How Faldo Rebuilt His Swing to Win 6 Majors
Faldo's rebuilt swing features an extremely controlled, one-piece takeaway — club, hands, arms, and shoulders moving together with minimal independent wrist action. This simplicity was the foundation Leadbetter built everything else upon.
Faldo moved from a strong grip to a neutral position as part of the rebuild. This neutralized his tendency to close the face at impact, replacing his inconsistent hook with a controllable fade — his preferred miss in pressure situations.
Faldo's shoulder turn is controlled and coiled — not the widest in history, but perfectly sequenced. His hips lead the downswing, creating a consistent lag that delivers the club on plane regardless of what's at stake on the final hole.
After the rebuild, Faldo's club returned on virtually the same plane on every swing. This was the primary goal — not power, not aesthetics, but repeatability. In major championships under pressure, his swing held up when others' broke down.
Faldo finishes in a very controlled, balanced position — weight fully on lead foot, body facing the target, not falling forward or backward. This finish position reflects the control throughout the swing that his rebuilt motion produced.
Faldo's greatest attribute was swing performance under major championship pressure. He never backed off — the same controlled motion on the 72nd hole of The Open was the same motion he practiced daily. This consistency under pressure is what Leadbetter's rebuild was designed to produce.
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