Jordan Spieth, the former world number one and three-time major champion, has faced ongoing scrutiny over his golf game in recent years. After going without a PGA Tour victory since April 2022, the 32-year-old Texan has dedicated significant off-season time to refining his swing in hopes of recapturing his elite form. However, one prominent golf commentator has labeled his latest adjustment as “pointless” and urged him to emulate the approach of current world number one Scottie Scheffler instead.
Spieth’s recent tweak focused on improving clubface control by working toward a more neutral position throughout the swing. This change aimed to address inconsistencies in his ball-striking, an area that has hampered his performance amid past injuries, particularly a lingering wrist issue that forced compensatory moves in his technique.
Sky Sports commentator Ewen Murray criticized this effort sharply, calling it ineffective because Spieth has attempted the modification while maintaining what Murray views as a suboptimal grip. “I wish he would change his grip… look at Scottie Scheffler, the way he grips the club, and the way Spieth does, and Spieth has made changes with a poor grip. I don’t see the point in that,” Murray said. He went on to highlight Scheffler’s “moulded grip” as a key element of his success, noting that Scheffler uses it consistently every day. Murray suggested Spieth could adopt a similar grip and see quicker improvements: “One thing Scheffler’s got is that moulded grip that he uses every day. And I think he should get a hold of that. He could do it a lot quicker than we imagine.”
Scheffler has dominated the sport in recent seasons, amassing 20 PGA Tour wins—including four majors—since early 2022, often praised for his exceptional tempo, consistency, and elite clubface control. Spieth himself has previously lauded Scheffler’s abilities, describing his clubface management as potentially “the best there’s ever been.” In contrast, Spieth’s struggles have included erratic long game play and putting woes, contributing to a prolonged drought despite his proven pedigree as a 13-time PGA Tour winner.
Not everyone agrees with Murray’s prescription, however. 2002 PGA Championship winner Rich Beem pushed back against the idea of a major grip overhaul at this stage of Spieth’s career. Beem argued that altering something as fundamental as the grip—ingrained since childhood—would be extremely challenging and time-consuming for a player in his 30s. “It’s almost impossible, at his age, to really go through it. That would take quite some time,” Beem noted. He added that grip size might also need adjustment, and emphasized how a longstanding “poor” grip can make the club feel unnatural even with hard work: “If you start off with a poor grip, all of a sudden, you’re hard working at it, and it never quite feels like you want it to.”
Spieth has shown optimism about his trajectory heading into 2026. After starting the season with solid rounds and speaking positively about his consistency improving, he expressed confidence that his peak performances are on the horizon: “I think my consistency is going to continue to be really good and then, you know, having my best be better and better… hopefully it’s a matter of months and not longer, maybe weeks.”
The debate underscores a broader question in golf: when does experimentation cross into over-tinkering, and is the path to resurgence through bold changes or by borrowing proven elements from the game’s current standard-bearer? For Spieth, finding the right balance could determine whether he returns to major contention or continues to chase his former self. As the PGA Tour season progresses, particularly with high-profile events like The Players Championship on the horizon, all eyes will be on whether Spieth sticks to his adjustments, adopts new ones inspired by Scheffler, or charts his own course back to the winner’s circle.
