First off, let me say that the last two or three weeks have been amazing with regards to my swing research, notably the Jack Nicklaus-inspired setup and swing action.

The funny thing is you often don’t notice what other golfers are doing with their swings or setups until you have actually done or worked on similar things, and with Rory McIlroy, I noticed something at a glance looking at his setup and swing from this year’s Dubai Invitational event.

I will first compare Rory’s setup to Jack’s then you can compare it to what I have adjusted in the past to 1963 Jack’s optimal stance width, and while we’re doing that, see if you can spot what I did immediately when I looked at the clip:

’63 Jack vs Rory Mac

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My only issue with Jack’s stance as you all know would have been the stance width, and with that adjusted, I could find no fault with the setup at all:

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Rory’s stance is a little over-wide and he’s semi-squatting into his setup but it is otherwise superb, perhaps a little too centered with the head.

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Now, not many people will be able to get the hip/shoulder separation that Rory achieves, and he wouldn’t need that much to begin with should he let the leading heel raise naturally and the hips turn in place rather than slightly reversing toward the target.

At impact, the too-square leading foot twists on its toes to relieve the torque strain, but if he began with his foot flared as it is at the finish, he’d struggle to get that shoulder turn with a planted foot-back swing.

So, the planted leading foot inhibits his hip turn therefore he sets up with it squarish, but that then causes a problem through impact.  One flaw leads to another flaw to compensate.

The trailing foot action is great, you’ll observe the slight short-stop slide at impact, but that awkward leg positioning at the finish would be easily alleviated with a small step-around Dunaway-style.

I don’t know why modern golfers feel the need to “stick the finish,” leading to all sorts of straining as you see when Rory reaches swing terminus – release the trailing foot, for Pete’s sake, you’re not being deducted style points for finishing comfortably balanced.

Now, as for what I noticed immediately, did you as well?

If you didn’t, have a look at Jack’s grip, then Rory’s:

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If you think Rory’s prodigious length for his size without hurting himself (yet, that super-twisted lower back gives me pause) is a coincidence, remember that everything in the swing flows from the setup, and that grip is important to the efficacy of both players with regards to power swinging.

Rory misses a lot of fairways, but that has nothing to do with his grip – rather, it’s the planted-heel back swing and that he moves laterally during the back pivot and into the down swing.

If Rory set up exactly like this but with a slightly narrower stance and he allowed his hips and legs to move naturally, meaning a raising leading heel on the back pivot – he would blow anything he’s doing with the driver away, without a shadow of a doubt.

Putting woes aside, the change would also help him with his irons, as he tends to produce shocking misses with short irons and wedges into the greens.

Move the hips and legs naturally, eliminate the lateral movement during the swing and Rory McIlroy might be unbeatable, at least without the flatstick in his hand.