Who Is He?
The well liked Argentinean, two time major winner, is still one of the biggest hitting players on the circuit. Even well into his 40s, as age slowly catches up on Angel, he still believes his swing is improving and is still able to compete with the young guns. This was proved at the 2013 Masters, where he pushed Adam Scott all the way into the play off before Scott eventually took the victory.
What He Does?
Cabrera claims his golf swing is improving with age as he loses flexibility. The one time overswing has now turned into a more controlled and easier to replicate backswing position. Cabrera has always maintained a very stable lower half to his golf swing. He uses his powerful legs and quick transition to generate maximum power to the impact phase. For a big guy, Cabrera also has fantastic footwork and effortless balance.
What Can You Learn?
It is worth noting that however much power you create with your body, you need to have a stable lower half to allow the accurate transition of that power into the back of a golf ball, without losing balance and affecting the club face position.
In fact, Cabrera is quoted as saying his only thought during his swing is to present a square club face through impact. Cabrera clearly plays with minimal swing thoughts and plays more on his feelings and experiences rather than getting bogged down in technical swing theories.
To encourage a powerful shoulder rotation without too much leg action, take your stance facing into a mirror or reflective window. Place your golf club over the front of your shoulders and cross your arms to hold onto the shaft. Now tilt forwards into your golf posture and practice making backswing turns, where your club points down to the position of your golf ball, but notice how you should be restricting your leg action at the same time. This creates a powerful coiling action and retains a higher level of consistency and balance.
What Should You Avoid?
Like all the big hitters, when things go wrong they often go badly wrong for Angel. We will often remember our best shots but be careful you don't sacrifice accuracy and consistency in the pursuit of hitting that one great tee shot.
