Xander Schauffele

Xander Schauffele's Career Highlights

Xander Schauffele's Swing: Key Points

Xander Schauffele built his swing with his father, Stefan, who remains part of his team. In late 2023 he started working with Chris Como to bring his swing closer to neutral, before his two major wins in 2024.

• Grip and setup: A neutral grip and a very balanced setup, armpits just in front of the knees. His stock shot is a draw, but he can play both shapes. (National Club Golfer, 2024)
• His old fault: Before 2024, his wide takeaway led to a very flat shoulder turn, more upright arms, a club laid off at the top and an increasingly bowed lead wrist, then a slightly steep downswing: misses both ways under pressure. (Australian Golf Digest, 2024)
• Backswing rebuilt with Chris Como: They rebuilt an 'in, up and around' backswing with a steeper shoulder turn: the club now points slightly right of the target at the top. (Australian Golf Digest, 2025)
• His rehearsal move: Between shots he rehearses the feeling of the lead shoulder working down and the trail shoulder up: the shoulder plane gets steeper and the lead wrist more neutral. (Australian Golf Digest, 2024)
• Downswing: He starts with a big lateral hip shift, shallows the club so he can rotate hard without getting steep, and keeps the trail arm wide until mid-downswing to control the face. (National Club Golfer, 2024)
• Impact and finish: Hands well ahead of the ball, shoulders square, hips open, then a balanced finish, without forcing it. (National Club Golfer, 2024)
• Speed: His average clubhead speed rose from 119.8 mph in 2021 to 123.1 mph in 2024, in the tour's top 10. (GOLF.com, 2024)

What Amateurs Can Copy from Xander Schauffele's Swing

• Film your swing regularly, especially when you are playing well, to keep a reference to compare against later. See our practice lessons.
• If your club path is strongly out-to-in or in-to-out, work back toward neutral: you will gain dispersion and shot options. See our swing plane lessons.
• Keep the club behind you in the downswing and your hands ahead of the ball at impact, to avoid slices and pulls. See our lessons to fix a slice.

Compare with other pros' swings.

Xander Schauffele's Game, Based on His Lessons

Xander Schauffele's Driver Pre-Shot Routine

For Xander Schauffele, the driver is the “freest” club in the bag. He first chooses one side of the fairway, then picks a target point about two feet in front of the ball, points the clubface toward that point, and aligns himself parallel to it. He makes sure to keep his shoulders square: unlike Rory McIlroy, ", he said, "he doesn't know how to compensate for an open stance during the swing. A Waggle A relaxed swing then releases the tension in the forearms. To hit the ball farther, he places the ball on the tee, raises his left shoulder, and lifts his left heel slightly off the ground. Tension-Free Driving: Xander Schauffele's Pre-Shot Routine.

Xander Schauffele's Swing, Developed with His Father

Stefan Schauffele taught him that speed comes from the ground and a fluid motion, like a hammer striking a nail. The key exercise is the side step: club at a quarter of the Backswing, a step toward the target, weight on the right buttock, then a push off the left heel that initiates the transition. The back foot remains square or slightly turned in, like a baseball pitcher’s. Xander Schauffele and His Father: His Swing Drills.

Xander Schauffele's Setup: Distance from the Ball

In his view, the Ball Position ...also takes into account the distance between you and the ball. On an alignment stick, he marked the positions of his feet for three clubs one day when he was hitting well. He sets up with his eyes closed, then checks his alignment: if his hands are too close to his body, it prevents him from swinging freely. Distance to the Ball: Xander Schauffele's Measuring Stick.

Xander Schauffele's putting

With Derek Uyeda, it all starts with the eyes: a chalk line and three balls lined up to check his perception, targets to check his aim, and then practicing control with his eyes closed, calling out the moment the ball comes to a stop. If the aim is good but the putt is missed, it means the read was off. Xander Schauffele's Putting Drills with Derek Uyeda. Around the green, from 20 to 30 yards, he shortens the shot to just two strokes and positions the ball farther back to ensure solid contact (Short Approaches: Xander Schauffele Places the Ball Back).

Xander Schauffele's Best Lessons by Topic

• Driving and Distance (Driving, speed and distance): Tension-Free Driving: Xander Schauffele's Pre-Shot Routine, Xander Schauffele's Tip for Hitting the Ball Further.
• Swing and Rotation (Body Rotation, Swing and Swing Plane): Xander Schauffele and His Father: His Swing Drills.
• Address (Address Posture and Position): Distance to the Ball: Xander Schauffele's Measuring Stick.
• Putting (Putting, Range Practice): Xander Schauffele's Putting Drills with Derek Uyeda.
• Short Game (Pitch Shots, wedge play, pitching, and chipping): Short Approaches: Xander Schauffele Places the Ball Back.

See also the fact sheets on Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, his Ryder Cup teammates, and that of Rory McIlroy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Xander Schauffele: Career Highlights, Swing, Driver, and Golf Lessons on Video