Many people may have asked the question – Who is Mike Austin. Mike Austin is well known as a long driver of the golf ball. In 1974 in Nevada, Mike once hit a golf ball 515 yards. As a result, our natural curiosity leads us to ask the questions – what secret did Mike Austin know to unlock such great club head speed to produce a shot that travelled that far.
Mike worked closely with Sam Snead in his career, but did suffer from a stroke in 1989. He continued to give golf lessons at Studio Golf Course in California. He died in 2005 at the age of 95. There are many great videos out there with Mike Austin talking about the golf swing. Below we will provide an analysis on our top 5 Mike Austin Golf Swing videos.
Here at golfjourney365, we believe we are all on a journey to get better. While our swings are somewhat personalized, there are elements we can learn from the legends that have played the game that just might help us hit the ball better and score better for our next round.
Sometimes what the legends of the game did in their swing contradicts some of the current day teaching. This is where we think ball flight laws and reading your ball flight can help you make the adjustments necessary to build a better game and shoot lower scores. To learn more about ball flight laws, read here.
We believe that the learning in golf never stops and we should seek new information, but process it in a way that makes sense and is applicable. We love golf and we hope that you do too.
Join us as we review the 5 top Mike Austin Golf Swing videos. Isn’t it great with youtube nowadays we have access to some of the top brains and legends in the game of golf? We feel fortunate to be alive in this era of great information. Let us help you process this information below and share how we think it can help your game.
Mike Austin Golf Swing – Video #1
This video below brings Mike to us as he talks about every movement within the swing. THere are several things that stand out to us in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6NlWtKh1SI&t=58s
- He highlights the movement of the left hip forward at the beginning of the golf swing. Many instructors recommend just a complete clearing and not any movement forward. The stack and tilt instructors often talked about a slight bump forward and does Monte Scheinblum.
- He talks about higher hands for power. Many of the instructors today want your hands to stay low and connected to your body. Many of the legends played with higher hands including Jack Nicklaus.
- He emphasizes getting the clubhead to “at least” perpendicular to the ground. For years instructors have talked about stopping short of parallel and advised against going past parallel.
- At :48, he talks about a strong snap of the club with the hands. There are many golf lessons that encourage holding lag. My number one takeaway from the MIke Austin golf swing is the movement of the hands, which we will see in further depth in the videos below. While Mike Austin had great lag in his swing, it wasn’t a result of trying to hold lag, in fact it was from the opposite thought of throwing the hands very early in the downswing.
Mike Austin Golf Swing – Video #2
This video is a montage of the Mike Austin Golf Swing at different stages of his life. Here are some major things that jump out at me from viewing the video below:
- Check out at 1:06, how much he drags his hands inside on his takeaway. All of the conventional teaching today tells you to not suck your hands inside and to keep them moving more back and away. He wraps it actually somewhat similar to what I have seen from Sam Snead. INteresting to note is that his club is pointing to the right of his target line. Many teachers want the club and the shaft pointing left of the target or parallel left of the target line.
- I also must make note of his hips and that they do thrust forward a bit before clearing out. This can help keep the club on the inside and aid in hitting a draw shot.
- The amount of speed in his downswing from halfway down through the ball is rather impressive. The speed is definitely in the right spot and something we can all learn from. He appears to remain patient and then fires away.
Swing Man Golf – Gain 30-40 yards like Mike Austin – Check them out here.
Mike Austin Golf Swing – Video #3
I believe this is one of the best videos on the Mike Austin Golf Swing and the secret to his distance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P07iigbOvE&t=3s
- This video encourages the golfer to throw the club from the top. Not pull, not push, but throw. It talks about taking advantage of gravity and letting it fly. This is similar to the thought Jack Nicklaus had when he said a golfer can’t release the club too early. Some may view this as casting, but it is not because the body is moving at the same time and it matches up well. The throw takes place with the right hand as the right arm is fully extending. The secret release helps a golfer maximize the club head speed.
- My own experience: When I have combined this throwing motion with a target based approach that Shawn Clement teaches, I have played my best golf and have been able to break par. When I combine the freedom of the throwing feel with a focus on a target based approach, I have been able to play the most liberating golf. One free of trying to control every movement in the golf swing.
- Who can this help? This could be very beneficial to any golfer that is currently trying to hold the lag and is simply frustrated with this approach. I have found it liberating and actually helps hit the ball straighter and further. The clubhead throwing takes advantage of the natural gravity and the pendulum swinging of the club.
- This is similar to a feeling that David Duval for much of his success. (see bonus video towards end of post.
Mike Austin Golf Swing – Video #4
This video spends more time on the backswing and the position that is setup at the top.
- In the backswing the golfer is taking it back like they are going to throw a football. Mike talks about the golfer setting up like they are throwing a football. The position feels relaxed and easy to replicate. It creates a more relaxing point.
- There are some excellent visionalizations in this video.
- Once again, we hear about the promotion of hitting the ball with the right side. He talks about swinging the right arm to the side of the shoulder and letting the shoulder lead the way. Many people debate if the golf swing is right sided or left sided. While I believe you can play golf with either feel, Mike Austin promotes the right side for speed.
Mike Austin Golf Swing – Video #5
The instructor once again talks about the release and where it leads to the int he follow through.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9enqIGRDJU
- Once again, there is a focus on maximizing energy and they stress that the conscious delay of the throw only slows the clubhead speed down. Most of the amateurs are all trying to turn the toe of the club head, but in this approach the hand is working more under maximize the speed and the club head stability.
- I love the focus on the movement of the left hand and the analogy if the wrists slaps at the ball and the power that it can create. You do not want to lock your hands out of the swing. You will struggle to create your max distance.
- At the end of the day, you are able to create a controllable, but power swing that will allow you to play the longer courses.
- One last thought, on the follow through, your head and body remains in a position until the right hand pulls the body up. Too often, we can stand up out of the shot and this helps evaporate some of the speed and power. Check out the video at 5:38 for a deeper understanding.
| Mike Austin Golf Swing | vs | Conventional Golf Swing |
| Throw the hands in the downswing | vs | Hold the lag |
| Slight Bump of the Hips in downswing | vs | Turn in a barrell |
| The club wraps a bit inside on the backswing | vs | Take the club straight back |
| Club is pointing right of the target line | vs | Club should point parallel left of golf swing |
| Right knee straightens on backswing | vs | Keep right knee flexed in backswing |
Bonus – Pure Golf by David Dual
I believe this motion and the Mike Austin Golf Swing motion are connected and related. Too often, golf instructors are promoting lag and we have a generation of golfers obsessed with getting a maximum amount of lag in their golf swing. This has lead golfers to holding off their release and ultimately slowing down and not getting the extra speed boost that they need. This is the approach by David Duval, who had this swing take him to number 1 in the world.
- Check out 1:31, David Duval shows the throwing of the right hand early in the golf swing. Charlie acts surprised because it goes against the conventional teachings that we often hear about.
- LIke the Mike Austin video he shows the throwing of the club and how the body matches up with that throwing. David highlights at 2:40 that the harder you go and the harder you throw the further and straighter the golf ball goes.
Related Questions…
What other golf instructors would you recommend?
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
All 7 of these instructors are solid and can help your game. They all have a slightly different approach, so it is worth checking the reviews and learning more before you jump in. If you are looking for an alternative swing, Jim Ventos is your instructor!
Here is a brief chart to help you select the right instructor for your game:
| Name of Instructor | Brief Description | Review |
| George Gankas | Squat and Clear – Distance and Strategy Based | George Gankas |
| Bobby Lopez | Traditional Positional Approach – Stay “onsides” | Bobby Lopez |
| Shawn Clement | Target Based, Athletic Motion using Gravity. Positive and Encouraging. | Shawn Clement |
| Mike Malaska | Direct the Momentum – Motion based and keeps it simple. | Mike Malaska |
| Jim Venetos | Alternative Option, Guaranteed to hit a Draw. Weight Forward | Jim Venetos |
| Monte Scheinblum | Logical, Simple, Cause and Effect | Monte Scheinblum |
Will I not have any lag?
With the Mike Austin golf swing you will still have a great deal of lag, in fact you might be surprised to learn how much lag you have created by taking this differnet mindset and approach of throwing the hands early in the downswing. When we came acrosst he Monte Scheinblum, no turn, cast drill – we were shocked witht he results. Giive this approach a shot and check out Monte’s drill at the video below:
How did Mike Austin hit such a long driver with a shorter driver. Should I shorten my driver?
Shortening your driver is one option. You might be surprised to learn that you can still hit the ball the same distance as a result of hitting the ball more in the center of the face. Recently, I took my Taylor Made R11 and cut an inch off the safety. I am hitting 12% more fairways and have kept the same distance
How else can I gain more speed?
You have to train long to hit long. We have two great recommendations. The first is the SuperSpeed Golf System – Check out our review here – This approach is built on Super Speed Training and swinging above your normal swing speed to help your brain and body adjust to this new swing.
You can expect a 5-8% increase in swing speed which could mean an additional 20-30 yards depending on your current swing speed. Did you know that your body will only swing as fast as it can stop? Check out SuperSpeed directly, here. Make sure you use discount code Golfjourney365 to save 10%.
Another option is Swing Man golf. They brought you the second video above and promised 30-40 yard gained.. Of the people that have used this approach via our website, we have received positive feedback on people sticking with their membership and the distances they have gained.
Gain 30-40 yards in 30 Days – Swing Man Golf
How Can I Golf Year Round?
Here at golfjourney365, we made the investment in an indoor golf simulator in our 3rd car garage bay. 500 rounds later, we are thrilled with the opportunity to play and the accuracy of the SkyTrak. You might be surprised to see where the prices are at on some affordable packages.
Gone are the long winters of feeling anxious about playing golf as we can play year round, any day of the year, regardless of snow, rain or cold weather. It has been a game changer from a performance standpoint with the game of golf and overall mental health. Who wants to go 3-5 long months of not playing a game we all love? Check out our many Golf Simulator Posts, here.
Here is a direct link to our post title, “Is the SkyTrak any good: 500 Rounds Later”
Do you have other recommendations for game improvement?
We believe in making practice fun, but making sure you get plenty of practice in. This is where our golf simulator has become such a great tool in game improvement. We can continue to grow our game and utilize the technology to have feedback on club path, spin and swing speed. However, if you do not have access to these types of tools, we would highly recommend checking out our posts on 22 practice games to improve your golf game, here.
We have also provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
Take Action…
Head to your local driving range and give this swing thought and feel a shot. You might be surprised how liberating the movement truly is. In the meantime check out Shawn Clement here. His approach is very movement based and he throws clubs at his driving range to show the throwing motion.
If you are tired of trying to hit certain positions and hold for more lag, then both the Mike Austin Golf Swing and the Shawn Clement approach can help your game.
Let it go! Find your peace in the game and stop trying to replicate certain positional based golf swing thoughts! As Shawn Clement has proved to us, it doesn’t work. Instead we are gravity geniuses. Give ourselves the task, set up properly and let it fly. Feel the shot and let it go! You might be surprised by the results!