Rory McIlroy's Golf Swing In Slow Motion | 2024 Edition

I found my first set of golf clubs 65 years ago in a Pawn Shop on Church Street close to Maple Leaf Gardens in downtown Toronto. The bag, including the full set of used clubs cost just $2.00 less than my weekly pay of $28.00 for a 40 hour work week at Litho Print (my first full-time job in the printing business). I didn't notice that they were right hand club heads until I was home and ready to take a few swings in The Big Yard. Whoops. Could I get a refund for these clubs? Why? Because I batted left handed and shot hockey pucks left handed too. Now was the time to hit right handed golf clubs from the get go.

With Arch, Rich, Bill, Eddie, Keith and a few others who wanted to try their hand at a rich man's game we drove out to a golf club in Pickering. Wilson Patterson was the pro at the PGC who showed us the ropes and told us about golf etiquette: just keep up the pace with the group ahead! Very important because a game should take close to four hours, and time is money. Mr. Patterson was a very kind and generous man who taught us many things but never how to swing a club and said: "Just keep an eye out for someone who looks good when he swings and hits a ball and you'll pick it up in no time." 

Binupa Wijesinghe

This gentleman above is Binupa Wijesinghe a professional golfer who played golf at Brampton Golf Club as a junior and is now a member of the Pro Staff directed by head pro Adam Cherry. Binupa has many components to his swing that compares favourably to that of Rory McIlroy.

I do not have the strength or flexibility to replicate their swings but I can see the perfection and try to bring a couple of thoughts that Wilson Patterson talked about. With Mr. Patterson, Rory and Binupa in mind I humbly show you my 82 year old swing and other friends at BGC:

Himself

Ray Coole

Warren Davis

Bob Little

Bob Dool

                                                                            

I bumped into Bob Little, Warren Davis and Bob Dool at the Simulator today. They saw me filming my swing (including the attempt at creating more Lag and Compression). They asked if I'd film their swings. I have posted them without their permission hoping they would agree without compensation. 

I don't have a great swing in terms of creating ball speed delivering extra distance on the Simulator or the golf course; but Ray Coole certainly does. I'm not faulting my athletic ability or any professionally acquired tips given to me by friends and much better golfers than me. Ray and I discuss the moves that make things happen; the issue is delivering the moves. Ray did them all for most of his 92 years with significant success while I never have. My athleticism is what it is and nothing can change that. However, it can be improved with workouts and fitness programmes promoting flexibility and strength.  That having been said, I fault my inability to alter and change a swing because I found a comfort zone coupled with my desire to play the game. 

During the last 40 years I have been a happy senior gold member of one of Canada's best one hundred golf courses: Brampton Golf Club. At BGC I have met men and women members whom I have golfed, dined and enjoyed their company at social events that lit up the summer nights in wonderful ways. Fourty years is a long time. Some of my friends have passed, and I miss them and the great times we enjoyed together. But still I play every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with one practice day every week from April to October and love every minute. I devour YouTube streaming on the endless supply of swing tips appearing on the Internet that brings us this post of Rory McIlroy's incredible swing in slow motion pictured above.   

What's the latest? Take your back swing, crouch just a little, move the hips thinking about a belt buckle going toward the target, arms following while holding the wrist cock past the ball to get this "LAG" thing will have the club head strike the ball first and then the turf, and complete the turn into a high finish through swing. When I come back to this post I'll have a comment to add that I know you are eager to read. 

Three days later Simulator Three is ready for Ray and me from 11:00 to 12:00. Paul Hurley came in to chat and to join us later for lunch. Paul is one of our Friday foursome for the last several years who, in his younger days was an amateur champion too. I asked if he would like a video of his swing at this time and he accepted. 

I am posting two videos today:

Paul Hurley

Ray Coole

Today is April 6, 2024 and the final day of The Masters Women's Amateur Championship is being contested. Shoemaker shoots a 6 under par to jump into the lead five holes ahead of Woad who has been at the top of the leaderboard all week until Shoes took the lead at the 15th. She finished at 7 under for the tournament while Woad was 5 under with four holes to play. So what does she do: she birdies 15, 17 and 18 to win by one shot.

Here are a few swings from these two young ladies:

Lottie Woad

Lottie Wood is the Masters 2024 Women's Amateur Champion

April 12, 2024

Yesterday Dave Hastie (a good friend of mine, Ray Coole and Paul Hurley) passed away. After a year of serious medical issues Dave suffered from a fall and had been in hospital for three weeks. We along with his wife Sandy and many friends at Brampton Golf Club will miss him.

Today is day one of The Masters Men's Championship, which for most golfers, is the highlight of the year. It is watched by fans and friends of the game around the world. This is the 88th time for this major (one of four each year) that every pro wants to win. The greenest of grass is magnificently manicured along side its grand old trees and floral examples in full bloom on the site that Bobby Jones and friends built in Augusta Georgia almost a 100 years ago. The Men's tournament is preceded by recent additions with one called a 'Drive, Pitch and Putt' contest for boys and girls from 7 to 15 years of age, and their Masters Women's Amateur Championship that was won by Lottie Woad from England pictured two films above.

There is so much to say about this event that would be better demonstrated than I ever could, so perhaps you might click on Masters.com and spend as much time as you like.

I started this post with Rory McIlroy's golf swing professionally displayed in Slow Motion with no thought as to how or when it would finish. I think now is a good time to close with Rory's swing at normal driving range swing speed.  

Rory McIlroy

April 24, 2024

Our brother Richard would be 84 years old today. I referred to his advice more than once or twice in my book 2nd Place Finishes and Bad Knees. Rich passed away in 1971 leaving our family in complete and utter sadness that took a long time to come to grips with my loss of his life. Happy birthday Rich.

One of the world's greatest golfers is Scottie Scheffler who has won four of his last five tournaments including The Masters in 2024. 

May 12, 2024

I played golf with Ray Coole two days ago, and also a tournament game on May 4th with a full field of male golfers on our Men's Opening Field Day with lunch and dinner and 18 holes to determine the winners and losers: an old tradition at BGC as well as private golf courses around the world. 

On these two occasions I came home with very tired legs and one aching back. Sure it's a symptom of age and a swing that changes too many times during a four and half hour game with the use of a power cart. Without the cart we would be toast!

Today I thought I would refer to a great teacher of a quality golf swing and approach to the mechanics as well as the thoughts that better players use to play better golf; and that gentleman is a Canadian by birth who had George Knudson and Moe Norman as coach and friend when and where he grew up. That coach is Martin Chuck who has coached more than a few Tour Players as well as thousands of would-be golfers like Yours Truly. And that is how I spent the afternoon watching his videos entitled "Simple Strike Sequence" and now I'm watching PGA Tour Players on TV playing for big bucks at the Wells Fargo in North California. Would you care to know who won the Wells Fargo? It was none other Rory McIlroy who is featured at the top of this post

Please have a look at Martin Chuck’s video at current bottom of this post. 

                                        Pretty nice swing eh?

Here's a few notes I placed on my phone's reminder list:

May 12 The grip. Left hand in the fingers below the blue line. Right hand baby finger over lap with tip at the knuckle of left index. Strong hold with last 3 fingers of left hand, strong hold with 2nd and 3rd fingers on right hand. Remember: Strong fingers and loose wrists throughout the swing.

May 12 With left leg push weight to right leg, then push right leg to transfer weight to the left leg without sway and then Swing it to sling it. George Knutson’s turn, tuck, and tap.

May 12 Bow left wrist like a frizzby to throw it with wrists breaking naturally and right arm extended in through swing.

May 12 Club above grass, move into stance, club raised straight up in front at 45 degree angle. Turn shoulders and hips right with right elbow pointed down and close to body with a slightly bow left wrist ready to fling the swing ala frizzby, begin weight transfer and swing at 60% to create small divot ahead of ball.

May 19 and the PGA Championship was held at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville Kentucky on the weekend of The Preakness one of The Triple Crown of horse races held in Baltimore Maryland. 

But before I go any further the winner of the PGA was Xander Schauffele by one shot over Bryson DeChambeau which was a birdie needed to hold the one shot lead over Bryson.

(30)