Cool stuff. So that's you swinging and him talking in the video above? What's so different about this swing? (the contrary motions and such you mention there at the end)
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Mike Austin Swing
- Thread starter vuhnan
- Start date
Cool stuff. So that's you swinging and him talking in the video above? What's so different about this swing? (the contrary motions and such you mention there at the end)
295yards
Well-Known Member
- May 5, 2009
- 447
- 0
I bought the video from Mike Dunaway and bought the book from Dan "How to Kill the Ball" and I did find myself feeling better results...but often a person get better results just from practicing!
Nonetheless, I spent many months defending the Austin Swing in another forum, including Dan Shauger.
I finally decided to meet and take three lessons from Dan.
It cost about $450 + flight and hotel...and it was not only a farce, he gave me specific instructions to practice that weekend that resulted in me tearing my rotator cuff and destroying the remainder of a really good season I was having.
Yet, after me defending him in public, spending over a $thousand bucks to see him, and costing me thousands of dollars in medical and rehab bills, He admitting, he gave me bad advice, but he still never apologized. His attitude was like "tough sh!t, time for me to move on to the next sucker".
Now, you see the "Ausinites" popping up all over, arguing who's the "REAL" Austin disciple....bottom line, it's all rubbish....they are getting to be like those "The Golfing Machine" fanatics who are already the Jehovahs Witnesses of golf.
They are the new Golf cult, looking for recruits.....I strongly recommend you stay away from them....
Nonetheless, I spent many months defending the Austin Swing in another forum, including Dan Shauger.
I finally decided to meet and take three lessons from Dan.
It cost about $450 + flight and hotel...and it was not only a farce, he gave me specific instructions to practice that weekend that resulted in me tearing my rotator cuff and destroying the remainder of a really good season I was having.
Yet, after me defending him in public, spending over a $thousand bucks to see him, and costing me thousands of dollars in medical and rehab bills, He admitting, he gave me bad advice, but he still never apologized. His attitude was like "tough sh!t, time for me to move on to the next sucker".
Now, you see the "Ausinites" popping up all over, arguing who's the "REAL" Austin disciple....bottom line, it's all rubbish....they are getting to be like those "The Golfing Machine" fanatics who are already the Jehovahs Witnesses of golf.
They are the new Golf cult, looking for recruits.....I strongly recommend you stay away from them....
295yards
Well-Known Member
- May 5, 2009
- 447
- 0
Good call on the comparison of golf teaching methods to that of religion.
Maybe we such arrange a meeting between all these self proclaimed guru's, give them each a sword and stick them in a closed room for about an hour to discuss the golf swing.
We could videotape it but i'm sure censorship would never allow it to be aired :biglol:
I can't speak as to the differences between how Mike Dunaway and Mike Austin communicate the swing. I have viewed their respective tapes. The compound pivot is the same. They may communicate the release a bit differently. As you know, with each day there might be a slight difference in what one feels or how one communicates something.
I can only speak to what Mike Austin taught me.
I know that around 2000 Mike had changed his thoughts on the swing. (I had previously taken lessons with him since 1996.) The compound pivot had remained the same but his hand position and release changed.
There's a lot of dispute over that, and many contend that he never did so. I simply know that he told me he had changed it and taught me, from that point on, accordingly. I also witnessed him teach the new release to dozens of other students with me by his side.
I am sorry, but I am bit confused over the short game comment. My fault, I must not have been clear.
Mike's swing promoted effortless power. I've driven well in excess of 300 yards, without pain and strain. The point was that many have commented that his swing "method" was focused and designed only for long hitting. Not true.
His swing promoted accuracy and power without the wear and tear of twisting one body part against another or torquing yourself to the ground. Further, his technique translated well to the short game. If you had several lessons time with Mike, you ended up spending considerable time on short game and specialty shots. He wasn't teaching long driving as some claim. Long drives were simply one of the results. Hope that helps!
I can only speak to what Mike Austin taught me.
I know that around 2000 Mike had changed his thoughts on the swing. (I had previously taken lessons with him since 1996.) The compound pivot had remained the same but his hand position and release changed.
There's a lot of dispute over that, and many contend that he never did so. I simply know that he told me he had changed it and taught me, from that point on, accordingly. I also witnessed him teach the new release to dozens of other students with me by his side.
I am sorry, but I am bit confused over the short game comment. My fault, I must not have been clear.
Mike's swing promoted effortless power. I've driven well in excess of 300 yards, without pain and strain. The point was that many have commented that his swing "method" was focused and designed only for long hitting. Not true.
His swing promoted accuracy and power without the wear and tear of twisting one body part against another or torquing yourself to the ground. Further, his technique translated well to the short game. If you had several lessons time with Mike, you ended up spending considerable time on short game and specialty shots. He wasn't teaching long driving as some claim. Long drives were simply one of the results. Hope that helps!
Can't quite grasp the "religious", "cult" or "spam" assertions. Interesting responses though, particularly under a thread entitled "Re: Mike Austin Swing".
For what it's worth, I have always had a great passion for learning how people achieved extraordinary results. In the sports arena I worked my butt off to finance lessons with Leadbetter, John Schlee, Jimmy Ballard, Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, David Lee, and Ben Doyle, to name a few. My friends thought I was crazy. (I've done the same thing in music, chess and skiing.) They were all great teachers and wonderful people. I also happened to take years of lessons from Mike Austin. Mike, god bless him, is gone. I have no interest in convincing people to swing like him or to convince others that his swing was better than anyone else's swing. When you are standing on the last tee (whether to break your own 18 hole record, win the club championship, or just take some beer money from your buddies) it all comes down to what you can repeat under pressure. Plus, golf's suppose to be fun. Do whatever makes you have the most fun.
I personally found Mike's teaching to very unique and effective however. I could hit bucket after bucket with no pain or strain. I immediately had increased length and accuracy. I could take it to the course. Plus, I thought that it was awfully cool that someone studied kinesiology and engineering and then applied it to sports performance well before it was popular (Mike Marshall, former picture for the Dodgers was the only other example that came to my mind). I also always believed that the more you learned, the more weapons you had in your arsenal. Wasn't it Johnny Miller who use to pretend he was Trevino when he wanted to fade it and someone else when he wanted to hook it?
Mike led an extraordinary life and made some really wonderful accomplishments as a member of the 350 Club and as a former Southern California Teacher of the Year. Further, he was remarkably intelligent and a wonderful character. He probably deserved a lot more public acknowledgement than he ever received. He was also a buddy. Almost 90 when I last saw him, I agreed to step up on behalf of his legacy when people were misrepresenting what he taught.
Anyway, I do (or did) have an interest in allowing people who had a true interest in Mike's swing to learn what he was teaching rather than try to guess from the limited available video or learn from people that never took a lesson from the gentleman. Sorry, but for me it was like having Honus Wagner give you a batting lesson or Bruce Lee showing you how to perform the 1 inch punch. I thought it would be pretty cool thing. Maybe I was wrong . . . Or, maybe I'm just in the wrong venue . . .
For what it's worth, I have always had a great passion for learning how people achieved extraordinary results. In the sports arena I worked my butt off to finance lessons with Leadbetter, John Schlee, Jimmy Ballard, Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, David Lee, and Ben Doyle, to name a few. My friends thought I was crazy. (I've done the same thing in music, chess and skiing.) They were all great teachers and wonderful people. I also happened to take years of lessons from Mike Austin. Mike, god bless him, is gone. I have no interest in convincing people to swing like him or to convince others that his swing was better than anyone else's swing. When you are standing on the last tee (whether to break your own 18 hole record, win the club championship, or just take some beer money from your buddies) it all comes down to what you can repeat under pressure. Plus, golf's suppose to be fun. Do whatever makes you have the most fun.
I personally found Mike's teaching to very unique and effective however. I could hit bucket after bucket with no pain or strain. I immediately had increased length and accuracy. I could take it to the course. Plus, I thought that it was awfully cool that someone studied kinesiology and engineering and then applied it to sports performance well before it was popular (Mike Marshall, former picture for the Dodgers was the only other example that came to my mind). I also always believed that the more you learned, the more weapons you had in your arsenal. Wasn't it Johnny Miller who use to pretend he was Trevino when he wanted to fade it and someone else when he wanted to hook it?
Mike led an extraordinary life and made some really wonderful accomplishments as a member of the 350 Club and as a former Southern California Teacher of the Year. Further, he was remarkably intelligent and a wonderful character. He probably deserved a lot more public acknowledgement than he ever received. He was also a buddy. Almost 90 when I last saw him, I agreed to step up on behalf of his legacy when people were misrepresenting what he taught.
Anyway, I do (or did) have an interest in allowing people who had a true interest in Mike's swing to learn what he was teaching rather than try to guess from the limited available video or learn from people that never took a lesson from the gentleman. Sorry, but for me it was like having Honus Wagner give you a batting lesson or Bruce Lee showing you how to perform the 1 inch punch. I thought it would be pretty cool thing. Maybe I was wrong . . . Or, maybe I'm just in the wrong venue . . .
That sucks. Which rotator cuff did you tear (and are you righty or lefty,) and do you know what movements caused the injury?
I am right handed and tore the cuff in my left shoulder.
After our third lesson, he told me to go out and hit 50 golf balls with my 7-iron and his instructions were to hit each ball so that at impact my left elbow would be lagging behind my right knee.
In otherwords if a camera was in front of me, not in the target line, but on the other side of the golf ball on the ground, and a picture would be snapped exactly at impact, it would show my right knee in front of my left elbow.
When he told me that, I reinacted what he said and could barely FORCE myself into that position, let alone hit a ball like that.
I said: “Are you SURE”?
He said: “yes, the more you practice it, the easier it will get.”
Well, after hitting about 35 balls, I thought someone had shoved an ice pick in my shoulder….got home to Iowa and found out I tor the rotator cuff.
I called Dan and told him what I did and the injury…and all he could say was “Rory, I said “try” to do it …not “Actually” do it!
If I was still in the San Fernando Valley I woulda beat the sh!t outta him with my one good arm.
After our third lesson, he told me to go out and hit 50 golf balls with my 7-iron and his instructions were to hit each ball so that at impact my left elbow would be lagging behind my right knee.
In otherwords if a camera was in front of me, not in the target line, but on the other side of the golf ball on the ground, and a picture would be snapped exactly at impact, it would show my right knee in front of my left elbow.
When he told me that, I reinacted what he said and could barely FORCE myself into that position, let alone hit a ball like that.
I said: “Are you SURE”?
He said: “yes, the more you practice it, the easier it will get.”
Well, after hitting about 35 balls, I thought someone had shoved an ice pick in my shoulder….got home to Iowa and found out I tor the rotator cuff.
I called Dan and told him what I did and the injury…and all he could say was “Rory, I said “try” to do it …not “Actually” do it!
If I was still in the San Fernando Valley I woulda beat the sh!t outta him with my one good arm.
Surely you jest!
Lets see, someone, a newcomer starts a thread about the Austin swing...and all of a sudden, three more "austinologists" just "happen" to sign up and join the thread on the same day?
C'mon...you guys have done this at other golf forums many times ..I believe some of you if not all got kicked out of Golf Opions for it....
United States
Do note the original post for this thread was posted in 2007
thekid65
Well-Known Member
- Jan 2, 2009
- 406
- 0
Austinfan said:
As someone who has dealt with engineers for most of his career, I've learned that while they may be intelligent men/women, a good percentage of them dont also study "manufacturing capability", which, in turn leads them to a design that cannot be practically implemented.
What in the world are you talking about????
Start a new thread?? This was the existing Mike Austin thread. Sadly, no one had any input as late.
Three other "austinologists" signed up the same day??? Even if that was true, wouldn't having Mike Austin fans sign up be a good thing for a Mike Austin thread?
Kicked off other sites? You might want to check your facts before making further defamatory assertions.
Anyway, if someone wants to talk Austin, great.
Not sure why you are trying to thwart discussion of Mike Austin's swing techniques on a Mike Austin thread!?
Start a new thread?? This was the existing Mike Austin thread. Sadly, no one had any input as late.
Three other "austinologists" signed up the same day??? Even if that was true, wouldn't having Mike Austin fans sign up be a good thing for a Mike Austin thread?
Kicked off other sites? You might want to check your facts before making further defamatory assertions.
Anyway, if someone wants to talk Austin, great.
Not sure why you are trying to thwart discussion of Mike Austin's swing techniques on a Mike Austin thread!?
Please re-read what I said...I said "I believe" some of you were kicked off the G.O. forum. If your statement of facts regarding swing techniques are as accurate as your reading comprehension, then you just might have put another dent in your reputation
If you note, the thread, like this forum is an open discussion, it is not designed only for those wish to heap praises on it...so my friend, I have every prerogative to share my personal experiences and thoughts.
If ya don't like it...well as my grandma used to say: "Don't let the door hit-cha, where the good lord split-cha".
SilverUberXeno
El Tigre Blanco
- Jul 26, 2005
- 4,620
- 26
What is the general idea behind the "Austin swing" that makes it unique?
- Mar 9, 2005
- 1,473
- 23
SUX,
It is a two-pivot swing. Pivot over to the right leg, pivot to the left. The engineering and kinesiology behind the swing make total sense. The arms "trombone" on the way back, and the way through, making a full turn, or more than a full turn, really, really easy to do. My "normal" swing I get almost 90* of turn, or just about under my chin. With the Austin pivot, my left shoulder almost turns to my right knee. Don't know how, and it doesn't hurt at all. Just a pure wind-up.
The point of contention in a lot of Mike Austin teachings is what the hands do. In Dan Shauger's books, he contends that Austin had your hands doing "The Conical Release" or "Crank Action" of the wrists. That release is designed to add even more MPH's to your swing AND keep the clubhead squarer, longer, through impact. For short game, I had never chipped better. Every chip came off dead straight.
My problem with the entire system was timing the "conical release" with the rest of the swing. I just couldn't get it and the amount of fats and thins made the game way too discouraging. Moreover, I didn't gain any clubhead speed in my driver as measured by my SwingSpeedRadar.
Maybe I didn't give it enough time or enough reps. I don't know. I'm between a 3-5 handicap on my course and I play for money almost every round. You can only shoot so many 85's, taking $20 losses, before you go back to what works.
If it doesn't work "semi-instantly" it doesn't seem right. If it was a better way of doing things, it should be better. I hit 100's of balls working on it, and took MANY more practice swings than that also working on it.
I just couldn't get the timing of the conical release down with my new, much, much longer turn.
Maybe AustinFan has some info on the release. Some say Austin was for the conical release, some say he taught a more conventional release. Only the guys that knew him will ever know for sure.
There is no question though, that Mike Austin killed the f-ing ball with what looked like little to no effort. He hit the ball 515yds in a tourney when he was 64 years old in 1974 with persimmon and balata. Serious power. The kind of power everyone wants.
Hence the occasional Mike Austin resurrection thread.
It is a two-pivot swing. Pivot over to the right leg, pivot to the left. The engineering and kinesiology behind the swing make total sense. The arms "trombone" on the way back, and the way through, making a full turn, or more than a full turn, really, really easy to do. My "normal" swing I get almost 90* of turn, or just about under my chin. With the Austin pivot, my left shoulder almost turns to my right knee. Don't know how, and it doesn't hurt at all. Just a pure wind-up.
The point of contention in a lot of Mike Austin teachings is what the hands do. In Dan Shauger's books, he contends that Austin had your hands doing "The Conical Release" or "Crank Action" of the wrists. That release is designed to add even more MPH's to your swing AND keep the clubhead squarer, longer, through impact. For short game, I had never chipped better. Every chip came off dead straight.
My problem with the entire system was timing the "conical release" with the rest of the swing. I just couldn't get it and the amount of fats and thins made the game way too discouraging. Moreover, I didn't gain any clubhead speed in my driver as measured by my SwingSpeedRadar.
Maybe I didn't give it enough time or enough reps. I don't know. I'm between a 3-5 handicap on my course and I play for money almost every round. You can only shoot so many 85's, taking $20 losses, before you go back to what works.
If it doesn't work "semi-instantly" it doesn't seem right. If it was a better way of doing things, it should be better. I hit 100's of balls working on it, and took MANY more practice swings than that also working on it.
I just couldn't get the timing of the conical release down with my new, much, much longer turn.
Maybe AustinFan has some info on the release. Some say Austin was for the conical release, some say he taught a more conventional release. Only the guys that knew him will ever know for sure.
There is no question though, that Mike Austin killed the f-ing ball with what looked like little to no effort. He hit the ball 515yds in a tourney when he was 64 years old in 1974 with persimmon and balata. Serious power. The kind of power everyone wants.
Hence the occasional Mike Austin resurrection thread.
