Perhaps what best describes Billy Horschel is a career full of contradictions. Billy Horschel is a sharply dressed, buttoned-up golfer with a crisp swing, but he is also known for his explosive power.
A standout amateur who helped the U.S. win the Walker Cup in 2007 and starred at the University of Florida with four All-American honors and two SEC Player of the Year titles, Horschel was a hot young player to watch when he turned pro in 2009. Horschel, who earned his PGA Tour card via Q-School in December of that year, had his rookie season stalled in 2010 due to a wrist injury, but after two more Q-School attempts, his career was back on track in 2010. In 2013, he took his first win at that year’s Zurich Classic in New Orleans with an incredible six birdies in the final round, and then dominated in 2014, winning the BMW Championship and Tour Championship as well as the FedEx Cup.
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After a decade of silence, Horschel bounced back in a big way in 2024, scoring two wins, one on the PGA Tour and one on the DP World Tour, with a near-miss at the Open at Royal Troon. He continues to record top-10 finishes and shows newfound stability and resilience.
To learn more about the eight-time Tour champion’s swing, check out the following:
1.Address
The pros stood much closer to the ball than the rec players. Billy stays close without seeming crowded and sticks out his butt without overextending his back.
2. Takeout
Notice how the toe of Horschel’s club points toward the sky. This is an old-school move that leaves your arms and shoulders softer on the trail and allows you to turn more freely.
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3. Top
Billy’s methodical backswing is neither slow nor long. Notice that he doesn’t bend his lead left wrist too much. There is no problem with flattening it. The buttons on his sweater point away from the target. Now it’s the torso turn!
4. Downswing
Horschel does a great job of starting to push off his trail foot without forcing himself, keeping his chest closed while opening his hips. He holds his shaft between his arms, like Jack Nicklaus or David Thoms. This is a great goal for golfers who get burned if they make their shafts too shallow.
5. Impact
Billy’s impact position is a great combination of relatively high position and forward trail shoulder. This is something he always has to balance with his tendency to maintain side bends long after impact.
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6. Release
Horschel controls the clubface by placing the trail arm under the lead arm while keeping the butt of the club facing toward the body. One to keep your face from closing too quickly, and another to keep it from staying open for weak swipes.
Brian Manzella is a Golf Top 100 Instructor who teaches at English Turn Golf & CC in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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