Young Mike Austin

[tejanochris]

I think that I read that he would use the whip motion. It didnt make much sense to me, so what does a high handicapper do. I tried it. Nothing to lose. So on my down swing, I used my club like a whip. After taking the flies out of my mouth after leaving it open so long, I looked at how long it had gone. It gave me about 40 more yards. It does take a while to learn but boy do you get big results.

[Inmotion70]

Are you saying you don't believe he hit 515? Because it has been in the Guinness Book of World Records for 35 years, and was well documented with witnesses. It was done in the 1974 National Senior Open, a pretty big pro tournament.

[jaimejiva]

i mean pepole actually believe that hi hit a 515yd ball, probably on a fielf of concrete, cause in a normal course, with the technology back then ill be surprised if someone came near to a 320 yd drive.

[bigboycat1]

MIKE AUSTIN IS GREAT TEACHES IN THE WORLD OF GOLF AND HE HIT THE GOLF BALL 515 YARD , DAN SHAUGER LEARN FROM THE BEST TEACHES AUSTIN. I HAD SEVERAL LESSON FROM DAN AND NOW I HIT MY GOLF BALL STRAIGHT DOWN LINE NOW AND HE HELP WITH MY PUTTING TO . DAN HAS 2 BOOK AND 27 DVD THANK TO DAN I PLAY A BETTER AROUND OF GOLF NOW GREAT TEACHES DAN IS

[golddragnet]

the clubhead speed looks very impressive on the first shot, would have been interesting if he had a good short game

[mickeysloan]

If you look at the stills there are twelve. Look at the distance the clubhead has moved from frame 5 to 6. That is the result of the hip slide. It's enormous. Then add to that Mike throwing with his power and there you have the huge spead he creates.

[iknewmikewell]

I don't usually respond or write comments. But, I'd like to add Mike was very nice man who didn't have a racist bone in his body. He loved everyone, and was a perfect host. Ditto for his wife Tanya

[golfprogress]

Who said anything about him being a racist?

I want to get a Flammer, are they still being sold anywhere?

[iknewmikewell]

You would have to know and have seen Mike if you don't believe his swing strength. Mike was extremely strong and huge without being fat at all. At was at his house one day when he was 87 years old, he was wearing shorts. I couldn't believe it, he had legs like a 25 year old, honest. He was an extremly strong man.

I say that and I'm 6'4 and I used to bench

400 plus.

[BigMikeAustinFan]

By the way, Mike always felt Snead had the best swing of all time ... called it "that sweet swing of his (Snead)". According to Mike's biographer, Phil Reed, when Snead got his first set of steel shafted clubs, he gave them to Mike saying, "... take 'em. You're the only one I know who can swing 'em."

Pros typically swing E0 weighted clubs. Mike purportedly swung E9 weighted clubs! How's that for power!

[BigMikeAustinFan]

with full wrist cock. Hit 50 balls and record the distance AND accuracy. Then hit 50 using a 3/4 swing and 90 deg. wrist cock. Bet you don't see 50 yds difference.

Right now JB Holmes comes closest with 90 deg. wrist cock and weight shift off his front toes and onto back hip. As I recall, he's the longest on the Tour.

BMAFan

[BigMikeAustinFan]

which is why he can hit it so consistently straight ... no timimg problem between the hands and hips. They come together at the back of the ball.

Also, Mike did not 'cock' his wrists ... only to 90deg. Again, that reduces the timing problem of the hands and contact. Since the lower back/hips are generating the force, hands are there just to hold and guide the club.

Want simple proof? Try your traditional swing ..

To be continued.

[BigMikeAustinFan]

Mike would tour with the likes of Mike Dunaway showing his awesome swing and distance (the 350 Club).

Compare that with the traditional swing (Tiger for ex) where it's all upper body - primarily shoulders. The hips are shot (weakly) forward ahead - a little like a fisherman casting his/her lure - and then the shoulders/arms using the hips as a counter-weight. There NO lag in the Austin swing ...

To be continued.

[BigMikeAustinFan]

I too was a good friend of Mike's up until his death. I think of him often. I have been exploring his technique since, including an AS in Exer. Sci & Kinesiology.

Yes ... these are early/ier slow-mos of his swing. No inner rotation visible, nor his famous forward press, which has since become the cornerstone of plyometrics and is called "myotatic reflex". Indeed, Mike was way, way ahead of his time.

Mike could hit +300 yards ... IN HIS 80's

To be continued ...

[metaphorgolf]

I have footage of him using a rope tied to the club and only using his righ arm to make the strike. Mike could hit the ball with only his right arm farther than most using everything they've got! His left arm was injured in 1943 in an airplane crash which took him 4-5 years to recover not fully form it. Mike did teach Hogan at Bel Air CC after his car accident to get him to fade the ball and lose the hook. Mike's clubhead swing speed was 165 MPH during the 515 yd drive era.

[metaphorgolf]

I was Mike Austin's last student and was with him when he passed on in the Motion Picture Hospital. Mike told me "it's in the haans (hands) man!" 80-85% of the power comes from the upper body. Mike would use his right hand to throw the clubhead around the widest arc he could make with a two handed connection to the club.

[LuciusTheFair]

How is his wife doing? Is she still around?

[metaphorgolf]

Tanya had a stroke about a year ago that left her paralyzed on her left side. Tanya is in a care center in West Hills near her & Mike's home in Woodland Hills, CA. We visit her every week and make certain through phone calls she get to watch all the Golf on TV in her room.

[MikePedersenGolfTips]

It's so interesting reading the different "opinions" in the comments of this video.

[djkiln]

How can that swing produce a 515 yard drive??

[BlueOrchid9]

He was using the HAMMER....POOOW!!!

[KsarMaximus]

I certainly disagree with you. Mike has a much better swing than Hogan . By the way, Mike teached Hogan how to play Golf in 1950, after Hogan has had a terrible accident that left him 6 months in a bed. He chose Mike Austin to teach him how to play again... and Mike is the first golfer ever who played with steel shaft. He was a good friend of Snead and shared his teacher (stuart maiden) with Bobby Jones in East Lake. Mike is a genius and a dreadful putter... but who cares...

[KsarMaximus]

Sorry, I was actually answering someone else comment... Forget about the "I disagree"

[mosafef]

can u cite the source for this claim?

"By the way, Mike teached Hogan how to play Golf in 1950,"

I'm not disagreeing but even according to booklist on Reeds book "In search of the Greatest Swing" it says

"every story about his life was over the top, his every swing tip the greatest discovery ever made. "

again i'm not disagreeing just tall tales have been told in the past is all

[DeniedHealthCare]

I've studied Mike's swing off and on for the last 2 years, and it seems like the REAL power comes from his leg/foot/hip action. Everyone talks about the 'throw', but it really seems like the horsepower comes from his lower body.

I will say that Snead and Austin have the best swings of all time.

[TumblingDice66]

@DeniedHealthCare I think both you and the others are right. Think about throwing a football. To get real power you need to use your legs and hips. But it won't go anywhere if you are not delivering that power with perfect timing into your hands with a throwing motion. In the Peace River video mike talks about throwing the swing like you are throwing a football. Only instead of throwing a ball, you are throwing a club head that's attached to a stick (i.e. the golf shaft) around a circle.

[drc2266]

I was looking at a Rory Sabbatini's swing and his down swing sure looks like he doing Mike Austin's hip shift move. Am I seeing things or is his swing a lot like Mike's.

[davidleealford]

I've never seen a single video of Austin (even those in his youth/prime)that looks like he is swinging over 105 mph. Sorry, his angles are also so-so. Not even close to Hogan. As far his record drive, I have no comment, I have to deal with the facts that I know are true. And those facts/truths are evident in this and other swing clips. It is not a great swing, although it may impress some here.

[k2g0lfer]

Just so you know, all of these clips are in slow motion. There are very few clips on youtube that are live speed. And his swing speed has been measured at 150 mph. But I agree that it doesn't look like he's swinging really hard, but that's just another good attribute of his swing.

[DeniedHealthCare]

You do not understand the physics of the golf swing.

[TexanProgressive]

What are the secret physics of the swing that this motion maximally exploits? It looks like your standard scratch golfer swing to me.

[proslayar]

EXACTLY what im wondering, the laws of physics SAY that this swing isnt gonna hit the ball that far. where is the lag?

[jelqer]

For all the putt for dough guys, a guy with power, accuracy, a mean half-wedge game, and a good putter will win every time. Don't poo poo on the power game!

[sixstringglory]

Mike had the best swing ever. I have a friend who golfed with him. He says all the rumors are true.

[k2baloo]

Wow, where did he play with him? And can you tell anything about your friend's experience?

[donkeydickkk]

your friend is a dumbass and you are gullible as hell

[k2baloo]

are these videos at full speed? either way such a beautiful swing. check out my swing please.

[jelqer]

The best player is the one who wins the most. Sam Snead has the PGA record for the most wins.

[bluekarma]

you think so? So how many Majors did Snead win? 3? You can amass wins against weak fields of lower caliber players OR you can win MAJORS when the BEST players are ALL palying...like Jack Nicklaus. He won 18 and had 73 Top 10 finishes in Majors..a record that will likely be unbroken. Tiger has the most talent of any golfer ever but until someone tops 18 majors, Jack is the greatest. That is LOGIC!

[juliemarg]

he golfs like a dancer --- so graceful and rhythmic

not like my friend Charles Barkely who did, however, make par on the 17th at Edgewood during the Celebrity Tournament

[zkool5]

Helluva swing!

[KsarMaximus]

The most beautiful swing ever...

The greatest player who ever played...

and so poor with his short game... He would have been better than Hogan and Snead... If only...

[sportsman214]

sorta like me :) haha , well hopefully ill improve it

[ysong00]

LOL greatest player who ever played... but so poor with his short game. funny stuff dude

[TumblingDice66]

Well at least he was the greatest driver to ever drive a golf ball. Compare his drive to Tiger Woods' (surely one of the greatest to ever play) or long drivers like John Daly or Hank Keuhne. He blows them all away for grace, power, accuracy and distance. Maybe he could have been one of the greatest players if he cared to perfect putting the way he perfected driving.

[ysong00]

There are probably 20 players on the tour who could be one of the greatest players if they perfected one part of their game. On top of that, driving is one of the less important aspects of the game. It is however the aspect that appeals the most to our egos. Still think hogan had a better swing.

[TumblingDice66]

Good points . . .

[emncaity]

Hogan had a better swing and better mind for winning major championships. But the people who knew Austin will tell you he figured something out about the golf swing. He seemed to be happy being on the research end of things, too. Had some kind of unique genius, although I'm not sure it always translated into usable instruction in every particular. Physically, though, he was every bit the phenomenon Tiger is--although that only begins to describe why Tiger's as good as he is.

[LuciusTheFair]

I asked Mike about his putting and he told me that part of the reason he never managed to perfect his putting was the psychology he associated with hitting long drives.

He would get himself mentally psyched up to hit long accurate drives but when it came down to soft gentle taps into the hole, it was difficult for him to calm his strength and so he often ended up 3 or 4 putting.

As a result, he could never fully take advantage of his ability to drive the green in 1 or 2 shots.

[1urodoc2]

Trust me, no one would have ever heard of Mike Austin if he did not hit that drive. If he was so talented, why did it take him until age 64 to be recognized and even then just for one shot!

He was simply a very strong guy with a great swing. Nobody mentions him ever winning an amateur or pro tournament do they?

He was obviously not successful in golf or we wouldn't see him hitting shots at ratty driving ranges or holding court at par 3 munis.

His swing is standard and good - nothing more.