We all know that Gary Player was a great golfer – he won 9 majors and was the first international golfer who jetted all around the world to play in tournaments back in the day.
His talent however didn’t translate to an ability to talk about the golf swing with any coherence, because the YouTube short I came across today was a study in “how can you swing so well and get it so wrong?”
As with so many great swingers, you’re better off watching them do it over listening to them talk about the swing, because even the greats like Player can be absolutely clueless about what they did in their swings.
It’s either that or they become enamored of the attention they received in their prime and allow themselves to be roped into the nonsense that is Modern Golf – they know that what they’re saying is nonsense, but they are getting the attention they crave.
It’s either one or the other – you either have no clue what you’re doing in the swing, or you’re peddling BS to get attention. If there’s a third option, let me know.
So, in this clip, Gary Player is correctly describing how one must get into one’s leading foot on the down swing into impact – that is standard, no one is going to argue against that except for the Modern Golf Swing people, but he goes completely off the rails after that:
Did you get that?
Gary says that you have to be “opened up” at impact and not square to the target:
… which is so unbelievably wrong that it’s embarrassing.
“How many people hit the ball like that?” he asks… um, I hate to tell Gary that it’s every great swinger ever, including himself.
Not only that, what’s with the ball position in the middle of the stance for a driver?
I have the answer for you – the only way what he’s saying might even start to make sense is by having the ball there, or his turning motion into the ball would have him either toe the ball with the club or snap it left with a pull-banana-slice.
Ridiculous premise, ridiculous ball position.
Now, when Gary actually hits the ball, look at his body and the ball position:
… you tell me which position he’s in – the one to which he says “what player does that,” or the ridiculous opened up position?
Looks like your standard classis “Leaning A” impact position.
Of course.
You would never have heard of Gary Player if he swung the way he’s telling you to.
How about a swing of his from his actual playing days?
And what, pray tell, is his body position at impact?
Of Course He’s Square To The Target Line
Like I said, he either has no clue what he’s doing in his swing, or he’s been co-opted by the Modern Golf Swing people to peddle their nonsense out of a desire for attention.
The Inevitable Result
Beware the golf gurus (including former players) who talk a blue streak – they can be very entertaining, but full of absolute nonsense 99% of the time.
WAX Golf 