Instruction
Who is the greatest driver of the golf ball, ever?
Greg Norman said, “he is the longest living human on earth” and Ken Venturi stated “he combines power and accuracy better with a driver than anyone I have ever seen.”
Who is the greatest driver of the golf ball?
Quite possibly it’s a golfer you don’t know: Mike Dunaway. Dunaway is regarded by many as the greatest driver of the golf ball, ever. Greg Norman said, “Mike Dunaway is the longest living human on earth” and Ken Venturi stated “he combines power and accuracy better with a driver than anyone I have ever seen.”
Dunaway is the only long drive professional to ever land the cover of Golf Magazine, which he did in August, 1985 when he issued a $10,000 bet to anyone who could outhit him. Nobody did, and that issue went on to achieve the magazine’s record for newsstand sales. (Dunaway later hosted the November, 1987 cover as well.) He was the pioneer of professional long drive, the founder of the famed 350 club, served as Ely Callaway’s human “Iron Byron” for the company’s launch of the original Big Bertha driver, and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Long Drivers of America (LDA). He truly is the “Legend of Long Drive”.
I know what’s coming next, “So how did he do it?”
Before we go there, it is first necessary to understand the three key components to distance, where Distance= club head speed + mass at impact + center of club face impact. (We will forego factors like spin and launch angle at this point).
The faster and heavier the hit, along with taking full advantage of the 0.83 coefficient of restitution of the driver face with center-face strikes, the more distance will be generated. Dunaway’s swing techniques allowed him to maximize these three key components to distance, while eliminating what we call the “canceling effect.”
For example, golfers who try to swing their arms faster to increase club head speed very often deactivate the higher massed movements of the legs and torso. So any potential club head speed gains that would increase distance are cancelled out by having less mass coming into the ball at impact. Another example is the golfer that attempts to increase their center of club face impact by keeping their left arm stiff in order to maintain the radius of their circular motion. While they increase their chances of a center-face strike, the tension increase in their shoulders and arms slows their club head speed. The net result is the potential distance gain resulting from more solid contact is cancelled out by the decrease in club head speed.
“Mike Dunaway has the best golf swing in the history of long driving.” — Art Sellinger, Founder of Long Drivers of America
So the trick becomes maximizing each component, while avoiding the canceling effect. “So how did he do it?” Tension free, natural movement. These four simple words are your key to dramatically increasing both your distance and accuracy. There is more than meets the eyes in these two apparently simple concepts, starting with natural movement.
Natural movement allows the body to move as designed by nature, in the most anatomically efficient manner possible. It creates three advantages. First, maximizing anatomical efficiency lets all of the key joints involved in the golf swing (ankles, knees, and hips; wrists, elbows and shoulders; spine) move comfortably through their complete range of motion, verses only a partial range of motion. As it pertains to the golf swing, complete range of motion increases the time and distance the golfer has to accelerate their circular motion. Secondly, the more naturally we move, the less stress and strain we place on these joints and their supporting muscles, ligaments and tendons. Net result is less aches, pains and injuries. Thirdly, the more naturally efficient our movements are, the easier it is to accelerate them. The bottom line is by moving naturally, we improve our range of motion, we reduce stress and strain and we give ourselves the best chance to accelerate our movements.
For example, let’s take a look at the spine, which plays a key role in the golf swing as it is what connects the lower half to the upper half. Dunaway recognized that in order to create the most natural and efficient system to maximize distance, the torso needed to turn as a unit. The lower and upper part of the spine moved in harmony, as evidenced by his November, 1987 cover shot. 
Compare this to the “modern swing,” where golfers attempt to turn their shoulder line as far as they can around a static hipline to supposedly create torque for power in the swing. They are, in effect, twisting their torso, and as a result their spine to create distance. Most golfers believe this concept is the holy grail to distance. As if they are holding the bottom of a spring while turning the top, so when they let go of the top they are going to whiz around into the ball like the uncoiling spring.
Unfortunately, most golfers are not aware that the spine is not a spring and it is not a rubber band. It does not store energy—if you go to the top of your back swing, hold your shoulder line and jump off the ground, your lower half does not fly around underneath you. It takes a force to twist it one way, a force to stop that twist and a force to reverse directions.
The spine has a considerable amount of forward flexion and side-to-side lateral bending built into its natural range of motion. It is quite limited, however, in backwards extension, and even more so in its propensity to be twisted. PGA Tour players including Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar, Ben Crane, Patrick Cantley, David Toms, Chris Couch and Briny Baird have noted back issues, and we could certainly add to this list those players that play through their nagging back issues on a daily basis. So while the masses continue to unnaturally twist the spine for distance, they are actually limiting their potential to increase club head speed while increasing their chances for injury. This combination of lack of distance improvement along with the increasing rate of lower back injuries is rampant across all levels of the game today.
Let’s now take a look at the role of being “tension free” as the descriptor for natural movement. Tension has a split personality when it comes to the golf swing. While it is the root of all evil in the golf swing, it also plays an important, positive role. Tension on the through swing side is a killer. It slows club head speed, negatively affects balance and shortens the radius of circular motion decreasing the chances of returning the center of the club face back to the ball for solid impact. Tension on the back swing is necessary, however, in that the opposite of tension is “slack” that we need to remove from the swing system at all cost. This is why Mike Dunaway stressed the importance of “swinging into tension, so we can swing out of tension.” The tension he refers to is not stiffness or rigidity, but a taughtness that eliminates all slack from our swing system.
“Hit the longest drive personally I’ve ever seen. On the 485 yard 9th hole at Jeremy Ranch, his drive came to rest 15 yards from the green, which I was on.” — Gary Player
His main objective was to create as much escape force on the club head as possible. This force is the result of circular motion that pulls the club head away from the swing center of the golf swing, much like the iron ball pulls away from the hammer thrower in the Olympics. He used his legs and torso to create a turning and thrusting system of the hips—the turning component created tremendous circular motion, while at the same time the thrusting component created a “wrecking ball” effect that maximized the amount of mass coming into the ball.
Dunaway realized that the arms needed to be reactive to these bigger forces, as this would eliminate the canceling effect of tension-filled, active arms. He also realized that if he wound his arms tightly around this turning and thrusting system on the backswing, they would then be able to simply unwind in response to the turning and thrusting forces on the through swing creating a tremendous slinging effect of the arms. Take note that this concept of winding and slinging the arms is very different from the modern swing initiative of pushing the arms away from the body to create the supposed “width” in the golf swing that many believe is the key to power and distance.
To better understand this, let’s compare two scenarios where we have a drill and drill bit, with a 16-inch piece of cord with a washer attached to the end. In the first scenario, we wind the washer tightly around the drill bit so there is no slack in the cord. In the second scenario, we wrap the washer very loosely with slack in the cord. What will happen to the washer in each scenario when we pull the drill’s trigger and apply a rotational force to the drill bit? The washer that is tightly wound speedily escapes on a circular path away from the rotational force. How fast and far the washer unwinds the cord is determined by the intensity of the rotational force of the drill bit, and in turn, how much circular escape force is imparted out to the washer. In the second scenario, despite the same rotational force, the loosely wound washer will not escape on a circular path because of the “slack” in the cord. The more slack that exists, the less circular motion is created resulting in dramatically less escape force passing from the rotating drill bit, through the cord and out to the washer.
Wind and Sling Washer Video from Wind and Sling on Vimeo.
If we apply this scenario to the golf swing, the drill is our legs, the drill bit is our torso, the cord is our arms and club shaft and the washer is our club head. Our legs (drill) provide the energy to turn and thrust our torso (drill bit), while our attached arms and club shaft (cord) simply respond and unwind creating tremendous speed out to the club head (washer). And just as the cord can only unwind to its full 16-inch length, our tension free arms along with the club shaft will always unwind to their combined measured length. This means that no matter what the club head speed, if our arms remain tension free they will consistently return the speeding club head to the same measured point of impact. The predictability of this system established Dunaway as the longest, most accurate driver of the ball in history.
Creating a system of natural movement that allowed him to wind and sling tension free arms was the foundation for Mike Dunaway’s unequalled distance and accuracy. We will examine more long drive techniques in the next article in this series.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Jafar
Oct 2, 2014 at 3:31 pm
Sad to learn of his recent passing. Here’s to the man, the myth, the legend, Mike Dunaway.
Amanda Smith
Oct 1, 2014 at 11:49 am
Our prayers are with Mike’s Family and Friends. Our Lord has the honor of getting some great golf tips now. Please keep his mother Dorothy and sister Debbie in your thoughts and prayers, along with his daughters as they face this struggling time. Rest in Peace Mike.
ed smith sr.
Sep 15, 2014 at 11:36 am
What I care about is becoming a better golfer even at age 65. After reviewing Duke’s website Wind and Sling I purchased the program and in about 5 weeks have had the following results. I am no longer exhausted after every round of golf. My back feels healthy and loose after a round of golf. My average score on a 6600 yard tract used to be 80. In the last 6 rounds of golf I have played my high score has been 76 and the low score 71. If you find this article hits the mark I suggest you check out the Wind and Sling website. Thanks Mr. Duke.
Dan Stasiukiewicz
Sep 15, 2014 at 10:12 am
I happened across this article through my travels and looked into the authors credentials and information. I have been playing since I was 5 and I am now 35. I am self taught for the most part and play to scratch. The information the author is providing is valid stuff for distance in my opinion. I read some of the comments as well regarding “snake oil” and such. Snake oils in golf are club and ball gimmicks NOT valid swing mechanics lessons.
I used to listen to people claiming that keeping the feet on the ground is the way to generate more power. I am not sure if it is or not but its definitely a way rupture your discs in your back and wreak havoc on your body.
General intuition and a even a mild level of intelligence directs me to players who have played and played well for many many years and who are injury free. If you look at the best who have stayed around forever and competed at a high level ( Tom Watson comes to mind at the top) they all use the hips in the swing and their feet come off the ground on back and thru to allow proper rotation in the spine-back.
I personally feel the author is teaching a good swing for those who want to develop power and I am going keep him on my radar. If you are reading this Mr Duke do you have any tips for putting because thats where my issue is??!! LOL
From a self taught scratch golfer who can carry it 350 on a great day I would recommend this way and style to anyone looking for more distance without sacrificing health in their back-hands and wrists.
Dan Stasiukiewicz
KB33
Sep 7, 2014 at 11:38 am
so…not going to tag this ‘content’ as advertising…the comments are hilariously scripted as well. I have this snake oil…it will make you hit the ball 300 yd on a rope.
Want to know what is wrong with golf? It’s this…bullsh&t instruction that doesn’t make you better, but rather breaks your swing to the point that all you can do is require more lessons. If you are smart you will stay far far away from these folks and swing models.
Find yourself a real instructed that will build your swing around your ability and actually puts together a lesson plan for you with guaranteed progress…this is out there you just have to find it.
Good Luck!
Rocky K
Sep 7, 2014 at 3:03 pm
I have seen Tom Duke rocket a ball 327 yards into a 2 club wind. Oh by the way, on the ReMax Grid at the Orlando qualifier. He swings smooth and relaxed and does not appear to over swing like most long hitters. Mike Dunaway is a long driver legend and I think this was very well done and can benefit anyone who wants to put in a little time. Tom shots in the 60’s fairly frequently so something is going right with his ideas.
KB33
Sep 7, 2014 at 9:53 pm
okie dokie…how about your game? Did you win ReMax…did you shave 10 strokes off your game? How has this person made you better?
I agree…this person is great. However, that doesn’t make this model anything less than another quick fix
ParHunter
Sep 7, 2014 at 7:11 am
Quote: “So any potential club head speed gains that would increase distance are cancelled out by having less mass coming into the ball at impact.”
Are you serious? At impact the clubhead acts as an unattached object as it isn’t connected to the shaft or golfer in any way. How can you add weight of a golfer behind the impact? I think you might want to talk you theories through with some scientist.
larrybud
Sep 7, 2014 at 7:26 pm
Exactly. Some basic physics lessons would help, or he should read “Search for the perfect swing”, which was written in 1968, so it’s not like it’s any kind of ground breaking physics. From pg. 145:
“Impact with the ball pushes the clubhead back on the shaft by only a few tenths of an inch. To bend the shaft by this amount requires a force of only a few pounds; and conversely in this bent-back condition the shaft applies only a few pounds’ force to the clubhead. So this is all that the shaft (and with it the player’s hands) can apply to the clubhead during impact — quite negligible compared with the force approaching one ton which the clubhead applies to the ball — and the ball to the clubhead. It means that virtually all the resistance to impact, during actual contact, is borne by the inertia of the clubhead. That is to say, at that moment it might just as well not be connected to the player.”
Which is why someone can hit a club such as the two-hinge medicus just as far as a regular iron.
J Francis
Sep 7, 2014 at 6:44 am
At 42 and without much practice Tom’s system took my swing speed from about 102 up to 117-119, and I’m just getting started with it. I have studied Mike Austin and Dunaway’s teachings and they are great; Tom gives due credit to Austin and Dunaway; Tom does an excellent job explaining how to utilize the body’s natural, powerful movements without injuring the back. It is too bad injuries may be leading to a decline in golf participation here in the US; I know that Tom’s Wind and Sling has increased my involvement in this great sport. At 42 I’m supposed to be slowing down but just the opposite is taking place! Golf is fun again and isn’t that the point?
Peter Beck
Sep 13, 2014 at 8:27 pm
I just want to add to this post. I saw Tom and his girlfriend hitting balls at a night lighted range in South Florida. I am a 4 handicapper at 55 years old who hits the ball with a 95 mph swing speed. After listening and then asking a few questions, Tom showed me a few things that made sense and within 5 swings his measuring device had me hitting balls at 106 mph swing speed. A markedly incraese in distance that is so important at my age. I have been tuning in to Tom’s web site since and can honestly say I feel much better about my game both distance and accuracy since that evening. I am a fan of the centrifugal force lessons……
Joe
Sep 7, 2014 at 3:46 am
Trevino.
Large chris
Sep 6, 2014 at 12:41 pm
Well that’s at least five people commented on this who have never posted before on golfwrx……
Ron Nay
Sep 6, 2014 at 11:15 am
I am 74 years old. In my 50 yrs.of playing golf I have been to over 45 instructors in different parts of America. I was an NFL scout and a former football and baseball coach. I found Thomas Duke on Mike Dunaways website and ordered his Wind and Sling program. It is the Best way to swing I have found.Not only have I regained distance but accuracy both with driver and irons. There is no difference in the two swings as taught by Thomas. He is an outstanding teacher who will make you a better striker of the ball.
Evan
Sep 6, 2014 at 10:01 am
Typically, if you are an exceptional and extraordinary driver of the golf ball, your iron play is less than great. The mechanics and motion that makes the perfect driver swing (snappy release behind the ball w/ flat or upswing AOA) is not the same as a solid iron/ wedge swing (weight over the ball, forward shaft lean). Not to say that all these guys can do is drive the ball, you can still have a serviceable iron/ wedge game with a great driver swing… rarely if ever a person has both at the same time.
Golf has three very different motions to master. Driver swing, iron/ wedge swing, putting/ chipping. I think the key is developing motions that transition well into every part of the game. If you want to drive the ball long and straight, this is a very good swing to copy… I think history proves that it is not a well balanced golf swing that transitions well into the other parts of the game at the elite level.
JW
Sep 6, 2014 at 11:45 am
I definitely agree that “Mike Austinesque” swings are pretty much driver swings. I think that is why you predominantly see this swing style on the LD circuit.
The used car salesman mentality of most instructors teaching this swing turns people away from it. Its borderline infomercial and if you want to learn the swing just look up Mike Austin on youtube to figure it (it is not that complex). That is what I did when I was dabbling with this swing.
mrjoe
Sep 6, 2014 at 5:15 pm
Kenny Perry would disagree with your premise.
As would Hogan.
Evan
Sep 7, 2014 at 9:51 am
No one is the best all around driver and has the best iron/ wedge play… Hogan might be the closest thing to that, but Hogan was not the longest and straightest driver. Hogan was not in the 350 club and sniping irons like he did.
To maximize driving distance and accuracy requires a distinctly different motion from excellent iron/ wedge play… the equipment and setup is too different. That is why the BEST ALL AROUND players have a swing that marries the two full swings. Could they hit the ball further off the tee if that is all they had to focus on? Sure. Name one guy in the so called 350 club that has a hall of fame golf career… crickets.
Other than Long Drive competitors (who are not tour players with great all around game) who averages or has averaged 350 off the tee? No one, ever… not average for a full season.
Ballstriker
Sep 6, 2014 at 3:37 am
I’m goin’ with the special guy “Moe Norman.” Ball striker extraordinaire! Goodnight Canada!
Chris
Sep 6, 2014 at 11:35 am
So in your opinion distance is not part of the “greatest driver of the ball” equation? I am not questioning Moe’s accuracy and control, but he wasn’t known for being a long hitter.
mrjoe
Sep 6, 2014 at 5:18 pm
Fair enough, but compare the golfing resumes of Dunaway and Moe Norman. Who was won more important golfing tournaments? Who is more esteemed by his peers?
Chris
Sep 6, 2014 at 11:39 pm
The title of this article is “Who is the greatest driver of the ball, ever?”, it isn’t who won more, or who is more esteemed by his peers. It has nothing to do with iron play, or putting either.
mrjoe
Sep 7, 2014 at 12:03 pm
Nearly the whole premise of Duke’s claim as Dunaway as the best driver ever is based on random quotes from golf pros saying Dunaway hits it long and straight. So yeah, I’d say that the whole esteemed-by-his-peers thing is relevant to this article.
Claiming that Dunaway is the best driver ever requires some sort of actual evidence to prove the claim. I would argue that it requires a LOT of evidence, given the lofty claim.
Heck, why not call Mike Austin the best driver of the golf ball ever? He certainly knew more about the swing than Dunaway, holds that 515 yd drive record, and he actually competed in pro tourneys.
I am just going to say it: I AM THE BEST DRIVER OF THE GOLF BALL, EVER! I haven’t won any tournaments, but I can swing it fast and I have a whole section of my brain devoted to storing compliments about me that I’ve heard on the course.
Silas Robertson
Sep 8, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Moe Norman was the greatest driving range player EVER. Unfortunately due to his autism or lack of a short game he never compiled an elite resume worthy of his legend or even tour stats that could back up any claims of his driving abilities other than watching him hit thousands of golf balls when he was a really old man. If anyone could find any distance and fairways hit stats for Norman I would love to see them. Having to hit a grid in mesquite in an LD competition with just one ball out of six and not playing your misses, while not easy is not the same as having a chance to win the masters and having to pipe it down that narrow chute on 18. I love opinion pieces because everyone’s is different but in my opinion based off stats the most effective total driver over a long period of time was Nicklaus. I don’t believe he was necessarily more accurate than Norman, Hogan, or Nelson but good driving was a pillar of Nicklaus game and combining length with accuracy made him the most effective driver.
Todd Turner
Sep 5, 2014 at 9:36 pm
Calvin Peete
Emsmizzle
Sep 5, 2014 at 9:12 pm
Last ditch effort to get our money is what it seems like to me
mrjoe
Sep 5, 2014 at 7:19 pm
Mike Flipping Dunaway is the greatest driver of the golf ball ever?!? You’ve got to be kidding.
Clearly it’s Jason Zuback.
Seriously, though, what has Dunaway WON with his majestic driving ability, other than LD competitions?
Jimmy
Sep 5, 2014 at 5:16 pm
Im going with mike ditka as the best driver ever da bears
Joe
Sep 5, 2014 at 6:51 pm
What would go farther, a golf ball named Ditka or a golf ball hit by Ditka?
Jimmy
Sep 5, 2014 at 10:35 pm
What if the ball was a ditka polish sausage pro v1 how far would dat go
vinax
Sep 5, 2014 at 4:25 pm
If this is such a great system why is there no one on the PGA tour using it to their advantage?
Joel
Sep 5, 2014 at 3:38 pm
Tough to distill all of toms great ideas into one article… I have purchased his entire learning system and found it priceless… His wind and sling system is beyond excellent… And his advice that flexibility is way overemphasized…. A past parallel swing can be achieved with proper mechanics even by a 66 year old stiff former footballer and competitive weightlifter and weight thrower…. I promise you will benefit greatly from this program!!!
Mike
Sep 5, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Thank you for writing the article.
You seem to take a stance that the body dominates the swing and swinging the arms faster adds tension to them. I’m not nearly qualified as you to comment, but common sense brought me to the idea that the more the arms swing the more freely they do. How are the arms adding to tension the more they swing? I’ve heard that the body is only responsible for 13% of speed in the golf swing. Do you disagree?
I watched your example with the rope and the drill bit, but I have to ask you this…. What can you move faster your arms or your torso? The speed, good angle of attack and center face contact are what hits it long not a brute force. I could be misunderstanding what you’re saying, but I don’t know how swinging your arms less or completely in sync with your slower body hits it the furthest?
Mike
Sep 5, 2014 at 3:06 pm
Sorry for the grammar issues!
Christosterone
Sep 5, 2014 at 4:30 pm
Using an ipad my grammatical prowess has digressed to the level of a neanderthal…
Dont beat urself up…
Plus anyone that corrects grammar on the internet is a bad person….its in the bible
Tom Duke
Sep 6, 2014 at 12:53 pm
Hey Mike, thanks for your question, and interest.
The key is where the energy for the “swing” in the arms is generated. You can certainly swing the arms independent of, and across, the torso through forces generated in your shoulder joints. The by product of this active “arm swing” will be some degree of tension in the shoulders and traps. The other option is to let the arms swing reactively to the bigger turning and thrusting forces of legs and torso, like the drill and washer example.
Another way to look at it is to take a look at the trebuchet in comparison to the catapult. The catapult was a wooden beam with a bucket on the end where projectiles were placed to be thrown. The trebuchet was a similar machine, but it also had a sling affixed to the end of the throwing arm, acting as a secondary fulcrum, to further multiply the speed of the projectile. So while the wooden arms moved the same speed in both machines (relatively slowly), as the sling reacted to the wooden arm it generated much more speed out to the projectile, allowing the trebuchet to throw much greater distances. There was no active energy in the sling, it simply responded to the forces generated by the wooden arm.
The arms can swing faster if they respond to the bigger forces, verses swinging independently of them. Just like if you were going to give someone a backhand smack with your left hand. You could certainly just swing an active left arm across the body by itself. You could deliver much more “smack” if you wound that left arm around your coiling body, and allowed it to react to the turning and thrusting forces of your legs and torso, and unwind and sling like a whip into impact.
CD
Sep 7, 2014 at 2:37 am
The trebuchet is fundamentally a poor analogy for a Mike Austin/Dunaway swing, as they both utilised a throwing of the clubhead, by the hands, from the top, it’s like a trebuchet with a motor at the pivot point of its sling.
Not disagreeing he swung in and out of tension, instantly relaxed arms after the throw are crucial for the throw from the top to have any serious speed, but he threw the club at the top of the swing into orbit, with the hands.
I would say more critical to his swing are:
– ‘measuring off’ precisely at address
– sliding the hips not turning
– the compound pivot
– the throw from the top (and immediately relaxing the muscles)
– the rope drill to train the compound pivot
– the carpet beater drill to train dorsi flexion in release
It seems an oversight to mention Art Sellinger but not Mike Austin when writing about Mike Dunaway.
Trent
Sep 5, 2014 at 2:11 pm
Great article. However, it’s a shame that you failed to mention that Mike Dunaway was Mike Austin’s protege. It was with Mike Austin’s teachings and swing methods that allowed Mike Dunaway fully take advantage of his physical gifts. I encourage anybody who wants to learn more on this swing to watch some of Mike Austin’s videos or read his instruction, some of which feature Mike Dunaway.
Christosterone
Sep 5, 2014 at 1:47 pm
Great article…
As usual, the greatest swings have every component of a reverse c.
I still cant fathom why more people dont hit it…
My all time favorite swings(Jack & Monty) were perfect under pressure…and before anyone whines about monty not winning in america he won the order of merit 8 times, 7 times consecutively.
And during ryder cup, his reverse c held up almost perfectly under immense pressure…
Vijay Singh’s reverse c worked beautifully as well…if he had been able to putt he wouldve been an alltime great…with a swing that looks forged from the 70s….
I continue to preach the ease of the reverse c and fight its negative propoganda as a back killer…watch monty
Jeffrey Adik
Sep 5, 2014 at 1:04 pm
Thank you for sharing your über-fascinating & visionary insights, Mr. Duke. You truly have a gift for making the complex dynamics of golf, tangible, accessible and engaging. Are you available for private lessons? I am confident that some “one-on-one-on-the-links-time” would serve as catalyst to transform my game, and be particularly enjoyable!
MHendon
Sep 5, 2014 at 12:20 pm
You know no movement in sport is dissected and critiqued more than the golf swing. People accept that what makes a great pitcher great is his abnormal athletic ability, people accept that what makes a great quarterback great is his abnormal athletic ability. They accept the great tennis player, basketball player, sprinter, hockey player, etc as being exactly what they are, a great athletes. However know one seems to want to accept that golf is a sport so there’s this constant attempt to turn the golf swing into science. Dunaway hit the ball so far because he was a great athlete and the same is true for every guy on the PGA tour. That’s why I respect Butch Harmon more than any other teacher. He focuses on the basics, grip, posture, alignment. Beyond that its all athletic ability. But I guess it’s big business trying to convince average people through science they can one day be great too.
Mike
Sep 5, 2014 at 2:55 pm
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Doug Fresard
Sep 5, 2014 at 12:15 pm
Great story for the game. Fantastic ” new. ” look into the swing. Very fun, informative read.
Donnie
Sep 5, 2014 at 12:12 pm
Interesting article. Does this mean that all these things regarding x-factor in the swing is actually counter productive? I will have to do a bit of reading. Mike Dunaway is a bit before my time.