Winner of the 2025 FedEx Cup, Olympic silver medalist in Paris, and a European mainstay on the Ryder Cup team, Tommy Fleetwood shares insights into his short game, his irons, his “claw” putt, and his precision drive.
Tommy Fleetwood In 2025, he had the best season of his career: the FedEx Cup, a fourth Ryder Cup appearance, and an eighth victory on the DP World Tour. An Olympic silver medalist in Paris in 2024, the Englishman is also one of the best irons players on the tour. Here is his biography, list of achievements, and a summary of his video lessons.
Who is Tommy Fleetwood?
Tommy Fleetwood is an English golfer born on January 19, 1991, in Southport, Merseyside. A professional since 2010, he first won on the Challenge Tour, then claimed his first victory on the European Tour in 2013. He currently competes on both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour. As of November 2026, he is ranked 8th in the world; his highest ranking was 3rd, achieved in late 2025.
French fans know him well: he won the French Open in 2017, the year he finished as the No. 1 player in Europe by winning the Race to Dubai. He then posted his best results in major championships, finishing second at the 2018 U.S. Open and the 2019 Open, and third at the 2024 Masters.
In the Ryder Cup, he made history as early as 2018: together with Italy’s Francesco Molinari, he formed the first pair to win all four of their matches. He went on to compete in the 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions, and Europe won three out of four times with him on the team. In 2024, at the Paris Olympics, he took the silver medal, one stroke behind Scottie Scheffler.
In August 2025, he finally won on the PGA Tour at the Tour Championship and claimed the FedEx Cup. A few weeks later, he was one of the key contributors to the European victory at Bethpage, and then went on to win the DP World India Championship.
Tommy Fleetwood's Career Highlights
| Tournament or Record | Result |
|---|---|
| FedEx Cup | Winner in 2025 |
| PGA Tour Victories | 1: 2025 Tour Championship |
| Wins on the DP World Tour | 8, including the 2017 French Open, two Abu Dhabi Championships (2017, 2018), two Nedbank Golf Challenges (2019, 2022), the 2024 Dubai Invitational, and the 2025 DP World India Championship |
| Race to Dubai (European Tour) | 2017 Champion |
| Olympic Games | Silver Medal, Paris 2024 |
| Ryder Cup | 4 appearances (2018, 2021, 2023, 2025), 3 victories with Europe |
| Best Results in Major Tournaments | Runner-up at the 2018 U.S. Open and the 2019 Open; third place at the 2024 Masters |
| Highest world ranking | 3rd (2025) |
Tommy Fleetwood's Swing: Key Points
Tommy Fleetwood has worked with Alan Thompson since childhood, and rebuilt his swing with him in 2015-2016. His compact swing is one of the most consistent on tour.
- Setup and grip: A rounded upper back at address, choking down on the club for control, weight in the middle of the feet, a fairly wide stance and the ball just inside the lead foot. (GOLF.com, 2025)
- Backswing: Club and arms stay wide early; he turns without moving his head or hips laterally, loading the trail leg and hip. The face is slightly closed at the top. (National Club Golfer, 2024)
- Transition: His signature move: a lateral shift to the lead side first, then the trail shoulder dropping early to shallow the club, with little upper-body rotation at that point. (National Club Golfer, 2024)
- Impact and release: He saves most of the rotation for just before impact, which keeps the face stable, then extends the lead leg hard and fully releases the trail wrist into a balanced finish. (National Club Golfer, 2024)
- A compact swing: An almost shoulder-to-shoulder motion with a shortened follow-through, producing a slight draw. (Golf365, 2025)
- The windmill drill: To rebuild his swing he hit straight-armed half shots without hinging his wrists, so his hands stayed in sync with his body turn. (GOLF.com, 2018)
What Amateurs Can Copy from Tommy Fleetwood's Swing
- Choke down on the club to get closer to its balance point and gain control. See our grip lessons.
- Try his windmill drill: straight-armed half shots, so your hands don't work without your body. See our practice lessons.
- Stay centred in the backswing, shift toward the target first, and save the rotation for just before impact. See our downswing and transition lessons.
Compare with other pros' swings.
Tommy Fleetwood's Game: What We Can Learn from His Lessons
Tommy Fleetwood's Short Game
Around the green, Tommy Fleetwood keeps it simple. His go-to chip is a “lofted putt”: minimal wrist action and a pendulum-like swing. In the bunker, he aims for an impact mark in the sand rather than the ball; on a long putt, he reads the slope from the downhill side. Tommy Fleetwood's Short Game: Chip, Bunker, Lag Putt.
When approaching a short ball, he chooses between two shots: the lob, with an open face positioned relative to his toes, or the low shot, with a face almost square and no wrist action. Chip toward a short pin: Fleetwood's lob and low shot.
Tommy Fleetwood's irons
With his irons, he adjusts his ball position right at address: the ball is positioned forward to hit high, back to hit low, all the way down to a stinger, always making sure to strike the ball first. Control the path of the irons based on the ball's position. His 7-iron relies on applying pressure to the left at address, an inside takeaway, and a left hip that moves back without sliding: Tommy Fleetwood's iron swing: his left hip moves backward. On the course, he reads his divot, anticipates the flyer from the rough, and gauges his distances in increments: Tommy Fleetwood on the course: divots, flyers, and distances.
Tommy Fleetwood's “claw” putting stroke
On the green, Tommy Fleetwood uses the “claw” grip: his right hand no longer pushes the putter, which stabilizes the rotation of the clubface. This is something to try if your short putts tend to veer left or right. Tommy Fleetwood's Claw Grip on the Putting Green.
Tommy Fleetwood's driver
To find the fairway, he keeps the same tee height, holds the club suspended above the ground, widens his stance slightly, and aims to hit the ball over a tee placed behind it. Tommy Fleetwood's Precision Drive: Club Held in the Air and Tee. Finally, he summarizes five golfing habits that are useful for amateurs, from placing the tee in front of the ball to keeping a distance log: Tommy Fleetwood's 5 Pro Tips for Amateurs.
Tommy Fleetwood's Best Lessons by Topic
- A Short Game and a Bunker (wedge play, pitching, and chipping, Pitch Shots, Bunker shot): Tommy Fleetwood's Short Game: Chip, Bunker, Lag Putt, Chip toward a short pin: Fleetwood's lob and low shot.
- Irons (irons, address posture, Body Rotation): Control the path of the irons based on the ball's position, Tommy Fleetwood's iron swing: his left hip moves backward.
- Putting (Putting, Grip): Tommy Fleetwood's Claw Grip on the Putting Green.
- Driving (Driving, draw or fade, Range Practice): Tommy Fleetwood's Precision Drive: Club Held in the Air and Tee.
- Course Management (Course Management): Tommy Fleetwood's 5 Pro Tips for Amateurs, Tommy Fleetwood on the course: divots, flyers, and distances.
See also the fact sheets on Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, his Ryder Cup teammate, and Collin Morikawa, another master of iron.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tommy Fleetwood: Career Highlights, Short Game, Irons, and Video Golf Lessons
How old is Tommy Fleetwood?
Tommy Fleetwood was born on January 19, 1991, in Southport, England; he is 35 years old.
Has Tommy Fleetwood won a major tournament?
Not yet. His best finishes are two second-place finishes—at the 2018 U.S. Open and the 2019 Open—and a third-place finish at the 2024 Masters.
When did Tommy Fleetwood win the FedEx Cup?
In August 2025, he won the Tour Championship, his first victory on the PGA Tour.
How many tournaments has Tommy Fleetwood won on the DP World Tour?
Eight, including the 2017 French Open and the 2025 DP World India Championship. He also won the 2017 Race to Dubai.
How many Ryder Cups has Tommy Fleetwood played in?
Four: 2018, 2021, 2023, and 2025. Europe won in 2018, 2023, and 2025. In 2018, with Francesco Molinari, Europe won all four of its matches.
What medal did Tommy Fleetwood win at the Olympics?
The silver medal in Paris in 2024, one stroke behind Scottie Scheffler.
What putting grip does Tommy Fleetwood use?
He uses a “claw” grip, which takes the right hand out of the swing and stabilizes the clubface. His lesson is summarized on this website.
What is Tommy Fleetwood's swing like?
A compact swing, choked down on the club, a wide backswing without head movement and a shift toward the target before the rotation, for a slight draw. He has worked with Alan Thompson since childhood.
