The six positions that power Sepp Straka’s Ryder Cup-worthy swing

Question: Who is the first Austrian to win a PGA Tour title? You guessed it: Sepp Straka, who actually has four.

Born in Vienna to an American mother and an Austrian father who is a golf course architect, Straka, now 32, moved to Valdosta, Georgia, at the age of 14. He and his twin brother both played collegiate golf at the University of Georgia, where Sepp earned a degree in business management. The brothers had strong junior careers and represented Austria at the 2011 European Boys’ Team Championship, finishing second together.

Straka turned professional in 2016 and made his Tour debut at the 2019 US Open, finishing T28 and ending the season 107th in the FedEx Cup rankings, securing his 2020 card. He represented Austria at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo (T10) and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris (T35). His coaching team includes GOLF Top 100 teacher John Tillery, who has been working with Sepp since late 2021, and short game specialist Tim Yelverton.

Although he’s a big guy (6-foot-1), Straka recently changed his driving strategy to prioritize accuracy over distance, utilizing his elite tackling game. Under Tillery’s leadership, this approach has led to four PGA Tour victories: the 2022 Honda Classic, the 2023 John Deere Classic and the 2025 American Express and Truist Championship. He may not be a household name yet, but at the time of writing he is ranked No. 7 in the world. A quick study of his swing below shows why.

1. Address

Great setup for a tall guy, with more knee bend and upper body tilt than smaller pros. His left arm extends slightly outward to prevent him from standing too close to the ball. His slightly open shoulders are now a Tour standard.

2. Takeaway

Straka’s swing is dominated by his trail arm, which he subtly rotates. This allows him to move his hands slightly inward as he opens the clubface to an almost toe-up position. The club head remains between his elbows. Perfect.

3. Top

Because Sepp limits his trail arm rotation in the takeaway, both elbows reach the same height when he reaches the top. A flat left wrist ends it nicely. Despite his large frame, he fully rotates his upper body, readying him for a powerful attack.

4. Decline

Sepp flattens his left wrist slightly, holding the shaft between his elbows and above his right forearm. Copy this! Here’s a visual: When you reach this position on the downswing, the score lines on your club face should be vertical and pointing toward the sky.

5.Impact

Straka proves that you don’t need to over-rotate your trail arm or excessively lead with your trail elbow to achieve the desired impact position of ‘trail arm under lead arm’. Even with his chest and hips open, daylight remains between his arms. I love it.

6. Let go

Sepp’s arms are across his chest again as they click straight into his release. Notice how he drives his backside toward the target, with the butt of the club pointing away from the target – a good way to keep every drive on the fairway.