Viktor Hovland Delivers Raw, Candid Insight into His Lost Golf Swing
Viktor Hovland's recent struggle with his golf swing reveals a fascinating insight into the mind of an elite athlete. Despite sitting T2 at the Valspar Championship with an impressive second-round 67, the Norwegian star remains candidly dissatisfied with his performance.
"Not to put myself down, but for it to be sustainable at that level I need to strike it a bit better and it needs to be a bit more predictable," Hovland explained after his round.
The former World No. 3 has experienced a challenging period, falling to No. 19 in rankings following swing changes, coaching adjustments, and recent missed cuts at Riviera, Bay Hill, and the Players Championship. His brutally honest description of losing his natural swing ability resonates with golfers at all levels:
"You have an ability that you can almost sometimes take for granted. You just wake up every day and you stand over the ball, and you just expect the ball to start in that direction and go in that direction and end up somewhere close to the hole. When it starts to not do that, it's pretty frustrating."
Working again with coach Grant Waite, Hovland is focused on rebuilding his technique rather than celebrating short-term success. His perfectionist mindset, while seemingly harsh, drives his excellence:
"I am hard on myself, yeah. But that's also why I'm good. If I wasn't hard on myself I probably wouldn't be out here."
The pursuit of sustainable excellence remains Hovland's primary goal, even if it means enduring temporary setbacks. "You just want something that's sustainable. And if your technique's good you're going to play a lot of good golf in the future. That's just how it works," he explained, demonstrating his commitment to long-term improvement over quick fixes.
"At the end of the day like, yes, it's awesome being at the top of the leaderboard right now... But I truly just care about the things that I'm working on," Hovland concluded, showing why he remains one of golf's most fascinating figures - an elite athlete constantly pushing for improvement, even when leading tournaments.