Viktor Hovland broke out his two-pump swing last week at Sentry.
PGA Tour
It’s been almost a week since Viktor Hovland pulled off his double pump move during the final round of Sentry in Kapalua last weekend, and I still can’t wrap my brain around it. In case you missed it, on Sunday, Hovland was spotted hitting a car where he appeared to jump his hands twice at the top of his backflip.
We’ve seen the move from Hovland in the past, but the mechanics of the final appearance have been living rent-free in my head. Why is Hovland able to seemingly generate more power and control, two things that don’t usually go hand in hand, using a simple flick of his hands?
I asked Rick Silva, a GOLF Teacher to watch and golf biomechanics expert, to better understand the science behind the Hovland Double Pump.
As Hovland explainsit uses the double pump to produce a right-to-left ball flight and extra distance. Silva says the move works for Hovland because it improves his sequence, since his fade is likely the result of his arms starting to drop too early.
Why does ranking matter?
Think of it this way, if you were a skater trying to spin as fast as possible, you would pull your arms in or over your head, and if you were trying to slow down or minimize the spin, you would extend as much as possible. as much as possible. Now, apply this concept to the golf swing.
Engaging the arms from the top hand position, or early in the sequence, increases spin and speed. This opens up the body, causes the club to drag, forces players to throw the club away from their body (aka backspin), and results in an out-in swing path.
The double pump helps Hovland fire up his arms seconds later, slowing them down and limiting his spin. This motion also creates more distance between his torso and the golf club, which Siva explains is key to transferring more energy to the club and generating more distance off the club.
“The largest mass we have as a human being is the rib cage or torso,” says Silva, “And how we’re balancing that in relation to the mass of the club is important.”
In Hovland’s case, he increases tension by maintaining maximum distance between his torso and the golf club. He then releases his arms, removing them from the mass of his torso in a motion that is similar to snapping a towel.
“When the golf club is as far away from the body as possible, it actually limits the spin and transfers more energy to the club,” says Silva.
Takeaway
While the double pump works for Hovland, it’s not something Silva says the average golfer should try to replicate — but we can still take something away from this lesson. Sequence is integral to your swing. See Hovland. A simple tweak allowed him to increase control and catch almost 20 meters with his car. Instead of focusing on small details in your swing, perhaps your time would be better spent perfecting your swing sequence.
