Who has the best golf swing ever? If you listen to any golf announcer, it seems that the player on the TV screen has the perfect swing. The announcers highlight the perfect form, the smooth back swing, the flawless swing plane, and strong follow through. Could it be as easy as picking any of the top 10 players in the world and emulating their swing to be successful in golf? OK, maybe not every player because Jim Furyk’s swing is well…..ugly; effective, but ugly.
Through the years many great players emerged as having the best swing ever! Names like Peter Thompson, Sam Snead, and Ben Hogan always seem to make the list because of their classic, lower body movements. Here is a quick video to show you five possibilities for the greatest swings ever:
Are these players really the best! Their record definitely supports this claim. Interestingly, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were not mentioned. But, was this an oversight or are their swings not worth copying?
What about Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson or Martin Kaymer? They are the players of today who analysts rave about for their smooth consistent motion throughout the entire swing.
Let us not forget Moe Norman. Considered one of the greatest ball strikers of all time. His unorthodox swing gained him world recognition because of his unmatched control of the golf ball. As great a ball striker that he was, he could not handle the rigors of the professional golfing circuit and never really won at the professional ranks.
The list of greatest golf swings could not be complete without Ben Hogan. There is so much written about this icon that it is difficult capture the impact he made on professional golf. With 64 wins on the PGA Tour, his swing cannot be overlooked. Here is how Hogan describes his swing:
It is difficult to decide who has the best swing ever. Here are some interesting comments by well-known professional golfers:
Tiger Woods told golf writer Jaime Diaz in 2004, “Only two players have ever truly owned their swings: Moe Norman and Ben Hogan. ”
His legend preceded him, Nick Price told me. “When I got to watch him, you could see that he had a technique that obviously worked for him, and he had perfected it.”
Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing. Ben Hogan.“Everybody can see that my swing is homegrown. That means everybody has a chance to do it.” Bubba Watson.
All of these professionals are saying the same thing. The best golf swing ever is the one inside of every golfer. No matter who you are, there is a golf swing in you. Will it look like Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus, the short answer is NO! If it did you would probably on a professional golf tour right now.
As you approach the 2015 golf season, remember that your golf swing is yours to develop and nurture. It is all yours. Is it possible to change your swing, yes you can. But ultimately, we cannot match Ben Hogan or Jack Nicklaus’ golf swing because we are not Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus. So my advice to you is accept what you have right now and perfect it just like Moe Norman.
In case you are wondering, I believe the best golf swing of all time belonged to my dad! He loved golf and worked to perfect his swing. He rarely broke 80, but when I watched him play, it was pure poetry!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
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Highly informative and well written!
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Thank you.
Cheers
Jim
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Mr. Hogan said the best swing he ever saw was Ms. Mickey Wright.
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Hi Jim, I am surprised that you did not mention Freddie Couples, smooth as.
Pete
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Pete
I actually thing Freddie Couples over swings. But his tempo is amazing. Smooth as silk. I do like watching him play!
Cheers
Jim
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Jim,
Very salient point on nurturing your own golf swing; especially for those who have participated in the game for a protracted period. The more you play, the harder it is to modify your move. 30 years ago when I taught golf for a living, I read Ben Hogan’s Modern Fundamentals book and used that as a guiding philosophy and it’s stood the test of time. Today, I understand the golf swing much better and only tinker with my own swing and help friends who occasionally ask for help and still use Hogan as a guide. For my money, he’s the best. From the modern day players, I think Rory McIlroy has the best swing in terms of balance, power, and agility, with Adam Scott coming in a close second. Put a driver in Rory’s hands, and I could watch him for hours. Great topic, thanks!
Brian
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Brian
Thanks. I appreciate you input as to owning your own golf swing. It is difficult to convince many players that major changes are not needed, or to change one thing will fix several things. But that is a story for another day.
Cheers.
Jim
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Nice video! Way to give some attention to those classic swings. I agree with the guy in the video and think we should forget all this modern swing garbage.
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JJ
Thanks for jumping in. The classic swings are well worth studying. I think they offer a strong foundation for any beginner. It is possible that the new view on golf is why there are so many injuries. That is something worth studying.
Cheers
Jim
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