Matsuyama's magical swing examined

Hideki Matsuyama returns to action this week at the Farmers Insurance Open, having already produced a shot-of-the-year contender to win the Sony Open earlier this month.

While the eight-time PGA Tour winner made his winning playoff shot at the Sony Open in Hawaii seem elementary enough, the reality is that few others on Tour this season are likely to replicate what the Japanese player was able to do in that moment at Waialae Country Club.

"A perfect number for me, a cut 3-wood, 276 yards left to right, follow wind," Matsuyama said, flatly, making the shot sound so simple and so frustratingly easy.

From 276 yards out and with the sun beaming in his eyes, Matsuyama landed his ball on the green finishing just over two feet from the hole to give him a stirring comeback win over Russell Henley. It was the closest approach shot all week at the par-five 18th hole and the closest on Sunday to that pin position by more than five feet.

"The thing about Hideki that stands out is that his rhythm is always really good, even under the utmost pressure," said Todd Anderson, director of instruction at the PGA Tour's Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players.

"He made a motion that was in his rhythm. Most people don't do that under pressure. Something usually speeds up or doesn't sync up. With him maintaining that almost exaggerated slowness to his transition really allowed him to execute the shot that way."

Sure, lots of TOUR professionals can hit the ball 270 yards, but "most have lower bullet trajectories that would come in low and roll over the green," Anderson noted. To hit it as high and as soft as Matsuyama did and have it come in that softly on the green isn't something fans are likely to see very often, he added.

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