Nelly Korda is making golf look effortless in 2026. After a winless 2025, the 27-year-old has roared back to claim three victories in six LPGA Tour starts, finishing first or second in every event this season. Her latest triumphs came back-to-back at The Chevron Championship and the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba. But what’s the secret behind that picture-perfect swing?
During a Monday appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, Korda peeled back the curtain. “If you looked at my swing from 2013, you would be like, ugh, that is so gross,” she admitted. The three-time champion credits her coach David Whelan and her parents for years of fine-tuning. “They spent so many hours with me just working on tempo. That is the one thing that they ingrained in my brain.”
The key to nailing that tempo? A quirky cue from her father. He would have her say “Coca-Cola” as a mental metronome to keep her rhythm steady. “It was super simple,” Korda said, “but it was the key to having a very fluid swing.”
Korda’s swing is a thing of beauty now, but she’s the first to admit she’s a perfectionist. “I see all of the smallest of pieces in my swing. Like, I see if it’s late off, or if I’m a little bent over, or if I’m a little too tall. But I always revert back to the same tendencies.” Currently, she’s tweaking a tiny detail: “I have higher shoes, so I’m trying to actually get closer to the ground with my chest. … It’s literally like the smallest of things, but golfers are crazy. I’m crazy.”
Her 2026 turnaround isn’t just about mechanics, though. “I just feel like I’m living my best life, and I think that correlates to my on-course play,” she explained. “I think I’m just maturing and realizing that I need to really enjoy these moments. That it’s not going to last forever.”
Unlike some slumping athletes who overhaul everything, Korda kept her same team and caddie through the rough patch. “No matter what happened, the same people were riding it out with me. And that gave me a sense of comfort that, OK, I can definitely get through this. We’re all in this together and, no matter what, I’ve seen so many athletes bounce back.”
For more on Korda’s off-course life, check out her surprising switch in NFL fandom. And if you think golf swings are tough, see Nick Saban’s viral golf swing for a different kind of challenge.
With her smooth tempo and newfound perspective, Korda is proving that sometimes the simplest tricks lead to the biggest wins.
