Overview of different profiles in the Pro world
In the previous article, we saw that there are two ways of walking and two different pivot points giving us 4 profiles. To illustrate this, here are some PGA and LPGA players and their profiles.
Aerial High-Pivot profiles
Above we can see Rory McIlroy. Rory has a strong Aerial profile as he stands tall in front of the ball with very few angle in his hips and his knees. His center of gravity is above his toes. Rory has also a High-Pivot : we can see how much he can rotate his shoulders while his hips are not moving. He can use the X-factor at its maximum.
Jin Young Ko has the very same profile as Rory McIlroy : Aerial High-Pivot. Center of gravity above her toes and her back faces to the target while her hips are facing the ball.
Aerial Low-Pivot profiles
Phil Mickelson is the perfect example of an Aerial Low Pivot profile. He stands tall in front of the ball with his center of gravity above the toes. But as you can see, He is turning much more his hips in the backswing than Rory on the previous picture. He has a Low-Pivot and can not use the X-factor. That does not stop him to be one of the longest driver on the PGA Tour at 50 years old!
Inbee Park has the same profile as Phil Mickelson. Pay attention to the fact that she stands tall and place her center of gravity above her toes. Inbee has also a Low Pivot and is turning her shoulders at the same time has her hips (no X-factor)
Earthly High-Pivot profiles
Dustin Johnson bends a lot his knees and his hips. This position places his center of gravity above his ankles. This is one of the characteristics of the Earthly profile. Also Dustin turns a lot his shoulders without moving his hips : he has a High-Pivot.
Lydia Ko has the same profile as Dustin Johnson : Earthly High Pivot. Look how much angle she has in her knees and her hips. Pay attention to the fact that her center of gravity is above her ankles, not her toes. Her back faced to the target as her hips have not started to move showing a High-Pivot.
Earthly Low-Pivot profiles
Henrik Stenson placed his center of gravity above his ankles and put a lot of angle in his knees and hips (Earthly). During his backswing, he has to turn his hips to give enough space to his shoulders to turn completely (Low-Pivot).
Annika Sorenstam places her center of gravity above her ankles. With this camera position, we can see that she looks a little bit on the heel, “seated”. It is a characteristic of a center of gravity situated in the back (Earthly). We can also see she opens her hips to let her shoulders turn (Low-Pivot)
One size does not fit all
We just saw eight World champions, having different profiles. As you saw, it is not a question of gender as we can find women and men in any of these four profiles. It is not a question of size as we have a variety of physical profiles. It does not stop any of them to be among the best players in the World! In other words, there is not a most adapted profile to perform in golf. BUT all these champions master their own profile, giving them a significant advantage.
If we spend some time on these PGA and LPGA champions, it is because we all have a model we would love to look like. But if we have to copy somedody’s swing (which I do not recommand at all) it would be much safer and efficieny to copy a champion with the same profile as yours…
In order to know your profile, you have to perform some really easy tests. It is not a question of performance, but a question of sensations. Your profile is the one which suits you the best, so you will feel much more comfortable if you use it. That is what you look for in the tests : comfort. Please note that you need to be fresh when you are performing these test. We will see them in details in the next article.
Please do me a favour and let me know in the comments below your main issue with your swing.Â