Fred Couples and Sir Nick Faldo are two of golf’s most decorated stars and so to see them linking up and discussing their golf swing is quite the watch.
Faldo is a six-time major champion while Couples has his Masters win among his 15 wins on the PGA Tour in what has been a glittering career.
As we all know, Couples is renowned for having one of the very smoothest swings in the game. Over the years, it has barely changed and in terms of swings you can watch on repeat, he’s right up there with the best.
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Nevertheless, Couples is still human and like all of us, he has swing thoughts when he’s stood over the golf ball.
Indeed, when asked by Nick Faldo just what his swing thought was when he was in his prime, Couples revealed it was all to do with his coach.
Fred Couples reveals his number one swing thought
For us amateurs out there, it seems crazy that someone as good as Fred Couples even has to think about anything over the golf ball.
However, it seems he very much did have something in mind and speaking to Faldo at Gary Player’s 90th birthday celebrations, Couples explained to Faldo just what was in his head.
“This is how psycho I am, so I would work with Paul Marchand and he’d always want everything to be short, short, short. So when I played I used to stand up to it thinking Paul was behind me and I’d imagine he was there and swing shorter and I’d do it,” Couples explained.
“So it just went from there. Once I got up to the top it went and I’d hold my finish. For some people it’s hard to do, when I was playing well I’d pose, even on bad shots.
“On the backswing, I used to try and get my hands to go over my shoelaces. So I’d take it out like that and try and get right here. All alignment for me.”
The swing tip Fred Couples once gave to amateur golfers
Fred Couples’ golf swing is like poetry in motion when he’s flowing properly and even now in his 60s, he still swings the club beautifully.
Luckily for us, as Couples has got on in life he’s started to share his knowledge and wisdom.
In fact, Couples spoke previously of the swing tip any player can practice at home.
“If I can try and make a couple of key points, I think for me….if I make a full shoulder turn, I think every good player or every good amateur wants to do that. But once I get the shoulder turn right I don’t think about the change in direction and once I start coming, my hips will come this way but my club does not follow my hips, therefore getting no power,” Couples explained.
“So get the club up here, and I release as it comes down. And when I say release, I don’t mean this way or you’re going to hit it a mile right but if you can learn to clear your hips and release the club down the line towards the ball, not back here, then there’s a point I think about when I make contact, I release the club.
“So what I call past the ball. So my point of release is right at the ball, not back here so when I get there, I pretty much go after it with everything I have.”
So, there we have it. Some more golden nuggets of information from another fine player and yet again, something we can take away and learn from.
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