If you caught the video of Wyndham Clark on the range at The Open Championship, you probably did a double-take. That was, in fact, a coat hanger in his hands. And as odd as it looked, there was a purpose behind it.
In a press conference, Clark shared that Mondays are typically reserved for his technical work, and this week was no exception. Despite a T13 finish at the Genesis Scottish Open, Clark wasn’t satisfied with his ball striking during the final round. So, he arrived at Royal Birkdale — coat hanger in hand — and headed to the range to get things back on track.
While the coat hanger is a new development, the drill is actually tied to one of the key changes Clark made this past year with swing coach Pat Coyner, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher. Coyner explains that when they began working together, Clark’s lead wrist had become too extended — a subtle change that left the clubface open and much harder to control.
As a result, Clark had to make compensations to offset the open clubface and square it at impact. Those adjustments — intentional or not — created a number of ball-striking issues, including inconsistent start lines and a frustrating two-way miss.
The solution, Coyner says, wasn’t to reinvent Clark’s swing — it was to restore structure to his lead wrist. And the coat hanger, Clark says, is simply a tool that helps reinforce that feeling.
“The coat hanger is for wrist angle, trying to get a little more flexion in my left wrist so I can square the face more,” he says.
While the coat hanger certainly draws attention, it isn’t just for show, and we’ll see if it works out for Clark.
Now, the focus shifts to whether those changes hold up under major championship pressure. We’ll get our first look Thursday afternoon when Clark tees off at 3:04 p.m. alongside Cameron Young and Ludvig Åberg.
