As you’d expect of someone with 239 million Instagram followers, whenever Justin Bieber posts something on social media, the world notices. And it’s been nearly impossible not to notice Bieber’s new affinity for the game of golf. We’re not talking the occasional celeb tournament or range visit, Bieber’s golf journey has taken that crucial next step in the golf-obsessed evolution, the part where you plan vacations around links courses on your bucket list. I’ll admit, I found myself checking his Instagram stories a lot more frequently during his well-document buddies trip to St. Andrews and Gleneagles last month.
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Outside of his visit to the home of golf, Bieber’s golf posts have been sporadic throughout the year with most of the conversation centering around his on-course looks. The 31-year-old has always been on the cutting edge with what he wears, so I’m not sure why anyone imagined he’d show up in traditional khakis and a tucked-in Peter Millar polo.
Skratch’s Raymond Williams broke down Bieber’s entire St. Andrews look, for those of you looking for some “Bieber Golf Core” inspiration. After adding all that to the cart, I had to dive into the swing and break it down. Turns out, there’s a lot to unpack. Yeah, there’s some slice, some posture that needs nitpicking and a few balance hiccups—but there’s also good rotation, solid moments of rhythm and genuine shots that prove he’s becoming a capital “G” Golfer.
So let’s dive into the breakdown: the good, the fixable, and where Bieber’s golf game could go next.
Setup:
Bieber’s setup can use some work. He is standing very tall with minimal bend in his knees. His shoulders are also very open compared to the rest of his body. This position with the upper body is extremely common among beginners, and is the first indication of why a golfer may struggle with a slice. With the shoulders in this position, you guarantee an over-the-top club path. Pair that with an open face, and the ball has no option but to curve hard to the right.
Once he squares up those shoulders and adds some knee flex, he will be in a much better spot.
Takeaway/Backswing:
Here you see the start of the over-the-top club path. His arms raise up in the air as opposed to rotating back in pair with his shoulders. Cleaning up the shoulder alignment at address should help mitigate this almost instantaneously.
Top of Backswing:
Honestly? Not too bad. He gets a nice full turn, though he comes up off his left foot a bit too much. Plenty of good players let their lead heel lift slightly at the top, but not to this extent. Excess lift can make timing the downswing tricky.
The club’s position at the top is also better than expected. It’s a little laid off, but many golfers with Bieber’s setup end up with the club across the line – a position that tends to make a slice even worse.
His lead-wrist is in a fairly neutral position, which is great. It’s nice to not see him “cupping” his wrist (think the opposite of Dustin Johnson). If we can just get him started on the backswing in a better spot, I think the club will enter a really nice position at the top.
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Pre-Impact:
This is way better than I was expecting. While he is definitely still over the top, this is where you would normally see someone start to cast the club. Instead, he shallows it a bit and drops the club into a surprisingly solid position. His neutral wrist at the top likely helps him get here.
Impact: 
Again – in context – this is good! Based on his setup, I would’ve guessed he would throw his hips and hands at the ball (classic early extension). But no: He actually rotates nicely into impact with his lower body and his upper body follows, with minimal movement from his hands.
Post impact:
He turns through impact exceptionally well. No real notes here – it’s legitimately solid.
Follow-Through:
If he was batting third for his beloved Blue Jays, this follow-through would be perfect! But for a golf swing, it’s a bit chaotic. His footwork resembles Scottie Scheffler, but the rest of this position…does not. If he focuses on finishing more balanced here—and with both hands on the club—I believe he will create some better rhythm throughout his swing.
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Final Takeaways:
Watching the video at full speed, you can tell this is someone who has recently picked up the game. However, breaking it down frame-by-frame, there is a lot to like. Once he gets into a better position at address and finds more balance through the finish, we could see some genuinely good golf from him.
Count me in as a Belieber in his game.
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