3 Key Moves in Collin's Swing
1. The Reliable Fade
Morikawa plays a deliberate left-to-right fade with his irons — a ball flight that lands softly and provides maximum spin and stopping power on approach shots. His fade is produced by a slightly outside-in swing path relative to a square face, creating predictable, controllable spin.
2. Lead Wrist Bowing
Morikawa's lead wrist bows slightly at impact — a forward-press motion that delofts the club and creates the crisp, compressive contact that produces his elite spin rates. This wrist position is a significant contributor to his approach shot accuracy.
3. Controlled Backswing
Unlike power players who maximize backswing length, Morikawa limits his backswing deliberately to maximize consistency. His 3/4 iron swing trades distance for repeatability — a trade he makes consciously because his primary value is accuracy, not length.
What Amateurs Get Wrong Trying to Copy Collin's Swing
Amateurs who study Morikawa's fade sometimes create weak pulls and slices without understanding the difference between a deliberate fade and a slice. Morikawa's fade starts right of target and curves back — a slice starts straight and curves well right. The path-to-face relationship is opposite.
Apply Collin's Principles with GOATY AI Coaching
Morikawa's precision-first philosophy matches GOATY's analytical approach — GOATY's gate system measures your approach shot accuracy against specific targets, building the repeatable precision that makes Morikawa elite. The goal is consistent landing zone control, exactly what GOATY quantifies.
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