Viktor Hovland’s Swing Changes Before 2023 Masters: A Search for Success
Explore Viktor Hovland’s journey as he grapples with swing changes and uncertainties before the 2023 Masters. Witness his relentless pursuit of improvement and sustainable success amidst challenges and adjustments.
Golf Superstar Hovland Embraces Constant Swing Tinkering Ahead of Masters
Augusta, GA – Eight months after dominating the golf world, Norway’s Viktor Hovland finds himself in an unfamiliar position heading into the 2023 Masters – unsure if he’s even a contender. The former world #1 superstar, who just last year was being touted as the next big rival to Scottie Scheffler, has undergone a series of swing changes that have led to an uncharacteristically poor start to the season.
Hovland, who won three PGA Tour events in a three-month span last summer and was unstoppable at the Ryder Cup, has been hard at work trying to tweak his swing, working with his fourth different coach in less than a year. He admits that he prefers the feel of his swing from 2021, when he felt he had more control over the golf ball.
“Sometimes when you ask a question and you get some answers, that leads you down a different path and opens up some new questions and you pursue a different path,” said the 26-year-old Hovland, who has a reputation as a golf analysis and technical aficionado. “I just want to kind of see where it goes.”
Despite his hot streak last year, Hovland felt he had maxed out the potential of his swing and was searching for ways to make it more sustainable. He spent hours upon hours on the range at major championships trying to find answers, much to the surprise of many who thought he had it all figured out.
Now, just days before the first major of the year, Hovland is still tinkering, working with swing coach Dana Dahlquist at Augusta National, stopping his swing in slow motion to analyze every detail. It’s a process-driven approach that has served him well in the past, but also one that has led him down a rabbit hole of constant swing changes.
“If I’m out there searching tomorrow afternoon for my swing, odds are I’m not going to find it,” said Hovland’s fellow contender Scottie Scheffler, alluding to the delicate balance between technical perfection and being mentally ready to compete.
Hovland’s dedication to the technical aspects of the game is both a strength and a potential weakness, as he admits that “at the end of the day, we’re golfers, we’re not ball strikers.” The hope is that his current swing changes will lead to a more sustainable and successful long-term game, even if it means struggling in the short term.
As he embarks on his quest for a first major championship at the Masters, Hovland remains confident that he can compete, despite the uncertainty surrounding his swing. Golf fans will be watching closely to see if the supernova can recapture the magic that made him the undisputed best player in the world just months ago.
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