Luke Donald at the BMW PGA Championship. Credit: David Cannon (Getty Images)

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Andrew Reynolds takes and in depth look at this new Luke Donald swing sequence

When Luke Donald reigned at the top of the world rankings, he did so largely because of his razor-sharp short game. Even as he was winning the money list on both sides of the Atlantic, Donald’s long game was capable of misfiring. A close look at this new Luke Donald swing sequence reveals to me a concerted effort from the Englishman to address a key fault that had emerged in his technique.

Luke has always had a fantastically athletic posture and balance in his swing. This comes as naturally to him as his smooth, effortless rhythm, and it’s this that makes Luke’s swing one of the most impressive to watch. However, he has had a tendency to allow his weight to remain on his right side through the downswing. By hanging back, a number of things can happen. Firstly, the clubface can be left open, causing a push. The hands can also take over, flipping the clubface and causing a hook – this can also affect the swing plane itself. Luke was able to play well despite this move because of his wonderful rhythm and world-class short game. To his credit, this new Luke Donald swing sequence reveals that he is clearly making strides to eradicate this fault.

Notice how from the top of the backswing, where his weight is set on his right side, his hips bump towards the target. He drives his weight to the left and this helps to create a steeper angle of attack into the ball. With this move, he’s in a much better position to get the club working on line through the downswing to deliver more consistent shots. From here he rotates through, keeping his sternum over the ball throughout.

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For me, Luke Donald’s greatest asset is the way he sets and maintains his spine angle. This is the foundation of his swing, as he rotates around this fixed axis. If you’ve been having any trouble with your own ball striking, watch how Luke does this in the slow-motion video that accompanies this sequence. It really is textbook.

Neil Tappin
Editor

In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he has also presented many Golf Monthly videos looking at all areas of the game from Tour player interviews to the rules of golf. 

Throughout his time with the brand he has also covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points. 


Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons: PING Blueprint S (4&5), PING Blueprint T (6-PW) Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X