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Viktor Hovland is a European golf star.
The Norwegian won the US Amateur Championship in 2018 and his entry into the professional ranks was smooth.
He won twice on the PGA Tour in 2020, added two more titles in 2021 (this time on both sides of the Atlantic), claimed the prestigious Dubai Desert Classic in 2022, and then his game caught fire in 2023.
Victories at the Memorial Championship and the BMW Championship (the latter including a course record 61 with no fewer than a dozen 3s on his card) set him up for the Tour Championship which he won again for the lucrative FedEx Cup title.
Weeks later he was the star of Europe’s Ryder Cup victory in Rome.
Always a good long gamer, Hovland’s short game was a threat to his world-class status and ambitions.
Time and time again in the early years of the tour he moved fans to despair, commentators to worry, and his opponents to breathe a sigh of relief because of his outrageous plays and foul play.
In 2020 he ranked in the top 20 in Strokes Gained Off the Tee and Approach the Green, but 168th for Around the Green.
In 2021 he was top 15 in both long game categories and 124th Around the Green.
In 2022 he was 30 in the top 30 in tee shots and approaches but 191 in that painful final round.
But in 2023? 5th Off the Tee, 8th Approach the Green and 11th Around the Green.
Not only did he improve his strengths, he also – more importantly – changed his key weaknesses.
In a series of videos on the DP World Tour’s X and Instagram accounts, Hovland revealed during a masterclass at Oslo Golf Club how he improved his swing.
To start things off, the Norwegian shows how he learned to hit a high chip shot with a lob wedge. Seriously, he avoids standing too much on the ball. Finally, he is always sure that he will not face the worst crime of poor students: he does not try to help the ball in the air. He lets the club do the hard work.
“He has 60 lofts in this club. 60 degrees, that’s a lot,” he said. “There is no need to lean back and try to help the ball in the air.
“The most important thing is to keep going forward, so you still try to hit the ball first. But then just reduce how much you lean on the shaft.
“What I do in these shots too, if I want to hit it high, I open my face a little bit, I’m still moving forward. I’m still getting fat on my left foot. But I feel like I will release this angle soon.”
Polishing method with a 60 degree wedge.
Viktor Hovland shares his tips on home soil pic.twitter.com/r55d0X2aHJ
– DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 25, 2024
Many may wonder why you would listen to a golfer when he talks about his weaknesses.
But the person who has changed his game for the better has learned his lessons.
And what Hovland has changed for golfers with disabilities, too, could change.
Hovland pointed out a key aspect of that development in another video.
“You shouldn’t be afraid to take a divot after impact,” he said. “It changed my view of batting a lot. You’ll notice, I’m going to hit this seedling again, it’s going up a little bit, the grass is going into the seed. If you notice, if I hit the back of the shot, my club will come to a complete stop. “
“Don’t be afraid to take a divot after impact.”
Viktor Hovland finally recording is easy pic.twitter.com/tDD4eJKr1X
– DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 25, 2024
Hovland’s advice was not carried out, however.
“As you go forward and you hit more down on it, you will catch the ball first and it becomes easier to predict,” he said.
“I can beat this game all day. Of course, I won’t turn it off all the time. But I won’t give up. I’m not going to chip it five feet off the green and I’m not going to chip it on the green. I will always hit the ball first. Sometimes I will hit too slow or be too short. But it’s very consistent.
“Every time I miss a green, if I’m not in the bunker, I try to play this type of shot. I ask myself, ‘Can I hit this baseline shot and get it closer to the pin?’ and if the answer is ‘Yes’ I will shoot. If the answer is ‘No’ then I will try to open the face and hit long, slow to get it a little higher in the air.”
In other words: if you’re not confident in your recording, keep it simple.
It is an old lesson but many ignore it.
READ MORE: Revealed: America’s 10 toughest golf courses
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