SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK – JUNE 21: Wyndham Clark of the United States tees off on the fifth hole during the final round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 21, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)
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Wyndham Clark’s win at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club filled recreational golfers with aspirations of going professional and playing in golf’s largest events.
“I’m a low spin player, I have a lot of speed, but I don’t spin the ball very much,” Clark said during an interview with Golf Digest following his 2026 US Open win. “And the Pro V1x, especially with my irons and driver, spins at the numbers that I want. Also, I think it’s great around the greens. I’ve always been looking for spin. And this Pro V1x gives me exactly what I need. … I need the spin to help keep the ball in the air, to be able to control it better around the greens. And that’s the most important thing for me. And especially out on tour, you need to be able to have the ball to stop very quick, and that’s what this ball does.”
Clark had one thing in common with most recreational golfers: a large fade bordering on a slice.
During his Saturday round, Clark recorded the only eagle on the par-five 16th hole. From the left rough, he hit a towering 275-yard pull-fade 3-wood that arched 50-plus yards into the right-to-left wind. The ball landed and stopped feet from the hole, resulting in an eagle.
“I really felt like I could be in double digits, but you know, the great thing about that is I didn’t feel like I had my best, and I still am leading as of right now,” Clark said during an interview with ESPN. “Hopefully I can bring my A-game on the weekend.”
Coming down the stretch at Los Angeles Country Club, Clark hit an 80-yard fade off the tee, finding the right side of the final fairway. He would two-putt to win the 2023 US Open.
Fades can win major championships. With most golfers hitting a fade, Clark’s success inspires hope that the common ball flight can lead recreational golfers to better scores. Unfortunately, this is where the commonalities end.
“You know on the range, having those capabilities to know how far the ball goes when you are on the fairways is huge,” Clark said during a Trackman interview. “Now just having it on the range you just lock in and it gives you the spin numbers.”
ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 27: Wyndham Clark of the U.S. Team hits his ball from in between an alignment stick and a sign to work on his precision on the range prior to the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club on September 27, 2023 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
PGA TOUR
Clark recorded 190 mph ball speed on multiple occasions during his wins and spin rates around 2400 rpm. The average player is not exceeding 150 mph ball speed, and many slicers will have spin numbers exceeding 3100 rpm. Clark pairs his low spin with a closed or neutral clubface and a low ball flight. This means he is optimizing golf ball compression, and his spin is sidespin.
Clark ranks 25th on tour this year in clubhead speed at 121.48 mph. When it comes to distance, Clark falls to 37th on tour at 310.8 yards, a sign he may be losing some distance to his spin. Collin Morikawa, on the other hand, swings the driver 7 mph slower but loses only 11 yards of distance. This comes down to optimizing spin.
There is one issue with choosing a high-spin fade as your predominant shot shape: the wind. Clark got off to a hot start on Thursday under the best course conditions, shooting a 64. Clark ranked 12th in strokes gained around the green and had a hot putter when the pressure was high.
If you are trying to implement your slice into a US Open winning performance, you will want to ensure the face is closed or neutral and work on your short game.