A fundamentally sound swing is key to a low scoring round, and your peace of mind. However, not all golfers follow the strict fundamental rules we have been hearing since we first picked up a club.
Their swings work for them. On the other hand, some amateur swings are so flawed that they may be beyond repair. As Arnold Palmer famously once said, “swing your swing.”
Here’s a mix of 10 strange professional and amateurs swings we’ve seen captured on video.
Charles Barkley
Barkley is notorious for his horrible swing, but that doesn’t make it any less marvelous each time you watch it. The takeaway is surprisingly decent, but that’s about where the positives end. The most glaring issue being the horrible hitch he’s got at the top and an uncanny inability to pull the trigger. But when he does make contact, watch out! You never know which way it’s going to go. The NBA Hall of Famer should probably stick to playing on the hardwood.
Jim Furyk
Furyk’s swing starts out very narrow as he brings his club back high over his head. He flattens it out on the downswing, still keeping his hands extremely close to his body. Furyk set the record for the lowest round in PGA Tour history with a 58 at the Travelers despite his unorthodox swing.
Josh Broadaway
At first glance, Josh Broadaway’s swing doesn’t look that strange. But with a closer look, you’ll notice that his hands are in the opposite positions that they should be for a right-handed golfer. The Georgia native turned pro in 2000.
Alex Ovechkin
The sight of Ovi winding up on the ice and taking an absolute rip from the point is a beautiful thing to see. However, his golf swing isn’t as pretty. The Russian winger should consider lessons.
Jim Thorpe
Jimmy Lee Thorpe turned pro in 1972. His bizarre swing features a high, swinging finish as he brings the club completely over the crown of his head. Thorpe won 19 professional tournaments and is from the Tar Heel State, North Carolina.
John Daly
National treasure John Daly is one of the most colorful characters that ever graced the Tour with is presence. His golf swing does not differ from that description. Daly brings his shaft way beyond parallel at the top, almost wrapping his arms around his head. Fundamentals don’t seem to matter to this two-time major winner. Grip it and rip it!
Tommy Gainey
Tommy “Two-Gloves” Gainey, a former baseball player, shows flickers of his swing on the diamond in his swing on the course. He keeps his hips in place for most of the swing and stays hunched over the ball. The University of South Carolina graduate has nine professional wins.
Bubba Watson
Bubba Watson is most known for his unique personality and even more unique golf swing. Watson is a pro who has proclaimed to have never had a swing coach. If you look closely, both of Bubba’s feet leave the ground at some point in the duration of his swing that finishes high over the top. This swing has won him two green jackets.
Arnold Palmer
The King is, without a doubt, one of the most influential professional golfers of all time. However, a fundamentally sound swing was not important to Arnie, and it seemed to work out for him just fine.
Eamon Darcey
Eamon Darcey is not a very well known golfer in the United States, but he was one of the most successful Irish golfers of all time. He spent most of his days playing on the European Tour. The signature of his swing is his high right elbow that jerked up and out during his backswing.
