The 5 Most Unusual Golf Swings on Tour Today

Post by Golf Journalist, Joshua Carr

There are some beautiful golf swings on the major tours and so many pros are known for their effortless perfect swings. We’re always told how important your set up is, how you need to keep the club on plane and how timing is key but not every golfer sticks to these fundamentals. So, let’s take a look at some unusual swings that your coach most definitely will not want you to copy.

Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson slo-mo swing analysis at Waste Management

Boasting a homemade swing, Bubba Watson is a two time Masters Champion and it is his ability to shape the ball that has seen him become so successful on tour. Although he does not posses the most glamorous swing Bubba proves you don’t have to be on plane to be successful, it is all about timing.

Watson believes the key to generating all of his power is in his open stance and impeccable timing. The two-time Masters champion lifts the club quickly during the back swing but always gets the club set in the same position at the top of the swing. During the downswing you will notice Watson’s open stance allows him to make sure his hip has cleared to generate as much power as possible through the ball.

It is Bubba’s unorthodox swing that has given us some of the greatest shots in Masters history such as his approach shot out of the woods during a playoff against Louis Oosthuizen in 2012.

Natalie Gulbis

NATALIE GULBIS - DTL DRIVER GOLF SWING LATE 2013 FOOTAGE - REGULAR & SLOW MOTION - 1080p HD

There are a few golfers on tour who dip as they strike the ball. Paula Creamer and Lee Westwood would be a couple of the few on tour. But, the winner in the category of “big dipper” has to be American Natalie Gulbis. Her swing has often been referred to as the “female Jim Furyk.”

Gulbis has a wide, athletic stance, which ultimately leads to an excessively wide backswing where her wrist hinge happens incredibly late. This causes Gulbis to over rotate leaving her arms almost wrapped around her back with the club head pointing way to the right. However, the American has an extra vertebrae in her back, which is possibly why this position is easier for her to attain that your normal golfer.

The most noticeable part of Gulbis’ swing is her major dip when she powers through the ball. This, combined with her being on her tiptoes at impact, makes her swing look very squashed.

Jim Furyk

Jim Furyk SwingVision on Sunday at The Heritage

Jim Furyk has one of the most unorthodox swings on tour yet has still been competing at the top of the game for a very long time. His swing has seen him win one major and 17 tournaments on the PGA Tour including the 2010 FedEx Cup.

He stands very close to the ball with very little distance between his hands and legs. As a result his hands and arms search for space and quite quickly separate from the body. When you watch his swing it often looks like he’s trying to wrestle a snake.

Again, Furyk’s swing just proves that timing is key. Although his backswing is, quite frankly, all over the place his timing is brilliant. As long as he gets in the same position at the fundamental stages of the swing, Furyk knows the ball will go where he wants it.

Jeev Milkha Singh

Jeev Milkha Singh Golf Swing Slow Motion 300fps

Jeev Milkha Singh has a quirky swing that gets in positions that no coach would ever suggest you copy. However, if you look closely, you will realise Jeev is one of the best ball strikers on tour.

To begin with, the European Tour player hovers the club, which is quite unusual in this day and age although greats such as Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus have done this in the past. At the top of the swing, his wrists are not set and the club is laid off. You’ll also notice he has a long pause at the top of his swing. As he starts the downswing he reroutes the club into a much more orthodox position while retaining the angle in his wrists. His action through the ball is pretty much textbook hence his great ball striking ability.

With this swing, Jeev Milkha Singh has won four events on the European Tour making him the most successful Indian golfer to date. He also became the first Indian golfer to break into the top 100 of the World Golf Rankings.

Tommy Gainey

Tommy Gainey SwingVision from The Heritage

It is clear to see before Tommy Gainey even strikes the ball that he doesn’t do things the conventional way. For starters, he wears two gloves, which earned him the nickname Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey. You will also notice he uses an extremely strong baseball grip, which isn’t very common on the tours.

There are very little positives to take from Gainey’s back swing. His weight distribution is awful, the club goes back all over the place and his backswing is very short. However, through the downswing he does get into some great positions with his hands that has allowed him to strike the ball consistently. The extreme lag he generates during the down swing enables him to be a great ball striker.

His swing is very much a homemade golf swing and has been described as “trying to kill a snake with a garden hose.” The whole swing is fast and it shows hints of his baseball playing past as he has fast hands and releases his hips quickly. But, his swing clearly works for him as he has a PGA Tour win to his name and was the first player to feature on the Golf Channel’s show “The Big Break” to earn a PGA Tour card.

These swings just go to show that no matter how many lessons you have and the countless hours spent on the range trying to get your swing on plane may mean nothing if you cant get your swing in a good position in the fundamental areas on the swing. This proves you can have a wild swing and still succeed although we definitely would not advise copying any of the swings above.