A wide-open swinger: Ryan has always had solid mechanics

Ask anybody who saw my son swing a club when he was 7 or 8 years old and they'll tell you what you're looking at here isn't much different from what they saw back then. Ryan has always had a very athletic swing that incorporates a quiet, stable lower body and a big shoulder turn. It's what came naturally to him, and we didn't tinker with it much.

Because Ryan is a true feel player, we stay away from the analytical side of things with his swing. We'll use video once in a while, but Ryan typically works out any kinks through feel-oriented trial and error.

What you're likely to notice first in Ryan's swing is his open stance, which helps him release his hips with exceptional speed and explode through the ball. What people don't always pick up on, though, is that his hips and shoulders are square to each other at address--he consciously locks them in place before taking the club away. So it might look like he's aligned left of his target if you go by his toe line, but that isn't the case.

See what I mean by looking at the first photo here on the right. His shoulders are parallel to his target, in this case the camera. The common flaw among high-handicappers, particularly slicers, is to set up with the shoulders open. Because the club swings along the shoulder line--not the toe line--if your shoulders point left, you'll swing the club to the left.

I really like Ryan's long, low takeaway. He lets his shoulders do the work, so his tempo never gets rushed. He also doesn't set the club until the shaft is nearly perpendicular, which is why the clubhead looks outside the target line on the way back. As he unwinds swinging down, Ryan's right shoulder comes under the left, which flattens his swing and produces its signature loop to the inside. It might look unconventional, but it gets him in great position at impact. And after Ryan's 2004 season, it's hard to argue with the results.

Mike Moore is the general manager of the Classic Golf Club in Spanaway, Wash.

WHEN IT'S OK TO BE AN OUTSIDER

To accommodate his big coil, Ryan takes the club back on an upright, outside path. If he were to be any more inside, he would risk being too flat before impact and would have to flip his hands to square the clubface.

OPEN UP FOR MORE ROOM

Ryan plays most shots from this open stance, his toe line pointing left of the target line. It allows him to maximize his shoulder turn back and through without the risk of having his clubhead becoming blocked or stuck in the downswing.

STRONG AND WEAK

Ryan feels most comfortable extending his left thumb down the handle, resulting in a stronger-than-standard left-hand grip. He neutralizes this by having a weaker right-hand grip, his hand turned more to his left. Interestingly, Ryan's irons are roughly standard length, but the lie angles are bent from 3 to 31/2 degrees upright.

HOLDING THE LINE

Ryan's hands still haven't rolled significantly even after impact, remaining essentially married. He's turning the club with his body. By hanging on and extending toward the target, he is able to hit the ball both long and straight.

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