He has to live with an ankle that cannot be moved

Dave Phillips is a nomadic Englishman who grew up in Africa and eventually ended up in San Diego, where he Titleist Performance Institute (TPI). It is NASA from golfwhere golfers go when they lose faith in their abilities.

Philips, one of the most renowned trainers in the world, has several clients: the Polish Meronk, the Vincent brothers, David PuigTringali…The most important among them is Jon Rahmthe golfer whose first encounter summarizes his libretto.

“Hi, you have a really weird swing. Don’t let anyone change you,” he told the Barrika native, as Jon recalls. “Yes, that’s how it was,” he confirms.

“I told him: you have a very special swing, never change it. But let me show you how to use it and let me improve your body. Back then he was a bit slow. Now he is very strong and moves very well. This helps him to hit all kinds of shots. Before he only made draws (from right to left),” Philips told MARCA.

Understanding the basics correctly

All the bells and whistles of a holistic approach, advanced technology, high-speed cameras and equipment customization start with the basics.

“For me, it really starts with understanding the body. Understanding how each individual moves – do the legs move well? The back? The arms? And once you understand how they move, you can build the swing based on how they move. Jon would be the perfect example. He’s had certain special things since he was a kid. Like his foot. They had to break it because he was born with a club foot. That’s why his ankle doesn’t bend. If you look, his right foot is a little bit shorter than his left foot. In Jon’s case, he’s always going to be good with the driver because physically he’s already behind the ball,” he reveals.

This information lets Philips know what they can’t do physically, and “then you’re always going to build something based on his movements. People think Jon has a short swing because he’s so stiff, but he’s not. Rahm can swing whatever he wants, he can extend the swing. The problem is he has an ankle that doesn’t move, and if we put too much stress on the ankle, it could hurt him in the long run.”

This raises many questions where attempts to change momentum failed and others where the inexorable march of time forced us to do so.

“Yes, but that’s what the machines are for,” Philips replies. “This is where fitness trainers, medicine and physiology come into play. If you keep your body moving, you don’t have to slow down to a certain point as you get older.”

Spanish hands

Troon, venue of the British Open The tournament, which begins on Thursday, will require a large number of shots due to the wind.

“The first thing we’ll do when we get there is watch his movements.” For three weeks now, as with every major, they have been developing a concrete plan. “If he’s feeling good, he can handle any type of shot. Maybe we’ll practice some lower shots or more ball control.”