A two-time PGA Championship winner (2017, 2022), with 16 PGA Tour victories and a former world No. 1, Justin Thomas shares his secrets for chipping, pitching, and cutting with irons.
Justin Thomas is one of the most well-rounded players on the PGA Tour: two PGA Championships (2017, 2022), 16 tour victories, the 2017 FedEx Cup, and two stints as the world No. 1. Here is his biography, list of achievements, and summarized video lessons, with a special focus on the short game.
Who is Justin Thomas?
Justin Thomas is an American golfer born on April 29, 1993, in Louisville, Kentucky. The son of Mike Thomas, a golf instructor and head pro at Harmony Landing Country Club, he learned the game from his father. At the University of Alabama, he received the Haskins Award in 2012, which honors the nation’s top college golfer, and went on to win the NCAA national team title in 2013, the year he turned professional.
He won his first PGA Tour event at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia in 2015. His 2017 season was exceptional: five victories, including his first major, the PGA Championship, the FedEx Cup, and the PGA Tour Player of the Year award. In May 2018, he became the world No. 1, a ranking he regained in 2020. He won The Players Championship in 2021, claimed a second PGA Championship in 2022—in a playoff—after rallying from seven strokes behind, and then returned to victory at the RBC Heritage in April 2025, his sixteenth win on the tour. Since the 2021–2022 season, his caddie has been Jim “Bones” Mackay.
Playing for the U.S. team, he competed in four Ryder Cups (2018, 2021, 2023, 2025)—including the 2021 victory—and four Presidents Cups, all of which were won, the most recent in September 2026 at Medinah.
Justin Thomas's Career Highlights
| Tournament or Record | Result |
|---|---|
| Major Tournaments | 2: 2017 and 2022 PGA Championships |
| PGA Tour Victories | 16 (the most recent: 2025 RBC Heritage) |
| The Players Championship | 2021 |
| FedEx Cup | 2017 |
| PGA Tour Player of the Year | 2016-2017 |
| World No. 1 | First held on May 13, 2018, and again in 2020 |
| Ryder Cup | 4 appearances: 2018, 2021 (win), 2023, 2025 |
| Presidents Cup | 4 appearances, 4 wins: 2017, 2019, 2022, 2026 |
| University (Alabama) | 2012 Haskins Award, 2013 NCAA Team Champion |
Justin Thomas' Swing: Key Points
Justin Thomas has always worked with his father, Mike Thomas, the PGA professional at Harmony Landing in Kentucky. At 5 ft 10 in and around 160 lb, he is one of the fastest players on tour: his swing shows how to create speed without a big frame.
- Grip: A grip slightly stronger than neutral: two knuckles visible on the left hand, the right-hand V pointing to the right shoulder. He says it flights his wedges lower with more spin. (GOLF.com, 2019)
- Setup: A conventional setup with good posture and relaxed arms. His father insists that he look 'athletic' at address. (GOLF.com, 2025)
- Backswing: A very quiet lower body, with the hips turning little while the shoulders turn about 90°: this upper/lower-body resistance is his power source. His hands finish high. (Australian Golf Digest, 2016)
- Transition and trail heel: Starting down, his trail hip fires very fast and his right heel comes up early. His father says they once tried to keep it down, but Justin couldn't hit the ball. (Australian Golf Digest, 2016)
- The 'jump' at impact: He pushes hard into the ground through impact: both heels briefly leave the ground, while his spine angle and head position stay stable and his hips are more open than his shoulders. (GOLF.com, 2019)
- Speed: 118.2 mph of clubhead speed and a 304-yard driving average in 2025, above the tour average. (GOLF.com, 2025)
- Balance: A wide, balanced stance with every club. For his father, a balanced finish is the sign of a good swing, because it reflects everything that came before. (GOLF.com, 2020)
What Amateurs Can Copy from Justin Thomas' Swing
- Feel the pressure in your feet at address, then practise pushing into the ground: hands on hips, a mock backswing, push off the lead foot, slowly at waist height at first. See our speed, power and distance lessons.
- From long range, take one more club and swing smoother: centred contact matters more than force. See our lessons on compressing the ball with irons.
- Turn into your trail hip instead of swaying, and keep a wide, balanced stance. See our balance and rotation lessons.
Compare with other pros' swings.
Justin Thomas's Game, Based on His Lessons
Justin Thomas's “Nippy” chip shot
For Justin Thomas, chipping isn't about technique—it's about seeing the shot and reacting. His favorite drill involves three balls—one high, one medium, and one low—and he never plays the same chip twice. His signature shot, the “nippy,” starts low and stops on the second bounce: the ball is positioned back in the stance, the clubface is barely open, and his body moves across to cover the clubface. Justin Thomas's chip that slowed him down, the “nippy” one”.
Justin Thomas's Effective Pitches
For a high pitch that stops abruptly, he positions his left grip more loosely, in the palm of his hand, lowers his hands to expose the bounce, and swings at the tempo of a long putt, without accelerating or slowing down. To add spin, he feels as though he’s “throwing” the clubhead. Justin Thomas's backspin pitch: grip and hands.
It all starts with reading the lie: in the rough, the ball won't spin, and the direction of the grass makes all the difference (Justin Thomas's Wedges: Read the Lie Before You Play). Before each wedge shot, he considers the wind, lie, and landing spot before choosing a number and a shot (How Justin Thomas Sets Up for a Wedge Shot). Starting from the same neutral 60° pitch, he also varies the height and spin by adjusting the ball position and the clubface angle (Draws, Fades, and Cuts Around the Green with Justin Thomas).
Justin Thomas's iron shot
His favorite shot with irons is a tight fade, but his natural tendency is to swing down from the inside. Rather than focusing on the club’s path, he places two balls inside his swing path that he needs to avoid: if he misses them, the fade comes back. The same drill, with the balls reversed, helps players who slice the ball to hit a draw. Justin Thomas's Iron Cut Drill: The Two Balls.
Justin Thomas's Unconventional Swing
The way his feet lift off the ground at impact intrigues everyone watching him. Justin Thomas explains that this speed stems from his junior years, when he had to swing hard to keep up with taller opponents. He advises against copying “the foot thing” and takes away a valuable lesson: don’t change an effective swing just because it’s unusual. His pre-round checks remain simple: an alignment stick, the grip in the fingers of his left hand, and the clubface aligned before taking his stance. Justin Thomas's footwork: a “funky” swing he's proud of.
Justin Thomas's Best Lessons by Topic
- Chipping and Approaches (Pitch Shots, create spin): Justin Thomas's chip that slowed him down, the “nippy” one”, Draws, Fades, and Cuts Around the Green with Justin Thomas.
- Pitches and wedges (wedge play, pitching, and chipping): Justin Thomas's backspin pitch: grip and hands, How Justin Thomas Sets Up for a Wedge Shot, Justin Thomas's Wedges: Read the Lie Before You Play.
- Irons and Shot Shapes (irons, draw or fade, Range Practice): Justin Thomas's Iron Cut Drill: The Two Balls.
- Swing and Speed (Swing and Swing Plane, speed and distance): Justin Thomas's footwork: a “funky” swing he's proud of.
See also the fact sheets on Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele, his Ryder Cup teammates.
Frequently Asked Questions About Justin Thomas: Career Highlights, Short Game, and Golf Lessons on Video
How old is Justin Thomas?
Justin Thomas was born on April 29, 1993, in Louisville, Kentucky; he is 33 years old.
How many majors has Justin Thomas won?
Two: the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022, the latter coming down to a playoff after he rallied from a seven-stroke deficit.
How many wins does Justin Thomas have on the PGA Tour?
16, including The Players 2021; the last one at the RBC Heritage in April 2025.
Has Justin Thomas ever been ranked No. 1 in the world?
Yes, for the first time on May 13, 2018, and then again in 2020.
Who is Justin Thomas's father?
Mike Thomas, golf instructor and head pro at Harmony Landing Country Club in Goshen, Kentucky. He learned to play from him.
How many Ryder Cups has Justin Thomas played in?
Four: 2018, 2021, 2023, and 2025, including the U.S. victory in 2021. He has also played in four Presidents Cups, all of which were won (2017, 2019, 2022, 2026).
What is Justin Thomas's “nippy” chip?
A low chip that stops on the second bounce: the ball is positioned back in the stance, the clubface is barely open, and the body covers the clubface as it swings through. The lesson is summarized on this page.
Why does Justin Thomas hit it so far despite his size?
Thanks to the resistance between his hips, which turn little, and his shoulders, which turn about 90°, then a strong push into the ground at impact, to the point where his heels leave the ground. In 2025 his clubhead speed reached 118.2 mph.
