Tommy Fleetwood Had The Yips Off The Tee—Here’s The Drill That Fixed It

Grant Horvat recently dropped a video where he tried to beat Tommy Fleetwood, starting at 5 under par. If you like a good golf match, go ahead and watch it. However, if you’re like me and want to learn from professionals about their game, their mindset and how they got to where they are, this video offers something even better.

My favorite part is a moment where Fleetwood talks candidly about hitting a low point in his career and the drill that helped rebuild his swing from the ground up.

The low point

In the middle of the round, Fleetwood reflects on a difficult stretch during his career. Around 2015 or 2016, he says, things completely unraveled. He felt like the biggest issue was off the tee. He even admits he developed the driver yips.

Instead of hiding it, Fleetwood speaks honestly about the struggle and how he reached out to his childhood coach, Alan Thompson, in search of answers. What followed was a total swing rebuild that started with one simple concept.

The fix

To rebuild his swing, Fleetwood didn’t chase new technology or complex mechanics. His coach gave him a straightforward drill that removed most variables: stand extra wide, keep the arms straight, eliminate the wrists and rotate the body to hit the ball.

He calls them “windmill swings,” and he stuck with them for six months.

The idea was to eliminate the hands and arms from the equation and return to a pure rotation-driven motion. In the process, Fleetwood developed a more compact, controlled finish. It’s now a signature move that still defines his swing today. What began as a fix eventually became part of his identity as a ball-striker.

The drill

Fleetwood doesn’t break it down step-by-step but his description gives enough for most golfers to try a version of the drill. The main point of the drill is to take a wide stance.

• Widen your stance. Make it significantly wider than usual to reduce leg action.
• Straight arms. Keep your arms extended with no wrist hinge.
• No wrist action. Eliminate hand manipulation and just turn.
• Rotate with your body. Let your chest and torso control the swing.
• Let the follow-through stop naturally. Don’t force a full finish.

It’s a simple concept, and it won’t help every player, but I’m curious to try it and see what it feels like. Fleetwood admits to working on this for six months, and to him it felt like a swing rebuild, all from a single drill.

More subtle tips from Fleetwood

Throughout the match, Fleetwood dropped a handful of additional insights that reveal how he thinks about the game.

• He uses three main shot types: the “Fleetwood” (stock), the “Floatwood” (high and spinny) and the “Flightwood” (low and controlled). It shows how he manages trajectory in his game.
• When it comes to pressure, he doesn’t let nerves dictate the result: “Just because you’re nervous or worried doesn’t mean you’re going to hit a bad shot. The ball doesn’t know you’re nervous.”
• He doesn’t use a line on the ball when putting. Instead, he trusts his putter and routine to line things up.

Final thoughts

Fleetwood’s advice in this video isn’t always packaged like a formal lesson, but that’s what makes it so valuable. He’s lived through the highs and lows of the game and, in this video, he casually shares the kind of wisdom you can only get from experience.

If you’re looking for swing tips, mental game strategies or just a deeper look at how pros work through problems, this is one of the best ways to do it.