This is a neat video to learn from as Nelly has mastered the fundamentals and this video has objects and positions we can use to help us point out and understand the proper fundamentals. I normally draw lines in my lessons, but using objects and positions can be equally helpful!
Nelly Korda – Face On
You can see a blue object in the background on her right side and a white square tee box lower on her front side.
As she turns her upper body into her resisting lower body, you can continually see the same amount of the blue object. This is proof that her rear hip is rotating around her “barrel” and not swaying to the right. Her rear knee remains braced as she pivots around the inside of her right foot. Upper body vs lower body is crystal clear here!
Her back is facing the target at the top and her weight is “loaded” over her braced rear knee and inside of her rear foot. She has a parallel shaft at the top with a square clubface. She turns her shoulders at least 90 degrees! That’s lots of torque! (12-14 second mark)
She has a tremendous sequence on the way down. See how her left, or lead hip starts the downswing moving forward and then around as she unleashes the arms.
Notice the great lag she has on the way down when her left arm is parallel with the ground. The shaft is pointed back to 1:00. Her head stays beautifully behind the ball at this point. (15-second mark)
Her forward shift and rotation is powerful. You can see how the forward thrust and rotation has “detached” her rear hip from the blue object and she covers up the white tee box as she moves forward and around. (Also 15-second mark) . This is a lateral (forward) bump to start the downswing that many amateurs need to work on!
She clears her forward hip to the left as well as anybody on tour! She finishes with a classicly balanced finish. (17-second mark)
Nelly Korda – Down the Line
Nelly has a great takeaway with a lot of width. The club face is outside her hands as starts to take the club back. (29-second mark)
When the shaft is parallel to the ground during the takeaway, it is a great sign of width to have the club face block the hands. She does it perfectly!
She keeps her spine tilt And her rear knee braced as she completes her backswing position at the top. The shaft is pointed straight down the line and her left arm has great extension. (31-second mark)
Nelly flattens the shaft at (32-second mark). This sets her up for a powerful attack from the inside. You can see how she plants her weight more in her front foot at the 33-second mark. The rear heel is a little up in the air at this point to prove that she is indeed on her front foot with great sequence before unleashing the rest of the swing with the arms and upper body!
She clears her left hip around, balanced in her front foot with the shaft released and running from 11:00 to 5:00 through the back of her head. That is a sign of proper release! (34-second mark)
I am a fan of Nelly’s and think she is only starting to get the tip of her iceberg! I definitely use her swing to show my students “how it’s done correctly.”
Pete
Video courtesy of our friends at GolfSwingHD
