WEST CALDWELL, NJ – Michelle Wie West is busy this week. In addition to the duties that go along with her role as host of the Mizuho Americas Open, the 36-year-old is also playing in this week’s event.
Wednesday at Mountain Ridge Country Club was testament to the busy schedule Wie West must juggle in this (temporary) return to competitive golf. Her morning started with a press conference with the gathered media. She then entertained the sponsors with a short game clinic alongside Rose Zhang. A quick lunch followed, and then she jogged into the New Jersey rain to warm up for her pro-am, her routine pausing repeatedly to chat with fans or take calls with tournament stakeholders.
In typical Wie West fashion, she’s taking the chaotic week in stride.
“I can use this experience to hopefully become a better tournament host,” she said. “It’s almost like I’m an undercover operative so to speak this week, so I’m really enjoying it.”
Pulling double duty as a player and host is always a challenging proposition (see: Tiger Woods in Genesis), but Wie West has another factor working against her: She hasn’t played a competitive tournament round in nearly three years. With her 10-year ban for winning the 2014 US Women’s Open expiring after this summer, she announced earlier this spring that she would draw it to the Riviera in June. As part of preparations for the final farewell, she chose use a sponsor exemption for yourself this week to get some competitive reps.
Almost three years since her final competitive round, Wie West has been working hard on her game to prepare herself. Before her return to competition, GOLF.com caught up with the five-time LPGA Tour winner for an overview of how she’s preparing for the week.
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How Michelle Wie West got her game back in shape
1. Relearning how to practice
Preparing to compete among the game’s best isn’t just about going through the motions. It’s about practicing on purpose and being efficient with her time on range. For Wie West, that meant relearning HOW to practice. For help with this, she turned to her peers and gathered new ideas, putting together a routine that worked for her again.
“At first, it was really hard,” Wie West said. “I’d get there and realize I had no idea what I was doing. It’s amazing how you kind of forget how to practice.”
2. Using SportsBox AI
After Wie West felt for him HOW to practice, she had to understand what to practice. Here it is SportsBox AI swing analysis app came inside.
“It’s been really amazing,” she said. “I really wish I had that day again because it would have cut my practice time.”
Wie West explained that when she doesn’t hit the ball well, she notices that she swings a lot during her swing. With SportsBox AI, she can easily zero in on chest and pelvic swing measurements to ensure she stays within a tolerable range.
3. Work in the gym
The calling in her movement didn’t just happen by hitting buckets of balls — it was also the result of a lot of time in the gym. Especially considering the swing errors that creep into her swing.
“The swings really come from your body being a little lazy,” she said. “Not loading and unloading properly.”
Wie West’s workouts emphasize glute activation, rotational strength, and movement patterns that directly translate to her swing. By addressing the physical foundation of her swing, she’s creating more reliable mechanics and a swing that will hold up through long weeks on — and off — the course.
