Tom Watson Golf Swing Secret: Can It Help Your Game?

Written by Todd in Online Golf Instruction

Are you a golfer always seeking a certain swing feel or swing secret to help you play better golf?

Have you ever heard of the Tom Waston golf swing secret?

Tom Waston can actually identify the exact date, time and location when he discovered his secret to better golf.

It was in 1992 on the Tuesday of the Heritage Golf Classic at Harbour Town at 3:15pm in the afternoon.  Watson was tired of blocking shots to the right and had always tried to swing like Jack Nicklaus with high hands at the top of the swing with a big leg drive on the downswing.

Below, we will dive into the details that Tom Waston has shared on numerous occasions.  

Tom Watson Golf Swing Secret: Can It Help Your Game?

Of course with any “golf secret” it is important to understand if the swing feel is actually right for your game.

Here the topics we will dive into related to Tom Watson’s Golf Swing Secret

  • What is Tom Watson’s Golf Swing Secret?
  • Can Tom Watson’s Golf Swing Secret Help Your Game?

Update: The more I learn about the golf swing and the more I explore different approaches to the golf swing, the more I see value in the Tom Watson secret. This past season Christo Garcia put a lot of information about about the “Over the Top Miracle Swing” and I believe they are similar in that they keep the golfer from trying to stay inside and end up getting stuck inside. if you follow either of these approaches, I believe you can add some speed and free up your swing.

With the Tom Watson swing, you could hit a slight push draw here and split the fairway.

What is Tom Watson’s Golf Swing Secret?

The secret or feel that Tom Watson used was based on maintaining the spine angle and moving the right shoulder more through the shot versus under the shot.  His right shoulder was coming through the ball similar to an over the top like feel.

This move is designed to keep the golfer from missing the ball to the right and hitting the ball fat.  Tom Watson for years tried to swing like Jack Nicklaus with high hands and a powerful leg drive.

He decided to try to “hit over the top of it.”  He was tired of hitting the push draw and wanted to hit the ball straight and more solid.  He changed his golf swing right there in 1992.  The swing felt way over the top, which could be dangerous for many golfers who already swing over the top.

One thing to keep in mind with any swing feel or secret is that the feeling that the golfer must use is often extreme, since the body is so used to moving in one pattern. If you check out the video below of Tom Waston explaining what the move felt like, it is rather interesting to see what he had to feel to actually get his swing to balance out.

One of the best explanations I have heard about the golf swing was Nick Price talking about the golf swing being a motion and less focused on certain positions.  He wanted the swing to flow and much like taking a shower, sometimes you need a little more hot water or a little more cold weather to balance out the temperature.  The same holds true for the golf swing.

When Tom Watson came across this secret, he more than likely needed something to balance out his swing and to stop it from being so far under, which was leading to the the blocks to the right or the overdraw.

What does a good golf swing feel like?

Can Tom Watson’s Golf Swing Secret Help Your Game?

The golf swing secret can help your golf swing if you have certain characteristics in your golf swing.  Typically, this secret will help the better player who is struggling with the big block right, the overdraw or even a snap hook.

If you can say yes to any of the bullet points below, it might be worth giving it a shot.

  • You get “stuck” under the shot.
  • You block a lot of shots right.
  • Your ball typically starts to the right of the target line.
  • You occasionally hit a snap hook.
  • You hit the ball fat on occasion.
  • You have an early extension in your golf swing.

Who should not try the Tom Watson secret?

  • Your shoulders already open early and you hit pull slices

The shoulders should turn perpendicular to the spine angle.  Tom Watson’s explanation of the swing is very good and easy to understand.  I would highly recommend checking out the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6cntSpVbZo

What We Can Learn From Tom Watson?

Tom Watson won 8 Majors and competed in The Open at age 59, almost winning his 6th Open Championship.  26 years since he last won in 1983, there he was in a playoff with Stewart Cink.  He hit the ball solid for four rounds and needed to putt a little bit better coming down the final stretch.

But here was a golfer at age 59 competing and just about winning a major championship.  We can learn a lot from the swing of Tom Watson and how crisp he hit the ball.  Watching him play that Open was simply amazing.

What we can learn from Tom Watson is to continue to explore and try to find a way to balance out your swing.  He found the secret to his golf swing and it might work for your golf swing.  Or you might have your own secret out there to find.

Whatever you are working on, keep these three key fundamentals as your search for your own consistency:

  • Low Point Control: You must be able to hit the ball clean and crisp.
  • Start line and curve control: You must be able to start your ball on line with a predictable curve to the ball.
  • Speed: You must have enough distance to play the course.

Should I Use A Golf Swing Thought

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.  I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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