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The swing key that helped Rory McIlroy win a second green jacket
TL;DR
Rory McIlroy secured his second Masters victory after overcoming swing issues just a day before the final round. His determination and adjustments on the practice range proved crucial in regaining his form.
Rory McIlroy hits balls on the range after Saturday's third round of the Masters.Getty Images
Just 24 hours before his historic back-to-back Masters win, Rory McIlroy was headed to the practice area, frustrated but determined. His swing wasn’t quite there — and he knew it.
If he was going to secure his second green jacket, he needed to fix the miss that had just cost him his six-shot lead — and fast. Shot by shot, he stayed with it, working through the feels until something started to click.
After the win, he opened up about the fix he found after Saturday’s round.
rory mcilroy points to the left during the 2026 masters tournament
“My path was just getting a little bit too far to the right with every club in the bag. So I was just hitting too much of a draw,” McIlroy said, “Then when the path is coming from that far inside, if you don’t keep your body moving at all, the ball is just going to go dead left.”
McIlroy was swinging too far from the inside, which led him to hit big draws. When his lower body slowed or stalled through impact, his upper body and hands took over — closing the face and turning the inside path into a hook that went hard left.
Rory’s swing fix
To fix this fault, McIlroy leaned into a simple feel: shots that forced his body to keep moving.
“I focused on hitting like quite a few cut shots, focused on really trying to open up my lower body through impact,” he said, “When I do that, it helps me stabilize the club face and start the ball more on line with more of a neutral flight.”
Hitting these controlled cut shots gave him the feel of his lower body leading, improved his sequencing and prevented his hands from getting too active — turning his overcooked draw back into a controlled, reliable ball flight.
And according to McIlroy, it’s the same feel he carried with him into Sunday’s final round.
“That was really the feel that I tried to get last night, and that was the feel I brought into today. Starting at the 1st hole, I hit some much better iron shots,” McIlroy said.
The post The swing key that helped Rory McIlroy win a second green jacket appeared first on Golf.
Q&A
What adjustments did Rory McIlroy make to his swing before winning the Masters?
Rory McIlroy worked on his swing at the practice area, focusing on correcting the miss that had cost him a six-shot lead.
How did Rory McIlroy's performance change from the third round to the final round of the Masters?
After struggling in the third round, McIlroy's performance improved significantly in the final round, leading to his back-to-back Masters victory.
What does winning a second green jacket mean for Rory McIlroy's career?
Winning a second green jacket solidifies Rory McIlroy's status as one of the top golfers in the sport and enhances his legacy in Masters history.
