Swing models for certain aspects of the full swing

[LuciusWooding]

I've been thinking of a few players, current and otherwise, who have been interesting or unique swing models for me. I usually look at Rory McIlroy for the whole thing because he's really good, has a lot of video, and I am athletic and flexible enough to learn to imitate him, but there are a few who display individual concepts or positions well:

Sam Snead: Sam had a lot of power moves while still keeping his swing smooth and natural; I'd love to see how he'd go about hitting a titanium driver since he managed to get such good distance out of a persimmon driver by hitting low pulls. No doubt he'd find a good method for hitting them a long way. He has a very strong windup, a "trigger" move, and very pronounced leg action, all things that are helpful, especially if you want to learn to hit it long.

Ben Hogan: Had a very compact iron swing and fast tempo; he's a great model for hitting heavier clubs like steel shafted drivers or traditional irons using the body and legs. He literally wrote the book on the modern golf swing, which is relevant today as a starting point. Longer, lighter clubs today and his conservative playing style mean it's a consistency model as opposed to a power model, especially for the modern driver. If you read the book he wrote and study his swing, it can provide insight and help you really understand the book better.

Kuchar: He is a good example of a very flat swing plane, not necessarily to be imitated but to show the concept of steep vs shallow.

Couples: A typical example of a rhythmic swing that generates great power, and great timing. Good hip action as well.

Robert Rock: Has no hat and long hair, demonstrates the high amount of force applied in the golf swing despite keeping his head still and his body pretty quiet. It can look like a player is half-assing the swing, but he shows how strong the release can be while looking controlled. For me, I took the advice of swinging easy too literally at first, and Rock helped me see that it still takes power to hit the ball well, but it's all about using the correct sources of power and not hitting hard from the top. A bit of a subjective example, but it helped me.

Greg Norman: Had a great overall swing, but he's an unusually good swing model because, oddly enough, he usually wears slimmer pants and shorts when playing. Most players wear baggy slacks and you don't always get a sense of their leg action or posture, but Greg's chicken legs are either showing or visible beneath the pants so you see his knee flex and weight distribution.

Bobby Jones: Not much quality video out there, but his leg action is very exaggerated and it demonstrates the left leg breaking in at the top of the backswing more clearly than anyone, as well as the right foot lifting after impact. Not the most relevant swing for today's game since he was using hickory clubs, but he really uses chain action clearly.

Anyone else see players who display a certain move well, or who you personally watch for guidance? Rory's swing is usually the key for me; whenever I'm stuck the answer is in there somewhere, but sometimes a guy with a funky, exaggerated, or unique swing can really offer some insight. Others like Norman and Rock are just good swingers with great visual aids :) ... Feel free to comment or add any other players you see fit. I'd like people to share models that have helped them personally, if possible.

Please leave out bad swings, since they can be contagious and don't help clarify the fundamentals. Also long drive competitors like Sadlowski aren't good models because they don't use those swings for actual golf.

Finally, players like McIlroy and Rock do in fact have great looking swings, but I'm trying to get specific about swing keys and the like where those players just have a complete swing that's hard to learn from. We can watch them hit shots all day and say "Wow, nice swing!" without analyzing their technique at all. Try to focus on an aspect of the swing we can learn from watching that player.

[poser]

Everyone is going to be unique in their own way.  I know for one I would never try to copy hogan.  I think there are pieces you can learn from everyone and if you can find someone with similar body build as yourself its a good place to start.  I for one love to watch grant waite and robert rock swing. I also watch my instructor swing alot.  He raises the handle a bit but, he flat out murders the ball and his ball flight is one of the best I have ever seen.

[Mr3Wiggle]

I'd love to have Steve Stricker's swing.

[LuciusWooding]

Originally Posted by poser

Everyone is going to be unique in their own way.  I know for one I would never try to copy hogan.  I think there are pieces you can learn from everyone and if you can find someone with similar body build as yourself its a good place to start.

I don't want to copy Hogan's swing much personally, since I'm 5 inches taller and more athletic than him. He built his around consistency and accuracy, where I'm trying to use the extra potential for power I have. But if I want to look at a specific aspect of the swing, I usually use him as a reference just to see his approach in contrast with others.

Originally Posted by Mr3Wiggle

I'd love to have Steve Stricker's swing.

I don't like Stricker's swing much to be honest. It's the aesthetics that are my main hangup, but he doesn't show much flexibility, isn't that powerful, and it looks like a single motion with little wrist hinge. That said, he obviously makes it work and gets wins. His stiff wristed action is really good with short clubs, and as unathletic as his swing looks, it is a good candidate to copy if someone has average physical attributes. It's another consistency based swing, which suits his game well. Believe me I wouldn't mind having his swing either, but I'd be better off with a more powerful action since I don't have anything close to his short game. I need to be as far out there as I can get, since I can do pretty well distance wise. Still, Stricker's swing is a good example of a swing with few moving parts which is a big asset in the 150 yards and in range. Hard to hit longer clubs like that though, to be honest I don't know how he manages to get the clubhead speed he does without using his wrists more. He is very efficient and stays on plane, and is one of the best players on approach shots in the game.

[dak4n6]

Not very aesthetically pleasing, but I loved Trevino's swing. One of the best examples of trapping and compressing with irons using the outside takeaway, drop it in the slot, and hit with a flat left wrist. One of the purest ball strikers of his day.

How about Baddeley? Has to be the most perfect swing plane ever seen. He never deviates from it...incredible.