Lilia Vu and her silky swing are dominating the world golf rankings and the LPGA Tour. But even the two-time major champion has times where her swing feels off.
Vu says that a common swing fault she faces is coming over the top in her downswing. She explains that this happens when her trail arm takes over and she twists out of position as a result – something that many golfers can relate to.
So how exactly does Vu keep her smooth move on track and minimise that pesky over-the-top move? She says that she uses a couple of feel-based swing thoughts to maintain her backswing position and visualise her upper body movement in the downswing.
@maddimacclurg Current World No.1 and two-time major champ Lilia Vu ripping a short iron at Chelsea Piers
Swing Thought No.1: Lead arm deep on the backswing
One swing thought Vu has developed is to visualise getting her lead arm under the arc of her swing, which puts her arms deeper and more around her body in the backswing. This mental image allows Vu to maintain a solid hand and club path in the backswing without focusing on her trail arm, which tends to get her into trouble.
Swing Thought No.2: Left shoulder hitting a wall
Although Vu says it’s her trail arm that’s the problem, That’s not her focus during her swing. Just as she does on the backswing, Vu thinks about her lead, or left arm.
“I think about my left arm and shoulder the whole time,” Vu says, “I don’t think about my right arm or sometimes it takes over and that’s when it gets wonky.”
She continues: “I feel like my left shoulder is on a wall,” Vu says, “it forces me to stay behind it instead of twisting out of it.”
This swing thought keeps Vu’s trail shoulder from getting too active and gives her a mental picture for the proper path and plane of her golf swing.
