What is a "Classic" swing?

[Dave]

Often during a tournament you'll hear an announcer say so-and-so has a "classic" swing. Implying it's a nice and simple "old school" golf swing. Of course, that also implies others have a new-age abnormal or irregular swing.

Seems like a tournament golfer would want their swing to be as simple as possible and less likely to break-down under pressure.

So what is a "classic" golf swing?

[Motley01]

Tom Watson definitely has a classic swing, meaning they swing more by feel, instead of technical.

Technical swing would be Tiger, because he concentrates on where exactly the club is on plane, at the top, etc. I mean, when you watch it in slowmo it's always in perfect position.

Classic like Tom W., Ben Hogan swing is more free moving, smoother looking.

[clearwaterms]

Classic like Tom W., Ben Hogan swing is more free moving, smoother looking.

Hogan always thought of his swing as very technical. If you read his book (5 lessons of the modern golf swing) he concertrates on swing plane, and getting the club to settle in a slot at the top of the swing. I just think that Hogan's swing was so natural and he was such a talented golfer he could "feel" what it was technically doing.

I think that Furyk and others have a comprimised swing, that they do something that isn't normal and doesn't look natural, but it works for them, and they are consistent with it.

[mirv]

classic swingers seem to have more lower body movement, maybe more movement in general, than the modern swingers. their swings just look more "free" i guess you could say, where a lot of the modern pros look a bit mechanical.

[billm408]

When I hear "classic swing" I usually think of those players that incororporate the components of the modern swing ideal with a fluid motion.

Byron Nelson, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Purtzer, Steve Elkington, Ernie Els, etc...all have "textbook" swings.

[allin]

I believe a more upright posture with a longer arm swing, more hip rotation, sometimes reverse C finish is implied, of course like all generalizations it breaks down a bit when examined. Geoff Olgivy, Davis Love early in his career, and Davis Duvall come to mind as current examples.

[Cussin hacker]

My own .02 is that the classic swing is a myth. Some of the greats have had what some would call ugly swings. Arnie, Trevino, Seve, and Player come to mind.

[Mr. M]

I think of a classic swing as "seamless." It starts and ends without any hitches, jerks, skips, hops, or pauses, and it seems not to change speeds from takeaway to follow-through.

[imtomtomim]

ok, classic swing, yes is more instinctive but it is based on the same fundamentals as a more modern swing. It's more about setup. What they mean by classic is how comfortably they set up to the ball. The modern swing sets up in a much more athletic stance, stacked weight over the feet, bend at the hips (key athletic balance point), straight spinal posture. Yes, Tom Watson does look more classic while Tiger looks more modern but it's all based on the same swing plane, just differently set up. The athletic modern swing will finish with less of a back arch due to the different set up while the classic swing will get you the " reverse C of the golden bear". The swings still revolve around the same basic fundamentals.