Kevin Kisner has admitted that he is slightly concerned that Jackson Koivun’s golf swing could cause problems for his back later on in his career, having experienced a similar issue when he was younger.
So much of the talk surrounding Koivun right now concerns how far he will go in the game. Of course, he proved exactly why he is widely considered the brightest prospect on the PGA Tour with his victory at the 3M Open this past week.
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It was a sublime performance from the 21-year-old. Not only did he look so comfortable during the final round at TPC Twin Cities, but he did so with world number one Scottie Scheffler trying to chase him down.
In the end, Scheffler did not manage to get close enough to set up a particularly tense finish in Minnesota.
Kevin Kisner comments on Jackson Koivun’s golf swing
Koivun is certainly not the first young prospect to win in the very early stages of his PGA Tour career. But, like any sport, there are no guarantees that bigger and better things await for the sensation.
And speaking on the Fore Play Podcast, Kevin Kisner expressed just a hint of concern that his golf swing may end up putting too much tension on his back.
Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images
“I don’t love the straightening of both legs and his upper body having to bend over more. Obviously, it’s all patterns. You’ve got to match. So if both his legs straighten, his upper body has to go down or you’re just going to miss the ball, because you’re changing levels. So they’ve got to match each other,” he said.
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“I had a similar pattern earlier in my career. I had some lower back injuries, and actually worked a lot to change it, to try and get more into extension coming through it without straightening both legs. But the pattern matches, because you straighten both legs, something else has to bend to make your circle hit the bottom in the right spot.
“Obviously, he’s got it pretty nailed down, and I hate the idea of changing a 21-year-old’s swing that just won on his third PGA Tour start as a pro, and being like, ‘yeah man, your back might hurt in the future’. So let’s just wait until his back hurts, if it ever does, because he may just never have a back injury his whole career.”
What impressed Scottie Scheffler about Jackson Koivun at the 3M Open
Kisner is right to suggest that Koivun should continue down his current path. You would imagine that there will be little warning signs along the way if back problems become more likely to arise.
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It does appear that he has the ability to take setbacks in his stride and emerge stronger.
Koivun himself said his mental game was his strongest attribute, while Scottie Scheffler was full of praise for his talent after his victory at TPC Twin Cities. The world number one also lauded Koivun’s mindset.
That strength will likely give Koivun the motivation he needs should he decide at some stage in his career to rebuild his golf swing to mitigate the risk of the kind of back injuries that could deny him the chance to realise his full potential.
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