Justin Thomas – Fast hips need fast hands

Justin Thomas has one of the fastest hip rotations in the game.

This can be both an asset, and a hindrance. When Thomas is swinging well and everything is working together, he can compete with the best. 

• Solid strikes with putting

• Collin Morikawa’s ‘imperfect’ grip

If his timing is off, there is no telling where the ball will end up. 

When he starts his downswing, below, the lower body leads. This is textbook. I’m a big fan of the hips rotating first, with the hands following soon after. However, Thomas occasionally fires the hips too early, leaving the hands trailing behind.

Thomas likes to fade the ball off the tee. If he aims left and the hands outrun the hips, the face closes over and he can hit a double cross. 

You can afford to hit small pushes and pulls, but a ball that starts left and goes left isn’t going to find even the widest of fairways. 

On the flip side, a fast hip rotation requires extremely fast hands. Thomas creates an incredible amount of clubhead speed, while still managing to stay perfectly balanced. 

In fact, I would say he has one of the best finishing positions on tour.

The young major champion imparts a colossal amount of force on the ball, and still manages to stay perfectly balanced after every shot. This trait makes his swing, in my opinion, one of the most entertaining to watch. 

• Patrick Reed – Swing Analysis

• Maximise your driver power

If you want to fire your hips like Justin Thomas, by all means give it a go. But remember, fast hips require even faster hands.