What You Can Learn from JJ Spaun’s Ball-Striking

🎯 What Makes JJ Spaun So Consistent? Here’s What I Learned Coaching Him

JJ Spaun has had a breakout year—U.S. Open champion, Ryder Cup rookie, and one of the most consistent ball-strikers on the PGA Tour.

I’ve had the chance to coach JJ, and what stands out isn’t some flashy move—it’s the precision and repeatability in everything he does. Especially when it comes to swing plane and green reading.

Let me show you two simple things you can learn from JJ that could transform your full swing and your putting.

Let’s dive in 👇

Watch the video breakdown here!

📏 JJ’s Secret: Red, White & Blue Swing Plane

In working with JJ, one of the things I noticed early on is how consistently he keeps the club on plane—not just at one point, but throughout the entire motion.

Here’s what it looks like:

🔴 Red Line – The Address

At setup, we draw a red line up the shaft. On the takeaway, JJ’s hands and club follow that plane exactly.

⚪️ White Line – The Top of the Swing

At the top, his lead arm is nearly parallel to the starting shaft line—no lifting, no manipulation.

🔵 Blue Line – The Downswing

Coming down, JJ’s club tracks back down the blue line, almost perfectly matching the backswing. At impact, the club returns to the original address angle.

Even into the follow-through, the shaft is nearly parallel to the start line again.

📊 Why it matters: His backswing and downswing mirror each other, which leads to consistency, control, and fewer compensations.

💡 What You Can Do

If you’re working on your swing, here’s what to check:

• Club and hands on plane during the takeaway

• Lead arm parallel to shaft plane at the top

• Shaft angle on the way down matches your takeaway

• Shaft returns to original address angle at impact

Use video, alignment sticks, or feedback tools to measure this. Repeatable mechanics lead to repeatable ball flight.

⚙️ JJ’s Other Edge: Tour Read Green Reading

And it’s not just JJ’s full swing that’s structured—his putting is just as dialed in.

One of the tools JJ used to sharpen his green reading is the Tour Read system, which I co-created. It’s designed to help players learn to match their aim and start line to the actual slope of the green.

✅ Want to see what real golfers said when they tested JJ’s putting secret?

👉 Check out this Tour Read feature on The Hackers Paradise

We use Tour Read with players at every level—from TOUR winners like JJ, to everyday players trying to shave strokes off their rounds.

🔁 Final Takeaways

JJ Spaun’s success isn’t built on guesswork—it’s built on structure:

1. On-plane backswing and downswing

2. Repeatable mechanics

3. Disciplined green reading with Tour Read

If you want to be more consistent tee-to-green, start by tightening up your shaft plane and green reading process. That’s what helped JJ win on the biggest stages—and it can help you too.

Thanks for reading!

If you found this helpful, feel free to share it with a friend or teammate working on consistency.

Have questions or want to learn more about Tour Read or swing work? I’d love to hear from you.

🎥➡️ Watch the full swing breakdown video here  

📘 Learn more about Tour Read Golf ➡️ https://tourreadgolf.com

About Ralph Bauer

Ralph Bauer has coached on the PGA Tour since 2009. He’s worked at all four majors, the Olympics, and has helped two of his players win major championships. His students have earned over $400 million in PGA Tour earnings. He’s coached on five continents and at every level of the game—and he co-created the Tour Read system to make green reading easier for every golfer.

Let me know if you have any questions—I’d love to hear how it’s working for you.