Breaking down Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm's techniques

In October 2023, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm occupied two top three spots in the Official World Golf Rankings.

In a sport where the margins between winning titles and falling short are so thin, these Europeans have set themselves apart with swing mechanics that make them very difficult to beat.

When breaking down the swings of these elite golfers, several elements stand out relative to their competition.

Jon Rahm: Not all in the hips

Jon Rahm is coming off of another incredible season on tour in 2023, as he claimed his first Masters championship back in April.

When fans look at match predictions for golf tournaments, Rahm is almost always one of the competitors expected to come out on top, along with McIlroy and world number one Scottie Scheffler.

Rahm’s swing is a huge reason, as his creativity has allowed him to overcome physical limitations to become one of the world’s best.

Rahm was born with a club foot and a right leg slightly shorter than his left.

That has compromised his ability to turn his hips during his swing, as doing so as much as other golfers would present a significant injury risk.

But Rahm has worked around that by turning his left wrist inward at the top of his swing, allowing him to generate the pace he needs without risking injury in the lower body.

While Rahm’s swing is more dependent on his upper body than most golfers, he is still rock solid with his legs to provide the stability necessary to allow this strategy to pay off.

His four wins in the 2022-23 season rank first among all players on the PGA Tour, and had Brian Harman not had the tournament of his life at the 2023 Open Championship, Rahm could have won two majors.

Rory McIlroy: Unique from start to finish

Rory McIlroy has become one of the faces of golf, both on and off the course.

His leadership from the player side of the PGA Tour during the seismic shifts in the sport brought on by competitors like LIV showcased his willingness to stand out and be different from many of his peers.

He was also the heart and soul of the European Ryder Cup team in their 2023 win over the United States. When it comes to his golf swing, that uniqueness is also on full display, which has worked in his favor in a big way.

McIlroy’s swing comprises several elements different from how most golfers have been taught.

This starts with a sideways shift in his body at the beginning of his swing, where his body mass is shifted before his club begins any sort of movement. While this seems unconventional, it generates club speed that helps him maintain the overall speed that has helped him become one of the longest drivers on tour.

From there, McIlroy waits a considerable amount of time before bending his right arm while lifting the club.

He then keeps his club head incredibly low while swinging through the ball, keeping his strike angle through the ball low.

Most golfers would struggle to execute this swing style, but it has worked exceptionally well for McIlroy, coming from a 2023 season where he finished in the top 10 in three of the year’s four major tournaments.

More than a great golf swing

A great golf swing is meaningless without the type of mental games that have elevated Rahm and McIlroy to the top of the sport.

Rahm has acknowledged that mental fatigue is inevitable during the grueling schedule of playing on tour and in international events.

But the ability of this duo to regroup from the mental strain of the game is superior to that of their competitors.

Consistency is as important as the ability to put together a great golf swing.

A golfer like LIV’s Bryson DeChambeau is a perfect example, as his broad swing and long drives can often drift wide of fairways.

That has cost him dearly in major championships, where fields consist of players whose consistency can leave him struggling to contend.

The consistency of swings like Rahm and McIlroy is vital, given how unique both of their swings are. Players who employ more conventional approaches off the tee box and elsewhere can afford a little more margin for error.

But when Rahm and McIlroy use tactics so different from what golfers might learn as a fundamentally sound swing, it makes the accuracy of these two European giants all the more impressive.

There are countless reasons that Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm are at the top of the world in men’s golf. However, the components of their swings mentioned above are vital to their position to win consistently.

As long as their swings do not change anytime soon, both men will be contenders in virtually any tournament they play for a long time.