There is so much wrong with this article that I ran across whilst idly scrolling the news on my phone after I’d woken up this morning.

At first, I thought I must be still asleep, so I bookmarked it until I’d had the benefit of a cup of coffee and another hour with my eyes open, but sadly, I had read what I read correctly.

I don’t know when Brandel Chamblee ceased to make sense when talking about the golf swing.

I’m also disappointed in the Golf Gazette’s James Shearman, who brings us this article (I’m usually very pleased to link to the Gazette), and who states that:

There is no such thing as the right way to swing a golf club. Just look at world number one Scottie Scheffler’s awkward footwork.

Really?  No right way?

Again, only in the sport of golf would you hear or read something this ridiculous – the human body has a proper mechanical way of moving, and the study of this is called Kinesiology, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Kinesiology (from Ancient Greek κίνησις (kínēsis) ‘movement‘ and -λογία -logía ‘study of‘) is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement.

Just because someone swings improperly and wins golf tournaments doesn’t make it something to copy and emulate – I have made the analogy that if you have a tent stake driving contest and one fellow wins it using his forehead – that doesn’t make it the right way to drive tent stakes.

So, big swing and a miss from Shearman to start things off.

But let’s get to the meat of this – Brandel Chamblee is bothered by Michael LaSasso’s Squat & Dump golf swing, which I just this week theorized is the result of Tiger Woods having been squatting into his down swing since at least 2014, and it being copied by instructors and aspiring golfers:

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In the Golfing Gazette, you will read the following (bolding is mine or emphasis):

Golf expert Brandel Chamblee is now concerned that amateurs are being taught to do something that the greatest players ever, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, never did.

Michael La Sasso won the NCAA Men’s Individual Championship this week, and footage of his unusual swing garnered attention on social media.

His action involves a very noticeable drop on the downswing in an attempt to generate more speed through the ball.

… “Very much the in vogue drop in transition, because so many in the teaching industry are in love with this move, ignoring the fact that Nicklaus, Woods and the current number one Scheffler didn’t/don’t do this,” he explained.

First of all, you don’t ever compare Jack Nicklaus’ timeless Classic Golf Swing mechanics to Tiger Woods’ Modern Golf Swing horror show because they are at opposite ends of the universe.

Second – What?!?!  Tiger didn’t drop on the transition?

I literally, a couple of days ago, compared Tiger’s squat to the New Year’s Ball Drop at Times Square, whilst showing a swing of Jack Nicklaus’ to show how his head didn’t change level:

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… and here is Tiger’s swing where Chamblee states that Tiger didn’t drop in the transition:

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Not only that, if you listen to the commentary, this is what you’ll hear at the 10 second mark:

… and this is the – the move that Tiger’s so well-known for… sits down into the ball…

So Brandel would have you believe that Tiger Woods didn’t do something that he was “so well-known for,” as far back as 2013, which was sitting “down into the ball…”

Tiger “Not Dropping” On The Transition…

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That, my friends, was back in 2013, even before the timeline I suggested for when the Squat & Dump move was introduced to the world by Tiger.

Here’s more, from 2013 again, ironically accompanied by classical piano music, because this swing is anything but Classic:

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And the photo evidence:

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That is some sweet harpoon action, my friends.

Want more?

From… 2013 again!

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Even on this checked swing from Tiger, he was diving for dollars on that transition:

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Now, here’s a homework assignment for any eager beavers out there – do a search for “Tiger Woods Squat” on Google (or any other search engine) and on YouTube and see what you come up with.

So, what Brandel was thinking when he said what he said, I have no idea.

Even worse, he had this to say when someone stated to him that Tiger did indeed drop:

One X user responded by saying that Woods actually had a similar move in his swing, to which Chamblee immediately retorted.

‘Whatever works’ is a common phrase in golf, and that definitely applies to La Sasso. He shouldn’t change his swing now.

So, he goes from saying Tiger didn’t drop to “eh, whatever works…” and “he (LaSasso) shouldn’t change his swing now.”

I just got whiplash.

Did he just say something about TW that was patently untrue and then, when called on it, essentially admit to being wrong & pivot to saying LasSasso shouldn’t change his swing?

No, “whatever works” is not the way to go about swinging a club if you want to avoid injury, and yes, LaSasso should change his swing now, if not yesterday.

Right now, it seems Chamblee just says outrageous things to remain relevant, and we’re talking about someone whose book on the golf swing I read and endorsed (Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy from his publisher with a request to read and review, which I did), but that was 9 years ago.

Since then, I have agreed and disagreed with him in the same posting – the disagreement was when he recommended a lateral shift off the ball – if you want to know why Rory McIlroy can’t hit a barn from the inside even whilst bombing it a country mile, he’s shifting laterally on his back swing to lunge into the ball going the other way.

Today however, takes the cake when it comes to either saying something outrageous to generate clicks, or another attempt at gas-lighting by a golf pundit.