Hovland revives ‘double-pump’ drive to rediscover winning form

World No. 8 Viktor Hovland is hopeful that a return to a ‘double-pump’ drive can help him find the fairways at this week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic, an event he won three years ago.

Despite being one of the most cheerful players on Tour, often seen grinning from ear to ear, the Norwegian's 2024 fell short of expectations following an exceptional 2023, when he won the FedExCup and finished runner-up at the PGA Championship.

However, things took a downturn soon after. Hovland and his swing coach, Joe Mayo, parted ways under unclear circumstances, reconciled briefly, and then split again. He hasn’t secured a victory since August 2023, admitting to frustration with his game during that period.

Now, with Mayo firmly in the past, Hovland has teamed up with a new coach, TJ Yeaton, as he competes at Emirates Golf Club for just the third time.

Additionally, he’s revisiting a drill from his youth in Norway - the ‘double-pump’. This technique, designed to enhance his backswing rotation, is a key part of Hovland’s efforts to rediscover the form that made 2023 a career-defining year.

“It's a drill that I've always done ever since I've grown up indoors in Norway,” said Hovland in his pre-tournament press conference.

“We have a lot of time to work on our golf swings, and just something that stuck with me. If I want to make a conscious change, you have to kind of break down the golf swing or piece it together so you can see an improvement in the movement that you're trying to make.

“And for me right now, I had just gotten into a really bad habit in the backswing where my forearms will kind of twist the other way.

“My face gets really shut. Get really steep and across the line on the top of the backswing. For me, when I kind of separate the swing from backswing to downswing, I can kind of slowly put my arms and club in a better position for me to swing down.

“It's not ideal because it's not quite as accurate as I would have liked, but at least it's the best I've got right now with the driver.

“So around here, you've really got to hit it straight. If you're missing over half of the fairways, you're really going to struggle. At least it's kind of a Band-Aid fix for me right now.”

If the 27-year-old is to etch his name onto the iconic Dallah Trophy for the second time, he will need to beat one of the strongest fields in recent memory.

Four-time champion Rory McIlroy headlines the field, while two-time Major winner Jon Rahm makes his debut. Tyrrell Hatton, Akshay Bhatia, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed and the Højgaard are also in the field, adding their star power to the first Rolex Series event of the season.