Nicolas Colsaerts swing analysis

Michael Vanmeerbeek, long term technical coach to Nicolas Colsaerts, offers his in depth, Nicolas Colsaerts swing anaysis

Michael Vanmeerbeek, long term technical coach to Nicolas Colsaerts, offers his in depth, Nicolas Colsaerts swing analysis. Nicolas and I have worked together since he was eight years old and we focus a lot on what I call the ‘engine’, that is finding the best power source to hit it far. We try to make as little effort as possible to get the biggest possible return, the biggest transmission of energy into the ball. Nicolas can carry the ball around 275 metres with his driver (around 302 yards). And depending on what happens afterwards, it can go very far.

Nicolas has a strong grip, and that is a big feature of his game because it allows him to have what I call a ‘triple lag’ in the swing. Most players have one lag as they begin the downswing, but most lose a little bit of that lag and energy after the transition. Nicolas is actually able to increase it halfway down when he hits the long ones – so he lags it a first time and a second time.

Then, because of the strong grip, he has a wrist action that keeps the lag a little bit longer than most people. When he’s finely tuned and he’s got those three lags spot on, it goes quite a long way with a seemingly effortless action.

We try to have the least amount of energy returning into the body. You’ve got big differences between the pros that hit it long and those that don’t. The guys who don’t hit it very long – they’re very good golfers – but they have more energy going back to them through the impact zone. There’s a certain point when Nicolas’ body stops moving just before impact. Every time you move through the zone of impact you get energy going back into the body. We move before and after, but never through the impact zone. That gives you the whipping through of the club, and that delivers genuine speed.

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Nicolas’ accuracy comes from the way we’ve worked ever since he was young. He practises hitting it high and low and shaping it so he has a good sense of swing path and clubhead speed that’s inherent. That has given him a sense of swing plane, clubface position and everything that fits in with the traditional positions.