Ahead of The Memorial Tournament, Jack Nicklaus spoke to the media about some of his favorite golf swings and why he likes them. He noticed something about Jon Rahm’s swing that could be a massive strength, per GolfDigest.
Jack Nicklaus drops eye-catching Jon Rahm comparison to Arnold Palmer
Jack Nicklaus compares Jon Rahm’s swing to one of the greatest to ever play the game, while pointing out another legend that can’t duplicate it.
Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
Rahm has a flexed or bowed wrist at the top his backswing — it’s when the back of the lead hand is pointed toward the sky. Some players have that kind of backswing, while others have a cupped or extended wrist — when the hand is pointed toward the head.
To give more context, Dustin Johnson and Rahm are bowed golfers, while Rory McIlroy is more cupped. Each golfer is different, and neither option is right because everyone has a unique golf swing.
Nicklaus loves Justin Thomas’ and McIlroy’s swings and told the media that Sam Snead is his all-time favorite. Then the 18-time major winner, mentioning the flex swing, got a little nerdier about golf swing trends.
He said playing with a flexed lead wrist doesn’t work for everyone, but those with a lot of strength can use it to their advantage. Arnold Palmer had this swing, and Nicklaus compared him to Rahm.
“Arnold was strong. Arnold played golf all his life. And he had been strong all his life,” said Nicklaus. “Some people can play that way. Jon Rahm will be able to get away with it...Jon Rahm is strong so he’ll be able to play that way all his life. His body is so quick and through the ball and he’s so strong holding on through the ball that he’ll play well for a long time. Other guys may not.”
However, that swing doesn’t work for everyone, like Gary Player, who had a flexed wrist early in his career. Player was not a big guy and struggled with hooks because of that bowed wrist.
This swing tends to force the club face closed. To succeed with this swing, a player must have the strength in their arms and core to rotate quickly and avoid hooks.
Nicklaus noted seeing Player in 1958 and essentially writing him off saying “We’ll never have to worry about him.” Player changed his swing to get his hands more underneath the club, and the rest was history.
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