Yuka Saso
BIO: No. 9 Women’s World Golf Ranking; No. 1 LPGA Official Money List; No. 19 Race to CME Globe; No. 1 JLPGA Average Driving Distance; 19-year old turned pro in 2019; 2 JLPGA titles; 1 LPGA Major (2021 U.S. Women’s Open); Accepted membership to LPGA Tour following 2021 U.S. Women’s Open.
4D SWING: Friday, Round 2. Hole measured 379 yards.
BACKGROUND: Saso came to the 6th tee on Friday (her 16th hole of the day) leading the tournament at 5-under par. She drove the tee shot (262 yards) into the right rough. From 128, she hit it to 13 feet. Two-putt for par. For the week, Saso hit 59% of the fairways (T43) and 65% of the greens in regulation (T8).
TAKEAWAYS
00:00:00 – Yuka used Rory McIlroy’s swing as a model. There are similarities in their setup and backswing. They both start with a neutral grip, and their spine is tilted away from the target at address.
00:00:03 – Pressure is building into the trail leg, and Yuka’s moving her head off of the ball slightly.
00:00:04 to 00:00:05 – She leans away from the target at the top of the backswing more than most players. She has a full shoulder turn, and most of the pressure is on the rear leg.
00:00:06 to 00:00:09 – The clubface is in a square position at the top of the backswing, similar to Rory’s. This is a result of the neutral grip. The shaft is parallel to the ground and points toward the target. This is a great sign that the club swung back on plane. Many golfers tend to cut their backswing short. A full shoulder turn and shaft parallel at the top help Yuka to begin the downswing on plane without requiring compensating moves to do so.
00:00:10 to 00:00:12 – The downswing is similar to Rory’s during this interval. Yuka fires the hips aggressively all the way to impact. Her hips are nearly 60-degrees open, and the torso is open as well.
00:00:13 to 00:00:15 – The right arm still has some bend in it. It hasn’t fully released yet. This is a common trait among solid ball strikers.
00:00:16 She does a great job staying behind the ball at impact. She needs to do this, or else the club path would likely go left through impact, causing pulls or fades.
00:00:17 to 00:00:18 – Another similarity to Rory is that Yuka’s hips reverse, or back up, for a split second rather than continuing toward the target. The pause is probably due to firing the hips so aggressively through impact. The lower body gets a bit ahead of the arms and club, so the brief pause allows them to catch up.
00:00:19 to 00:00:20 – The pelvis moves towards the target, which helps the upper body to remain behind the lower body. The lower body can glide or shift toward the target, but we don’t want the upper body getting ahead of it. When that happens, golfers can top the ball or hit it too low.
Next Up: Jessica Korda