Recently several so called experts have taken some cheap shots at Bubba Watson’s “homemade golf swing” .
Here is what I believe. You have to love and envy his ability to play the game. Watching Bubba is entertaining to say the least. Nothing is off the table and he will try anything. His creativity is amazing. He just sees the shot and does it. How did Bubba get here, we all would like to know.
Would I try to teach Bubba’s swing? In a simple word, no. Do I think his swing is good ? I think his swing is AMAZING.
When I started teaching my nephew David Haley Jr., who by the way fared much better than many touring pros at yesterday’s U S Open sectional qualifier, I spent a great deal of time on only a few fundamentals. As David got older the constant reminders allowed effective golf swing moves to materialize and habituate which produce power and consistency. That is the beauty and essence of Bubba’s swing. It repeats itself to create a powerful, natural and consistent ball flight.
When I start with a new student, they are exposed to the real fundamentals of the golf swing, impact, forward divot and creating their personal natural ball flight. If the student has developed what I consider to be “killer moves”, positions or movements during the swing that are so detrimental as to destroy any possibility of improvement, they must be eliminated. These positions are identified and rectified by substituting something that is not destructive. Perfection obviously does not exist in golf swings. Witness the fact that that Tiger is now on his third recreation of his golf swing. Note that he has won major championships with each different swing.
Don’t confuse beauty with effectiveness. There are beautiful golf swings out there that don’t make money. On the other hand don’t confuse diversity and effectiveness either. Don’t let “killer moves” remain unidentified in your golf swing and stop your improvement. As for Bubba, he does alright with his “home made” swing.
Keith Haley Golf 