Mike Austin Golf Swing BASICS for More Clubhead Speed and Accuracy! 

wish I'd found this guy a few years back! Cheers Steve.

I only just discovered Mike Austin’s swing ideas but came to the same conclusions about the physics and efficiency back in 2008 after retiring, taking a job at course where was able go practice and play unlimited golf for free and decided to retool my swing using Hogan’s Five Lessons and a set of unforgiving late 1970s blade irons. As in Austin’s swing I learned to release the lag fully in the downswing to take full advantage of the formula for striking force F=1/2(Mass x Velocity^2) which is why allowing the club force to whip the club head mass around the hands in the downswing is far more efficient than simply lagging and dragging it through the ball. After studying the history of golf and the evolution of the equipment I concluded that the conventional single plane golf swing was likely developed around the limitations of the thin hickory shafted clubs. Byron Nelson has been credited with developing the dual plane swing in the 1930 when switching to metal shafts and discovering how they could be loaded like leaf springs by dropping the hands at the top to reverse the club head direction and load the shaft then keep hands pulling down faster than shoulders turn by using side bend action extending the trail arm, sustaining the lag as long as possible through impact. That is a strategy used successfully by most pro golfers since Nelson but one that requires above average athleticism and coordination to get everything to work in the correct sequence to maintain that bend in the shaft and release the energy stored by it into the ball by the action of lagging the club head in the downswing. It was reading about trick shot artist Count Yogi that first exposed me to the ideal of letting the club head freely whip around the hands instead of lagging it. Since I had swung axes, sledge hammers done carpentry and even cracked bull whips before ever picking up a golf club at age 31 that similar approach for the golf swing made perfect sense. Per the striking force formula increasing the club head velocity 2x more by whipping it around the hands vs. lagging it before striking the ball will produce 4x more striking force! That will not result in 4x more distance due to the finite ability of the golf ball to compress but it will result in maximum possible compression of the ball for maximum possible distance with driver and maximum spin loft and steep trajectory soft landings on greens with highly lofted wedges that the conventional sweeping swing. The other important factor is that the force vector of the club head in the downswing points more toward the ground which creates a “ground effect” of the club force quite literally pulling the body mass down into the ground rather than off balance towards the target which results in a more consistent swing path and more accurate shots. The Mike Austin swing very similar to the Count Yogi (Harry Frankenberg) swing and I recently learned Austin not only knew Frankenberg but was the one who convinced him to move from Chicago where he was born to California to work at a golf school he was running at Bob Hope’s country club. The primary differences in the swings of both vs the conventional swing is how the trailing arm is utilized. In the conventional dual plane swing the lead arm starts at address as the primary lever arm in a Trebuchet-like dual lever action in which the club shaft acts like the sling hanging from the Trebuchet arm and the club head mass the projectile. The goal underlying the connection of the lead arm to chest at address, in the takeaway and the downswing and having the club force pull it straight is so that lead arm mass will fired off the chest during the middle of the downswing just like the lever arm of the Trebuchet being released to whip the rock in the sling around it. But where the conventional swing gets the physics wrong is that the release of the arm and whipping of the club head around the hands does not occur until well after the left arm drags the club held in a lagging orientation by bend in the trailing arm and extension (hinging back) of the trail wrist. In the conventional swing the lead arm remains the primary lever of the machine until after impact at which point the club force is allowed to pull trail arm straight to arrest the force of remaining in the club. But that arresting action requires an equal and opposite “counter fall” of body mass, either back opposite the direction of a flared front foot (e.g. Hogan) or a back and ankle / knee wrecking “reverse C” when the front foot is squared. The key to power in the conventional lead arm pulling club swing is keeping the back heel on the ground and by doing that forcing the hips to lock 45° open in the middle of the downswing as the trailing shoulders come back parallel and the momentum in the lead arm mass created by the hip and shoulder turn causes it to fly off the chest towards the target pulling the lagging club head behind it. That action is described in golf instruction as feeling like hitting an invisible wall and that is in fact what it feels like but pulling it off consistently requires technique and timing the average golfer lacks, which is why they don’t strike the ball with the same power trying in vain to use that technique. I tried in vain for twenty years to duplicate that action in Jack Nicklaus’ swing style before. The significant difference in both the CY and Austin swings and the conventional lagging club head strategy is that the trail arm is allowed to straighten and become the primary lever the club head whips around in the downswing. That changes the entire dynamic of the swing action and the actions of the body mass needed to stay in balance. It is a swing style with fewer moving parts requiring less athletic coordination to perform consistently which makes it much better suited for recreational golfers, especially older ones. The differenced between the Count Yogi and Austin swing appears to be that Count Yogi used an unconventional orientation of his wrists which fully extended his trail arm and pulled trail wrist straight before impact with the ball causing the wrist to lock just as the club face squared to the target as hips locked which causes the ball to release off the abruptly slowed face of the club straight at the target very predictably and consistently. In the Austin swing full trail arm extension and maxed out ulnar deviation causing the hands to turn over occurs just after impact without any attempt to slow the hips and lock the wrists to force the ball to release off the face the way Count Yogi did. Austin’s method will produce more power, Count Yogi’s less power but more accuracy. But both are far more efficient and better balanced than the conventional lagging swing which is based around the goal of loading the shaft of the club at the start of the downswing and maintaining the bend until impact, a feat pros can do but very few recreational golfers can.

Thanks Steve! Been watching all the videos for about a year and my game has vastly improved.

The way you articulate these concepts is masterful

My wife is 20 yrs younger than I and I taught her from the time she was twenty-five with one lesson from Mike Austin. I taught at the studio city range and liked Mike and his method. Now at seventy-six and Cathy 56 she out drives me by twenty yards most days.

Best video i have ever seen in my life and i am 68!

Watched this 3 times and have enjoyed it each time. Will take it to the course tomorrow

Well, with all those conditions you mention and Mike Austin hit the Drive 515 yards, that is still amazing. Most people under those same conditions would not of even come close to driving the ball that far. I just came across this you tube channel video. I am 75 years old and have given up on trying to hit the ball for distance. And even if i were to attempt this swing, I don't think it will make any difference in my distances. I am still flexible, but i do not lift weights or worry about strength anymore. I hit the ball straight just no more than 200 yards. Good enough for me from the Senior Tees. In my younger years, I did shoot in the mid to high 70's and lowest round for me was a 69 for eighteen holes. Thanks for the video and happy holidays.

Really amazing work, Steve! Totally agree with all you are teaching and thanks for making my game WAY better! Come on up to British Columbia and I'll take you out for a round and some BC IPAs!

Love your set up routine ! I have been teaching for 34 years and that has been my go too fix after a good grip of the club. This past summer I had 8 birdies on punched greens. I shot 66 my lowest round ever. I turn 65 in 2022! Keep up the great training video's. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 👍

I am 63 years old and my average score is 80 - 85. I will break 80 a few times during the season. I have attempted the Mike Austin swing after reviewing a lot of the videos. I had good success with the driver. I’ve invested several thousand dollars into golf lessons over the years and I agree that the idea of lag is false. The most recent swing method that I tried for the past season before this swing method was stack and tilt. In my my opinion, stack & tilt lacks a fluidness because of the extreme hip turn & all your weight starting & staying on your lead side throughout the swing. There is almost no way to generate club head speed smoothly with stack & tilt.

Very nice explanations and demonstrations. Everyone who is starting the Austin journey would greatly benefit from this vid.

Finally someone understands that you start releasing from the top of the backswing, jack has said this for years as Bobby Jones has said also.

I wanted to give you thanks after watching your videos I feel like things are coming into place and it feels great

I bought the Cybervision Austin swing method many years ago. I don't recall understanding it very well back then. I quit playing a decade ago and have just gotten back to the game this summer. Glad I found this as it is helping me connect the dots so to speak. It makes more sense to my older self for some reason; and I played my best round by far yesterday. For me, thinking of the swing as a dance in balance with no conscious effort to separate the backswing from the downswing - along with the "sling" of the club head seems to fix a lot of swing problems. Great stuff Mike and what an amazing driving range - it's like a video game! Wish we had one like that in IN!

Best explanation of the compound pivot

I just got back from the driving range and I used your lesson on bumping my hips and flexing my right leg. It felt unnatural each time, but the results were amazing. Thank you for the tip. Working on my game with a specific lesson made it enjoyable. Golfing tomorrow morning with my son. Can't wait to see the results in my golf game.

Disclaimer: My opinion...Golfers have been trying to emulate great golfers swings since the beginning of golf. There are basic imperatives that make a golf swing work and they are rooted in physics. Everything after that is a golfers style. All great golfers had there own style. Bobby, Jack, Arnie, Lee, Ben, Mike, Moe, and Tiger to name a few. Who's to say that one style is better than another. But, what they all had in common were the things that were based on physics, such as momentum, velocity, clubhead speed, clubhead path, angle of attack, and IMPACT! Keep the videos coming. I can't stop watching.

It appears to me that Mike Austin took the club more on the inside going back keeping the club plane even with his shoulders and he never let the club get outside that plane by taking it stright back going off plane. And Mike did roll the his hands after hitting the ball finishing with his left hand up high like holding a platter. He held the platter with his right hand on the back swing and then held the platter at the finish with his left hand.You do a great job explaining Mike's swing, He used to come out to Pico Rivera mens club and also gave Mike Dunnaway lessons at Scycamore Canyon in Arvin California. Great teacher.

worked on this and used today, shot a nice 79. keep it going!!

Yes, u are right. I went to the range to try your skool of taught. My striking improved drastically when I released the clubs with my arms at around 10.30 position. Thanks.

I have played the golf for years and have had two different swings and postures also for years. The first one is Hogan's. I have struggled it and am unable to master it a bit. The common problem of Hogan's is you have to perfectly control/manipulate the body and arms and legs and hands altogether, and plus your mind. People always said to me you have a beautiful swing however I could never get low scores because of often fat or thin shots, and backache. My second swing is my Free Style and works well almost every time (or Fxxk it when I got frustrated with Hogan's), which I never knew Austin's exists until today I watched your RU-vid. THANK YOU and THANK YOU. Now, with your validation, I am going to stick on to this "freedom" "none -steering" hit.

In the past I had noticed that at time I would swing the club with the right over left action the club wanted to come out of my left hand. I am thinking now that this was because I was doing the action more with my right than the left. I've been a contractor all my life and am used to hammering 16d nails with one single pop so it makes sense that my right would take over. Previously I thought it was because I wasn't hanging on to the club firmly enough. Now I am concentrating on using right and left in a coordinated motion.

Great training video, you cleaned up numerous questions I had. Took me too long to find you. Thanks for the detailed information

Thanks for the refresher, i have drifted away from these basics for some time now, been rehearsing them today with free and easy power from that wrist release. the word i reckon sums up that austin swing the best is "natural" thanks steve

Hi Steve a lot missed hits gripping the club but I remembered you said that you should think it as a touch pad and walla pivot with start downswing with left heal finally works

Great Job!

Steve, I used to be a baseball player. When I took up golf it was natural for me to swing the club the same way. Until everybody corrected me and slowly I learned the proper golf swing. I lost so much distance I thought this can't be right. After many years I went back to my baseball swing and now everything feels normal again. This video confirmed to me at the very least to swing the club in a way that feels natural to me. It has made a tremendous difference in my game. Thank you!

Excellent lessons

Illuminating!! Excellent content! Thank you! !

This is such good stuff here Steve!!! Keep it up and I will see you in person soon!!!!

Excellent articulation and demonstration. I am new to the sport and I am in love with golf. I really enjoy your outlook and approach to the fundamentals of a great golf swing.. I am looking forward to implementing your techniques to aid in lowering my score from high to low 80's. Thank you Steve!🙏🏼⛳🏌🏽‍♂️🍻

Thank you for this video Steve, it's been very helpful. Cheers!

Thanks Steve for yourtime , great instruction.

Congrats for this video

Amazing content in here! Great vid Steve! Its taking me over 2 years to understand things enough too not think to much. But im getting it! I only practice this swing. My back is finally getting better from golftec telling me to swing in a barrel. Cheers!

I agree as I tried it again yesterday. But it takes time to excel in this move.

Excellent instruction. Working at incorporating the Mike Austin basics into my game and finding it quite natural and helpful for consistency. Thanks much Steve!

Terrific!

Yes, Steve! No doubt that the ‘Compound Pivot’ and throwing the “hunds” in the 180*deg arc...works🏌️‍♂️✔️

Mike, well done. Tried the "glue it (the driver) to the peck in a game yesterday - after a little practice -- seemed to work great. Hit some bombs (straight), I'm 72 years old. (A bomb for me is ~~ 230-240.) Hadn't watched hardly any of your videos so figured the "glue it to the peck" action would work for other clubs as well, --- seemed to. This video certainly cemented that thought. Will practice what your teaching - even though it seems a little unconventional. It will certainly help me improve my lower body "action". Thanks, Tom

I love your video it helps me a lot that you

Great video, thanks!!

Gonna try today. Will update results tonight

75 today, wow, love golf again!!

Thanks

Great stuff Steve! Another thing much talked about is ‘the shallowing of the club’ which is really last second lag building. Mike doesn’t appear to do this. In fact it looks kind of like the opposite is happening. The throw round and the wrist flick seem to sort this out automatically. Am I reading this right?

Hi Steve love your teaching style. I do have a concern with the setup and posture. The bump and bend of the spine at setup seems like it will hurt the lower spine. The bum tucked under has been stressed to me as a stress reliever on the lower back. Any thoughts if this new position is ok for folks with back issues?

Do you use a 10 finger grip? Does it matter with this concept? Thanks.

Hi Steve. I’ve been following the Austin swing for a while, but have got confused with some of the interpretations out there. Since coming across your work everything is starting to fall into place. Your instruction is clear and the drills are fantastic. I have fallen in love with the chair drill as I was hyper extending. Everyone interested in this swing should checkout the videos on your website. My buddies don’t understand how I am consistently out driving them by 20 yards (I’m 53 and 5ft 5 inches tall!) Keep up the good work.

🔥🔥🔥

Steve, it looks like you are rolling your wrist very aggressively. How are you during the flap at the same time?

Steve - can you do a video on what position hands and wrists should be in at the top of the backswing.

Mike’s swing looks like it goes back quite inside

Hey Steve, I've been working on this swing. Works great when I put it all together, but I get pain the left side lower rib area that feels like a ligament tear/muscle pull. Ever seen that with students learning the Austin move?

Grear content

Another great video. When you are talking about the release - would this be considered a more "active" release than what many others advocate. The active throw of the club with the right hand like skipping a stone or a sidearm throw. I am only asking to clarify because lately many instructors are advocating the left wrist be bowed (motorcycle move) like DJ- bowing the wrist throughout the swing to keep the face square. Can you clarify if this is similar or different than what you are discussing here. Thanks.

At 22.00 (approx) I would like to know how to get the right should from up and behind at the top of the backswing to under, ("under, up and out"). Is it the roll of the right foot? Anything else?

I recently struggled with a reverse pivot in my backswing that was most pronounced with the driver that led me to be really over the top. I kind of recoil from treading close to that again. I’ve made a lot of progress recently with your material (thank you very much). I know the compound part leads to rear tile later but do you find people/ students have issues getting stuck in the reverse pivot?

I'd like to see more about the arms and hands through out. I dont pivot exactly like this but do have a good pivot and starting to throw the club behind me is a good feel. Especially with driver. I do have to make adjustments in the wrist to get the clubface square though so I would like more detail there.

Great stuff Steve… The understand the but of the club advances via the pivot maintaining the 7… But is the 180 degree throw an active/conscious movement with the arms?

Tried that supple quickness. Kinda makes you wonder how the club face can square up. It certainly works if you can give up control (ie. the old control swing). Am I wrong, do I feel a whipping action in the arms?

He starts talking basics at the 4:57 mark.

Lease explain the release sometime Thanks

👍🏻👍🏻

Steve, do you consciously try to control your wrists in the backswing? When I do this pivot, my left wrist wants to cup at it goes past parallel from the weight of the club head. Is that something I should worry about? Or should I just let the pivot handle that on the downswing? That's my only concern with the Austin swing.

I am trying to wrap my brain around this concept. Ok so "throwing" the club out away from your chest creates a WIDE downswing? Most tour pros swing wide to narrow with downcock? So would this swing be more narrow to wide? Relaxing the arms in the backswing, letting the arms come close to the body in the backswing, a lot of wrist cock(to narrow) then the downswing is all about THROWING all that energy out AWAY from your chest??? The opposite would be swing back VERY wide with little to no wrist cock getting the arms away from the body(WIDE) then in the downswing COCKING the wrists and bring the arms close to the body(narrowing) and getting everything leveraged in (as opposed to throwing out?)? An in between of these extremes would be matching your turn and wrist cock without going too wide or narrow then syncing in the downswing.

great video Steve. thanks. Just a question leading away a bit from the video. You never really show MA methods on chipping. I have been trying it for weeks and finding it very inconsistent. I was learning to chip like Jason Day will a lot of success but to be a true MA fan i wanted to follow his methods in everything he did. Do you chip and pitch MAs way with the Modern grip and the flip of the hands and wrists, or like every other pro. ? i would like to know as i feel i am putting a lot of work practicing the wrong chipping and pitching methods. Thanks Steve .

How wide are your feet apart on the irons? If they are too wide would this cause the ball to go lower?

Do you have any academies or schools? E.g.-two or three days in a group setting.

So far just sticking my butt back has been huge! Not just for my butt either!

whta's your height ?

this is almost a single plane setup for impact swing.

When do the flip, my ball goes to my left….

Dalton McCrary....commonly thought of as a kook....same stuff

I don't understand why Austin emphasizes in the 1960 video that he presses his thumbs on the shaft to accelerate the club down but cautions that you must rotate the forearms turning the edge of the "knife" to the dull side, yet you never mention this. As far as "basics" goes isn't this part of his method that is pretty essential ?

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Please change that transition sound like at 4:47. It is so jarring. It actually made me jump the first time I heard it. Awful.

You have to be kidding. A compound pivot? Please golf is not that complicated.. see George Gankas or Shawn Clements

Too much for 1 video