RISING STOCK Niemann, 26, of Chile, is a multiple winner on the LIV Golf Tour in 2025.
‘I like to feel my chest and arms are moving together through the ball like one unit. If your chest stops moving, your hands take over and you mis-hit it.’ – NIEMANN
IT’S CALLED THE GRID, A BALL-STRIKING CHALLENGE that has amassed more than two million views on Golf Di- gest’s YouTube Channel. The task for The Grid’s competitors – which has included Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler – is to hit a ball into a 10-yard target area on command using whatever club they wish. The goal is to hit all 10 different landing areas, presented in random order, in as few attempts as possible. A perfect score is 10 attempts. Rahm and DeChambeau did it in 17 shots. Scheffler carded a 15. When Joaquín Niemann tried it, he needed only 11. “I can’t believe I missed one, I should’ve gotten a 10.” Nie- mann says. With the possible exception of Scheffler, Niemann might be the best pure ball-striker in the game – even his fel- low pros think so. “He’s an absolute flusher,” says 2022 Open Championship winner Cam Smith, who plays with Niemann on the LIV Golf Tour. “He hits it on the screws every time.” It’s a skill Niemann credits to his technique. As an under- sized guy compared to many of his peers, the 69-kilogram Niemann initially focused on swing speed to keep up with the distance of bigger players. Soon, however, he realised more speed couldn’t make up for the distance lost when he hit the ball off centre. Now he has developed a series of checkpoints in his swing that help him get the best of both worlds – good speed and pure contact. The result is lasered iron shots. On the following pages, he’ll share some advice to help the rest of us get the same. —LUKE KERR-DINEEN
NIEMANN’S PERFORMANCE ON THE GRID
GRID
CLUB USED
DISTANCE
180-190 yds 7-iron
183 yds
210-220 yds 5-iron
212 yds
250-260 yds 7-wood
251 yds
220-230 yds 4-iron
225 yds
200-210 yds 5-iron
208 yds
278 yds
260-270 yds 3-wood
MISS
260-270 yds 3-wood
270 yds
230-240 yds 4-iron
233 yds
240-250 yds 7-wood
245 yds
190-200 yds 6-iron
200 yds
270-280 yds 3-wood
275 yds
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 49
JUNE 2025
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