PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Floaties, bands, whatever it takes – Viktor Hovland has no shame and is willing to be the butt of jokes on social media if the result is better feel when he tees it up on the PGA Tour.
Viktor Hovland of Norway plays his shot from the second tee during the first round of the 2026 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.
Things went swimmingly on Thursday as Hovland opened with a 2-under 69 at Riviera Country Club and topped the field of 72 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, gaining more than three strokes on the field.
Advertisement
“Today was really good. You know, not only the numbers show it, but like the feel of what it’s supposed to feel like when I’m playing well, that was a lot closer,” Hovland said. “So, we’re definitely making progress.”
Hovland, 28, has been desperate for a breakthrough off the tee and leaving no stone unturned to regain his mojo with the big stick. At the WM Phoenix Open, Hovland sent his caddie Shay Knight to a Wal-Mart to pick up pool floaties used by a toddler to stay afloat for a drill he did on the range at TPC Scottsdale.
“I think it was a good idea,” he told Golf Channel. “Low key called myself a genius for coming up with it.”
At AT&T Pebble Beach he worked through multiple drivers for close to two hours after an erratic day off the tee on Saturday. He ranks second in highest average driving distance on all drives at Riviera since 2003 with a minimum of eight drives, averaging 303.4 yards, behind only Cameron Young. This week, Hovland had a new drill to dial in that distance and set up his approach game, which ranks fourth on Tour since 2020, that used an arm band.
Advertisement
“You might have seen the band drill that I was messing around with now. It’s still trying to serve the same purpose, but I feel like that actually made it easier for me to find something tangible that I could take out on the golf course,” Hovland explained. “Trying to just get a little bit wider in the downswing, not trying to pull my arms as close to me. That’s what the floaties were for, trying to get some space in the downswing. It was just hard to feel that when I took the floaties away.
“But the band really, because it forces your body to push against the tension and then when you take it away, it’s like wow, that’s what it’s supposed to feel like. We’re not quite all there yet even though this is a great round of golf, but that was a huge step in the right direction.”
Hovland, who tied for 10th at the WM Phoenix Open before stumbling to T-58 last week at the no-cut signature event at Pebble Beach, has been using primarily a Ping 440K driver while swapping out shafts of various length this season with mixed results.
Advertisement
“It’s one thing to find a feel on the range during the practice rounds and get some momentum off of that. It’s tough to do it in a tournament round, especially when it’s cold and rainy in the morning and then now it’s blowing 30 miles an hour. It’s really difficult, especially at Riviera,” he said.
Progress
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Viktor Hovland’s unusual golf swing drills are paying off at Genesis
Read the full article here
