Swing AnalysisSwing AnalysisA frame-by-frame biomechanical review of a filmed pitching-wedge shot, his first wedge capture. It covers set-up, ball position, tempo, head motion and impact, with tour benchmarks for the next session with ball data and a comparison with his other reports. Includes a diagnosis, drills and a 4-week practice plan.
Bottom line: a balanced, athletic wedge swing with a clean, ball-first contact: the club meets the ball and the ball leaves cleanly in the next frame. The takeaway is one-piece, the lead leg posts at impact, and the finish is full and held, his signature.
Three things stand out. The ball sits forward of centre, about 3/4 of the way toward the lead foot; a pitching wedge normally plays from the middle. The hands are only level with the ball at impact, so there's little forward shaft lean. And the head moves about 3 inches toward the target from address to impact: milder than his driver (5–7 in), but the same direction. The tempo is again ~2:1.
Clean ball-first strike, posted lead leg and a full, held finish.
Move the ball back to the middle of the stance and lead with the hands, for a lower, more controlled wedge flight.
Keep the head on its address line and slow the backswing.
The video runs at 30 frames per second, so each time is accurate to about ±0.03 s.
| Group | Backswing | Downswing | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| André (this swing) | ~0.63 s | ~0.28 s | ~2.2:1 |
| PGA Tour (Tour Tempo, "24/8") | ~0.80 s | ~0.27 s | 3:1 |
| LPGA Tour | ~0.80–0.90 s | ~0.27–0.30 s | ≈3:1 |
| Average amateurs | often 1.0 s+ | ~0.30–0.40 s | varies widely |
Tour figures: John Novosel's frame counts in Tour Tempo. Tour players keep the same 3:1 ratio with every full swing, wedges included.
What it means: his downswing speed is tour-like; the backswing is short of time. This is the sixth report in a row at ~2:1, across driver, irons and now wedge.
Nine key positions, filmed face-on from an elevated phone. André is right-handed, so the target is to the right of the image.
P-numbers follow the standard 10-position swing model. Impact is the frame where the clubface meets the ball; in the next frame the ball is gone.
The white line marks the centre of the cap at address. The gold line marks the ball. At the top the cap sits on the white line. At impact it has moved about 3 inches toward the gold line. The camera didn't move; distances are estimated from cap size, so treat them as ±1 inch.
This video has no launch-monitor screen, so ball data can't be measured. These are the targets to compare against when he hits the wedge on a monitor.
| Metric | LPGA Tour avg | PGA Tour avg |
|---|---|---|
| Club speed | 70 mph | 83 mph |
| Ball speed | 86 mph | 102 mph |
| Launch angle | 25.6° | 24.2° |
| Spin rate | 8,076 rpm | 9,304 rpm |
| Max height | 23 yds | 29 yds |
| Landing angle | 48° | 52° |
| Carry | 107 yds | 136 yds |
Classic TrackMan PGA Tour and LPGA Tour averages tables (pitching wedge).
Where he likely sits: his iron ball speeds run close to LPGA values (5-iron 108 vs 112 mph). On that basis, a PW carry around 105–115 yds is a reasonable expectation, to be confirmed on a monitor.
Every iron with ball data launched high: 6-iron 23°, 5-iron 19°, 4-iron 20°, against tour values of 12–17°. The down-the-line videos pointed to the head dip and added loft. This first face-on iron-family view adds two more candidates: a ball position forward of centre and hands only level with the ball at impact. Both add loft and launch.
This is a hypothesis from one wedge swing. A face-on video of a mid-iron would confirm whether the ball sits forward in all his irons.
Confidence: high on the tempo, head motion and contact, which are measured. Moderate on the ball position and shaft lean, because the elevated camera adds perspective error.
Lay the second alignment stick (he already uses two) perpendicular to the target line, pointing at the middle of the stance, and play the wedge off it.
Puts the low point after the ball and reduces delivered loft.
Make half swings that stop at impact with the hands 2–3 inches ahead of the ball, then hit balls with that feel.
The tour wedge impact: less loft, lower and more controllable flight.
Tape a vertical line on the phone screen at the target side of the cap at address. The cap must stay behind it until the ball is gone.
The same check as his driver plan: one cue for the whole bag.
Hit wedges with the lead arm stopping at about 10 o'clock, and note the carry for each length.
A shorter top gives distance control, the real goal with wedges.
Rehearse "back-2-3 / down-1" with a tempo app, then hit balls with it.
Every report so far measures ~2:1.
Hold every swing in the finish for a three-count.
Protects his best constant.
| Week | Focus | Session (≈50 balls) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball centre, hands ahead | Centre-line stick on every ball · 15 hands-ahead pauses · 20 wedges, filmed face-on |
| 2 | Distance control | Three-quarter wedges to 3 targets · note the carry of each swing length |
| 3 | Head & tempo | Phone line check on 10 swings · 20 swings at 3:1 with the metronome |
| 4 | Retest with data | 10 wedges on a launch monitor (carry, launch, spin, landing), plus new face-on and down-the-line video |
Ball position: lead-side → centre
Hands at impact: level → 2–3 in ahead
Head at impact: ~3 in forward → 0–1 in
Tempo: ~2.2:1 → 3:1
For the next session: film face-on at chest height from 3–4 m, square to the ball, with the whole club in frame. Add a down-the-line view and a launch-monitor readout.