Why does Tony Finau have a short backswing? Exploring the real reason

Tony Finau has a shorter yet faster swing style that has enabled him to get some amazing finishes as well as victories on the PGA Tour. The 33-year-old golfer has chosen this approach for better accuracy on the course and to control the ball's direction.

Boyd Summerhays, who is Finau’s longtime swing coach, revealed the real reason behind Finau's swing earlier this year. He attributes much of Finau's recent success to improved driving accuracy, which complements his greatest strength, the iron play.

"I think the misconception that he’s not a closer has been put to rest," Summerhays said (via GolfDigest).

“Now that he drives it so much better, he’s getting to hit more iron shots from the fairway," he added. "That kind of speaks to why he’s doing so well. He’s been driving it amazing and making the clutch putts on the weekend that you need to win."

Tony Finau has five victories to his name on the PGA Tour. Out of which, three wins have come since last July. Moreover, Finau has even set a career-high by hitting all 13 fairways in the third round of the Cadence Bank Houston Open last November.

It is pertinent to note that the American professional golfer has made some subtle changes to hit more fairways since his Korn Ferry Tour days. Additionally, Tony Finau positions his head farther behind the ball. This allows him to narrow his angle of attack and he can hit the ball higher without changing his Iron swing.

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A look into Tony Finau's 2022-2023 schedule

Finau has produced some amazing finishes on the PGA Tour this season. Out of the 24 events that he took part in, he made the cut in 20 of them.

Finau has got top-10 finishes in six tournaments, including the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, the Farmers Insurance Open in January, and the 3M Open in July.

He won the Cadence Bank Houston Open in November 2022 and then went on to win the Mexico Open in April 2023. The World No. 22 has also played four Majors this year. However, his best finish was in the Masters Tournament where he placed T26 spot.

He was last seen playing in the Tour Championship in August, where he was able to finish in the T20 position.

Nevertheless, Tony Finau will be next seen teeing off at the Grant Thornton Invitational alongside eight-time LPGA Tour winner Nelly Korda on December 8 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida.