Hideki Matsuyama’s swing—it just might be the thing you need to hit better shots. “There’s a distinct pause between his backswing and downswing. Everything stops for a split second,” says Jim McLean, one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers. “It allows him to get in the same great position at the top and sync up his downswing beautifully. The pause makes it special.” ▶ ▶ ▶ tk gutter credit tk gutter credit 58 golfdigest.com | august 2018 Photograph by First Lastname Photograph by First Lastname month 2018 | golfdigest.com 59 how the pause came to be ▶ As noticeable as the interlude is, and as much as on the range with hideki it has helped Matsuyama’s swing—the 26-year- old has been 10th or better in the World Golf Ever wonder how the best players Ranking since the fall of 2016—would you be- prepare for a round? You can join Hideki lieve he’s not doing it on purpose? ▶ “I’m not try- Matsuyama as he goes through his pre- ing to stop,” Matsuyama says through a Japanese round warm-up by checking out our new interpreter. “When I first came to the PGA Tour in 2013, everyone was hitting it a long way, so video series: undercover lessons. Go to subconsciously my takeaway was getting faster, golfdigest.com/allacess to check out Hideki’s because I wanted to hit it farther. I wanted to slow range session and the full Golf Digest Schools down my backswing, and I think that’s when I program, including 250-plus video lessons really noticed the pause.” Just like some good ▶ and the chance to get your swing players of yesteryear who paused, such as Bob Murphy and Cary Middlecoff, Matsuyama has and equipment analyzed by Golf 1 2 improved his timing—and thus his ball-strik- Digest-certified experts. ing—because he isn’t starting toward the target prematurely. He was a top-seven performer on the PGA Tour in 2017 using the strokes gained/ tee-to-green and strokes gained/approach-the- green statistics. And he won three times. should you be pausing, too? ▶ Although McLean cautions that stalling can hurt the fluidity of a swing—most athletic tasks are performed better if the person is in motion— he does think the benefits are numerous. If you’re able to complete a full backswing and pause ever so briefly before starting the downswing, you’ll likely find your ball-striking improves, he says. ▶ “When you pause, it gives you a greater aware- ness of your position at the top,” McLean says. “Do you feel loaded into your right side? Is your upper body coiled? Is the clubface open or closed? That’s the first benefit, because if your backswing isn’t good, your downswing probably won’t be, either.” ▶ The pause also can trigger a better 3 4 downswing sequence. “You want to start the ‘I’M NOT TRYING TO STOP. downswing with the lower body, feeling pressure build under the ball of your front foot,” McLean I JUST DON’T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY says. “The pause gives you time to think about how to start down until you’re able to do it subcon- sciously.” ▶ Another benefit of the pause is that it TO HIT IT MY BEST.’ allows the golfer to make a through-swing where speed builds, culminating as the club moves through the impact zone, McLean says. Too often amateurs are swinging their fastest at the start of the downswing, which is a power drain. ▶ Says McLean: “Pausing can improve timing, cure clubface issues, give you a better sense of footwork, balance and help you accelerate the club into the ball.” ▶ If you want to try it, McLean says experiment on the range before taking it to the course. One note of caution: “Fight the urge to start down super fast with the club. Let speed ramp up toward the ball, not sooner,” he says. “And if you can’t fully commit to the pause, even a slight hesitation will help you make a better backswing before starting the downswing. It’s the key to swinging in sync.” Just like Hideki. tk gutter credit 60 5 golfdigest.com | month 2018 6 Photograph by First Lastname month 2018 | golfdigest.com 61 What’s In My Bag value added I keep my watch and other valuables in this pouch I received at the HIDEKI 2017 Presidents Cup. MATSUYAMA luck of the draw Whatever ball marker I pull DRIVER age 26 out of the bag is what I’ll use. The No. 3 one was given to specs Srixon Z785, 9.5˚, 45.25 lives me by my high school teacher. Ehime, Japan inches, Graphite Design DI-8 TX shaft, D-5 swingweight story Five-time winner on PGA I’ve been using a TaylorMade Tour, including driver, but this one is promising. two WGC events The shape fits my eye, and the flight is more my preference. up for the cup I’ve been fortu- keeping it simple nate to play in Distractions on the green three Presidents aren’t good. That’s why Cup matches. I use only a single black The first time, in line on my Srixon Z-Star 2013, I was over- XV to help with alignment. whelmed. I felt it was a little too much, too fast. I finished 1-3-1, but FAIRWAY WOOD I’m proud of it. specs Srixon Z F85, 15˚, 42.5 inches, unpredictable Graphite Design DI-9 TX shaft, D-4.5 swingweight I’ll go through periods where I Like the driver, this one is new for me. change equip- I’m always looking at fairway woods, but ment a lot. Other this one works off the tee and the fairway. The shaft is heavy at 95 grams. times, I just can’t IRONS find anything to replace my favor- specs Srixon Z U85 ite clubs and will (2-iron); Srixon Z965 PUTTER stick with them (4-iron through pitching for a long time. wedge), True Temper specs Scotty —with ron Dynamic Gold S400 Cameron by Titleist kaspriske shafts, Iomic X grips GSS Timeless, 35 inches, 4˚ loft What I like about I like to try club yards* these is how the sole moves through different putters, driver 285 the ground. I put but I always seem half a gram of lead to come back to 3-wood 260 tape on the back. this one. I’ve used It makes impact it for most of the 2-iron 240 feel better. past five or six WEDGES years. I just like 4-iron 225 the shape when specs Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 I look down at it. 5-iron 215 Precision Forged (52˚, 56˚, 60˚), True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 6-iron 205 shafts 7-iron 190 These spin the ball so well and are versatile for all types 8-iron 175 of grasses. The lofts are bent slightly weaker to hit 9-iron 160 my yardage gaps. pw 145 52˚ 130 56˚ 110 60˚ 95 *carry distance.