“In golf… body reacts to a change in the opposite way” – PGA Tour pro Michael Kim gives fans a big lesson on counter intuitive golf
PGA Tour pro Michael Kim recently shared some insights into counter-intuitive golf, discussing moments when the body doesn't respond as one would like it to.
Kim was last seen at the Wyndham Championship, finishing tied for fifth. However, he could not qualify for the FedEx Cup after ending the season in 79th place in the standings.
He wrote on Twitter that sometimes in golf, the body doesn't react to changes the way a player wants it to.
"For example, let’s say you tend to shank a lot of shots. A logical thought could be to stand farther away from the ball so it’s harder to shank it. You might shank it less, but also the body might react to the ball being farther away and very well might make the problem worse by extending even more than you’re used to."
He suggested that in these situations, doing the opposite of the initial thought is a better approach.
"If you stand closer, now the body might really want to not extend, maybe not early extend and you’ll get that sweet strike," he added.
"On this stance note, you’re prob better off standing a bit too close than too far. Too far and your body doesn’t want to turn in any part of ur swing," Kim concluded.
How has Michael Kim performed in the 2022–23 season?
The 30-year-old American had a challenging 2022–23 season, missing the cut in 14 out of 29 starts. He secured four top-10 finishes, with his best performance being a solo fifth place at the Puerto Rico Open. In his two matches this year, he was unable to make the cut in both events.
Here's a look at Michael Kim's performance in the 2022-23 season:
- Fortinet Championship: CUT
- Sanderson Farms Championship: CUT
- Shriners Children's Open: CUT
- Butterfield Bermuda Championship: CUT
- World Wide Technology Championship: CUT
- Cadence Bank Houston Open: T47
- The RSM Classic: T35
- Sony Open in Hawaii: CUT
- The American Express: CUT
- Farmers Insurance Open: T44
- AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: T11
- The Honda Classic: CUT
- Puerto Rico Open: 5
- Valspar Championship: T45
- Corales Puntacana Championship: T26
- Valero Texas Open: T46
- Zurich Classic of New Orleans: T19
- Mexico Open at Vidanta: T30
- Wells Fargo Championship: 7
- AT&T Byron Nelson: CUT
- Charles Schwab Challenge: T6
- RBC Canadian Open: T43
- US Open: CUT
- Travelers Championship: T38
- John Deere Classic: CUT
- Genesis Scottish Open: CUT
- The Open Championship: CUT
- 3M Open: CUT
- Wyndham Championship: T5
Kim turned pro in 2013 and played on the Webb.com Tour for the next couple of years. After finishing 13th on the money list in the 2015 season, he earned a full-time PGA Tour card for the following season.
The Seoul native won his only PGA Tour title, the 2018 John Deere Classic, with Bronson Burgoon, Joel Dahmen, Francesco Molinari, and Sam Ryder, by an eight-stroke margin.
Kim lost his PGA Tour card in 2021 after making just nine cuts in 30 starts. However, he regained it after finishing 19th in the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour season.