Ryan Fox Golf Swing Sequence

In this Ryan Fox Golf Swing Sequence, GM Top 25 Coach Barney Puttick checks out the powerful New Zealander who has hit the World Top 100 this season

Ryan Fox Golf Swing

In this Ryan Fox Golf Swing Sequence, GM Top 25 Coach Barney Puttick checks out the powerful New Zealander who has hit the World Top 100 this season

Ryan Fox Golf  Swing Sequence

Three consecutive strong finishes from Fox in France, Ireland and Scotland have caught our eye this year, and this powerfully built Kiwi, whose father was an All Black, definitely sets up to the driver with positive intent!

The powerful New Zealander ranks second only to Rory on the European Tour for driving distance

He’s got a pretty strong grip and I like the way he hovers the driver at address. This can make the move away from the ball a little smoother - you need a little tension to create the hover, so don’t then have to factor that in as you raise the club to start your takeaway.

It’s a very wide takeaway too, very much like Tiger Woods in his heyday. It's also wide the other way, with the clubhead well outside his hands.

Watch: Check out how Tiger Woods's swing has changed over the years

The big talking point is the top of the backswing position, but bear in mind that his spine angle is still exactly the same here as in pictures one and two. It’s not actually an overswing but rather a little idiosyncrasy where his left arm tends to bend, and there’s still a big gap between shaft and shoulder at this point.

Check out the difference between shoulder turn and hip turn too. It’s massive, which explains his power (he ranks 2nd only to Rory in the driving distance stats). The classic equation here would be 90˚ shoulders and 45˚ hips, but I’m guessing he’s under 45˚ with his hips while his shoulders have comfortably turned more than 100˚.

Watch: Rory McIlroy Golf Swing Analysis with long-time coach Michael Bannon

From here, there’s a parallel with John Daly as he drops the club down on the inside, getting it in the slot to really fire it down the line before pouring on the power at the bottom. I love his impact position too.

Watch: Check out John Daly's swing with thoughts from the man himself

He really maintains the gap between his knees in picture four, while still clearing the hips superbly. There’s no question of a spin out here despite shifting the club at an impressive rate of knots. The next picture showing his left arm and the shaft in a straight line just after impact is terrific too.

He’s not just a long drive guy either. He’s well above 70% for greens in regulation too. These photos show there’s more than one way to swing a club if the key elements are where they need to be. Keep an eye out for Mr Fox – he has all the attributes required to win on tour.

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf


Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)

Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response