Riley doesn't have much body tilt at setup. He's going to create that later in his swing.

According to Smith, his teacher, Riley’s effortless power results from “the freedom and rotation of his pelvis and spine” on the backswing.

Riley no longer tries to restrict the movement of his lower body relative to his upper body, which used to handcuff one of his greatest assets—his athleticism.

"Note how his left knee is internally rotated and behind the ball at the top of the backswing,” says Smith, the director of instruction at Spring Creek Ranch in Collierville, Tenn. “That’s a classic move you’ve seen throughout history with some of the greatest players, including Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. It allows him to create a huge amount of turn with his lower body, without swaying off the ball a whole lot.”

As Riley transitions forward into the downswing, his pelvis moves ever so slightly toward the target while his head remains centered, creating a modest side tilt to his torso.

“Now that he’s learned how to turn and tilt his body correctly, he can absolutely let it go on every swing,” Smith says.

This freedom is evident at impact, when Riley’s club shaft is in line with his left arm and “he’s throwing the daylights out of the club,” Smith says.

Riley’s right hand is crossing over his left, and his left hand is going into full extension, like he was flinging a Frisbee. That’s the throw. “There’s no ‘hold on’ to the club,” Smith says.

“He’s not a giant, so to be able to create that much speed, it’s because his technique is so sound,” Smith says.