Golf is an extraordinary game for gentlemen. Watching amazing players play amazing shots and games are what we love about golf. The most fun part about watching golf is the swings. The swings are the best part to watch by far. Playing those beautiful shots the players dazzle us.
There are so many ways of using golf swings by keeping specific rules and criteria in mind while using them. However, there are also players who break the conventional method of playing golf swings.
They are both breathtaking to watch and to entertain as well. In this article, we’ll look into some of these fantastic shots played by these fantastic players.
For professional golfers, qualifying and winning aren’t the only ways of grabbing a golf enthusiast’s attention. Many golfers are known for their different or even bizarre swings. Although you might think that golf swings vary as far as technique goes, golfers have diverse ways of swinging their clubs.
Swings in Golf
Some beginners may find these swings aren’t fit for the sport. Nevertheless, some of these swings allowed the golfers to win throughout the years. This proves that sticking rigidly to the basics isn’t always necessary.
These swings vary from somewhat unique to downright strange. Various styles allow the game to be appealing and exciting.
We’ll be looking into some of these wonderful players and their swings.
What Makes a Swing Unique?
A golf swing has certain rules or techniques. If you’re passionate about golf, you would know how important these techniques are. To get the best results out of a swing, players master every aspect of their shots.
During a golf swing, the whole body is involved. The arms, legs, wrists, chest and different parts of body are involved. Getting the movement and rotation right on each one of these parts are very important.
For example, while playing a draw, players work on their backswing. They have a certain way they draw the club and rotate their wrists.
Similarly, there is also a certain way they open the face of the club which results in the ball to swing from left to right ( for right-handers). There are conventional methods of playing these shots.
In many cases, not every golfer plays their shots in a conventional method. They don’t do what every other golfer does when they play the shot.
They could have a different wing, timing and follow through, and could even have a different way of rotating the wrist or holding the club. These factors make their shots look different.
It’s always entertaining to look at a different golf shot. Players with varying shots of golf are remembered for their unique technique.
I’ve tried to come across all the unique golf shot players in the game. I’ve talked about all the amazing golfers who have different shot styles but have been able to leave a mark on the golfing world.
Miller Barber
First in the list, we have Miller Barber. Barber was famous for his unusual swing. When he hit the ball, his right elbow would rise carrying the club above with great force. It was this swing that enabled him to claim eleven victories. It was a sight to watch!
He once mentioned that long ago that he tried to swing usually, like Jack Nicklaus or Sam Snead, but it ended up being a mess. Barber was also known as Mr. X due to his mysterious personality.
He was single, and he never told anyone his whereabouts. He was just as mysterious as his swings were. Sadly, this American golfer passed away in 2013.
Ho Sung Choi
Choi is a South Korean golfer. His swing is known as the Fisherman Swing. During his work on a fisherman boat, he lost his right thumb.
Even though he had this deficit, he managed to get a job picking up golf balls off of courses. He learned to play golf all by himself reading golf magazines.
Accordingly, he developed a unique swing. This swing puts his whole body off balance and that works out for him. His will and dedication are evident in his majestic swings.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to qualify for the British Open but hard work paid off as he was able to gain victory during Japan Golf Tour’s Casio World Open.
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh is an Indian golfer. Singh likes to experiment with his downswings a lot. They change over the years.
The Downswing
A shot that we are all familiar with and is pretty amazing to look at. Although, the shot is not unique on its own but the way he hits it does give the shot a different look.
Impact He Creates
However, the exciting part is after he hits the ball. He tends to move his body slightly towards the ball. He then pushes his face behind his body as his final arm position is the same as that of his aim.
Measuring the angle, his first arm position is almost perfectly aligned with his arm’s angle while delivering the swing. After the ball begins to run across, his right hand and wrist bend and try to come off the club.
Ai Miyazato
Miyazato is a Japanese female golfer who swings with incredible strength and force. Her swing is a driver swing. She drives the ball with significant impact for someone as small as her. She begins her backswing by turning as far behind as possible.
Her swing is so powerful that her body has to give a great effort in maintaining balance, so she doesn’t fall. She has proven her skill many times being the best female golfer in 2010.
Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe’s real name is Jimmy Lee Thorpe. His swing is so strange, yet it doesn’t make him any less of a golfer. He begins with the use of a backswing. Consequently, by the time he finishes with hitting the ball, his torso bends. Even his wrist and club bend in the other direction afterward due to the sheer force.
People have made fun of him many times, but Thorpe says he can beat anyone who pokes fun at him. Johnny Miller said that Thorpe’s swing is like Kung Fu. A funny coincidence is that Thorpe is good at self-defense as well.
Charles Barkley
Barkley has made a significant name in the world of basketball. On the other hand, when playing golf, Barkley is known to have the worst swing in history.
However, recently it seems that he is trying to correct himself. Even though he is a basketball star, he has also become infamous for his golf swing. His problem is that he tries to hit the ball with strong force instead of swinging and letting the ball hit the club face.
Eamonn Darcy
He is an Irish golfer. Darcy is famous for his swing. Even though he has been victorious, he is better known for his odd swing.
His pre-impact pivot is very steep and maintains a sharp angle. Nevertheless, his post-impact is also at the same angle making the whole swing look like a full revolution. However, the resulting swing is just as important as the initial swing and Darcy proves that. He has won four times during European tours.
John Daly
Daly’s nickname is “Long John” because of the long distance he drives the ball off the tee. American professional golfer John has had an inconsistent life of playing golf. He still plays, and not much has changed when it comes to his swing. Daly’s swing merely scrapes off the grass near his ankles.
Even then, he was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Honors in 1991. He had a turbulent personal life dealing with many problems such as lawsuits and other controversies.
Moe Norman
Norman, a Canadian, was one of the few golfers who didn’t overthink the game. He passed away in 2004. He had an excellent swing. Even though his swing wasn’t beautiful to look at, it served a purpose of striking the ball. His position allowed him to be more stable. His backswing was shorter. As a result, the ball would move further forward.
Nancy Lopez
Lopez has a strange swing, but she can drive well due to her talent. Although her swing may seem to be ugly, every position and stance is there for a reason. Every part is carefully calculated in her mind.
She has also changed her grip over the years and improved herself. Lopez lives on experimentation. She has succeeded due to her constant practice.
Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk is known for two things: Playing well and having an unconventional golf swing. Some people even say that he’s playing well despite his unorthodox looping golf swing. I think Jim Furyk is a great example that good golf isn’t about building the perfect swing.
It’s mainly about the ability and talent to get the club back squarely at impact and making the shots when it counts the most. A closer look at his swing will teach us a lot about his swing.
Position and Take Away
His hands almost touch his thighs because they are very close when he addresses the ball. He additionally steeps over the ball with a significant body tilt. When you compare his swing with tiger woods, you can see a major difference.
He keeps the club on the inside. It creates a steep angle. The club head isn’t opened much, and it points towards the ground.
The Backswing
Arms move swing back vertically and route the club in a looping direction. If he didn’t do that at the top of his backswing, it would become almost impossible to get the club back on the plain. He flexes his knees a lot.
Impact
He gets the club back on the plane and turns his hips during a slide. His hips and shoulders are pointing the target during impact.
Follow Through
He brings his knees closer together and takes his hands above his head. It creates a tight and compact feel.
Ray Floyd
Ray Floyd has one of the unique swings. He is an American professional golfer. He had one of the unique swings in golf and had a fantastic career.
Jimmy Bruen
It is highly unlikely anybody would show such a backswing. He had the unique backswing which was highly criticized.
He lacked the right arm, hand and wrist rotation, especially in the backswing. The shot looked like a massive helicopter. The backswing wasn’t anything conventional. It causes additional stretching in the upper trunk area muscles. It might seem effortless but it isn’t. It requires timing as well.
Tommy Gainey
Tommy Gainey has a swing which is more effective than conventional swings.
The Grip
He has a super strong grip which removes the need for forearm rotation. It’s a straight back through. It can even be called a baseball grip.
The Swing
He doesn’t rotate the forearms much. He makes a straight back and a straight through as if he were swinging a baseball bat. It may look odd though it is powerful for sure.
Tommy is one of the longest hitters in tours. His unique swing generates more power.
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer needs no introduction. For everyone who isn’t familiar with the name (I don’t know how that’s possible), he was an American golfer and one of the greatest and the most charismatic players of all time.
He even won the PGA tour. He was also a winner of the Masters Championship, U.S Open, The Open Championship; and of course, he is a golf hall of fame.
His Shot
Arnold Palmer’s shot wasn’t very graceful to watch. His shots were what gave him amazing career-defining moments and also a hard time.
His show was full of energy. It lacked grace but it had a lot of power. It wasn’t the prettiest of shots as well but he always tried to hit the ball as far as he could. However, he was a fantastic driver. He had a tough swing which was perfect for hitting long balls.
He used to take ferocious cuts and he was able to maintain control of the ball. He kept his head steady. This was the key reason for his success.
Palmer was better with his wood than his irons. In addition, his short swings were terrific and the head movement was very steady. It was one of his strong points as well as one of his biggest liabilities.
His head would move left, then right, then left, then right again while playing a shot! His shoulders were very flat. He needed to work them more down.
Similarly, his shafts were low. He didn’t turn, and he would wing across the body.
Josh Broadway
Josh Broadway is a golfer who plays golf from very recent time. He has one the annual Truck Cup. His Grandfather taught him how to play golf.
His Shot
He’s famous for his style of playing golf. He’s known for being cross-handed. The interesting fact is that he puts using his left hand. His build-up is different because of his exposure to other sport.
Furthermore, he is the only golfer in history to win a major championship which is cross-handed. Talk about having a cool shot and doing well.
His shot allows the ball to travel far. There is usually a huge lag in the timing that allows more club speed.
However, it becomes difficult while you’re chipping. The hips have to move very fast to execute a shot like this. Otherwise, the ball might be hooked out of the golf course as if you’re playing with a strong grip.
Allen Doyle
Allen Doyle is another American golfer on this list. He has played in many major tournaments. He has a unique swing which is amazing to watch. This was mostly because he played hockey when he was young.
Moe Norman
Moe Norman has one of the most wonder golf swings in history. He didn’t play outside of Canada much and he didn’t play the PGA tour as well.
His Shot
He had a bizarre setup. His hands would be very far from his body. It would form a straight line with his shaft. He didn’t bend his knee much. His legs would be very far apart.
He would pull the clubs inside very fast. His right elbow would be extremely low. This would allow him to swing his arms around. His swings were very short compared to other golfers.
His feet would be grounded for a longer duration, and his follow-through was different as well. He would release the club very early and end up lifting his body very quickly.
Having a Unique Swing
Having a unique way of playing a shot may look cool. Some great players have and had unique ways of playing shots. We can learn a lot by analyzing them. And realize what made them so amazing. You can know what were the specialties of these shots. We can also focus on key points.
However, trying to duplicate them isn’t the best of the idea. It could ruin your wing and game. Learning from them may make you a better player, but copying them probably will not.
Our Final Thoughts
The bottom line is, golf is a bizarre game where you’ll see even stranger ways of playing it. It’s always fun to watch this kind of players. This was my list of favorite player who plays their shot differently.
