Padraig Harrington has some weird and wonderful takes on the golf swing.
However, Harrington obviously knows what he’s talking about, having risen from an average teenage golfer back in the 80s to one of the best golfers in the world.
The 53-year-old has three major championships to his name, and two senior majors.
Harrington just won The US Senior Open despite a heated exchange with Roger Maltbie midway through the tournament.
The Irishman has an uncanny knack of overcoming adversity, and winning some of the biggest tournaments in the game.
Harrington’s swing is far from perfect, and some of his range sessions can be very interesting to watch to say the least.
Padraig Harrington shares ‘dangerous’ tips that amateur golfers must ignore
Harrington has spoken before about the need for amateur golfers to hold their finishes, and he is a huge advocate of constant movement throughout the golf swing.
However, this time he has told amateurs what NOT to do.
He was speaking on ‘The Scoop’ show when host, Claire Rogers, asked him what advice amateur golfers should be ignoring.
Harrington responded by giving a really detailed explanation on potential pitfalls that await amateurs.
He said: “Probably the most dangerous thing an amateur can do is try to keep their head still or their feet still. You don’t want to lock things down. You’re basically trying to swing a golf club the same way you swung any stick as a kid. Plenty of movement, get that movement going, get that speed going, and then we can tidy it up later on.
“If you lose that athleticism and dynamism of your swing, you never get it back. I would say, feet still, head still, long back swing, not using your hands, they would all be the common ones, and keep your head down is just a disaster. Your head floats naturally, just as it would if you’re swinging at a baseball or a tennis ball, you wouldn’t be trying to lock it down. Everything should kind of be relaxed in a golf swing anyway. Don’t keep your feet still, don’t keep your head still, don’t lock your hips up, don’t keep your head down and don’t swing slowly, there you go.“
Harrington is spot on there. Far too often amateur golfers are way too static during their swing.
Padraig Harrington once explained the grip needed to hit longer drives
Incredibly, Harrington has defied father time and continues to get longer the older he gets.
The Irishman once explained a very simple way for amateur golfers to start hitting longer drives, via Golf Digest.
He said: “Rest the handle more in the fingers of both hands (above left) instead of mostly in your palms. This provides a lot of freedom when you swing. To test it, hold the club in the fingers of your gloved hand and let your arm hang by your side (above right). Note how you can move the club with just your hand and wrist. Your arm doesn’t have to move like it does when you rest the club in your palms.
“Also experiment with grip styles that promote more suppleness. I use a “double overlap.” The pinky and ring finger of my right hand are on top of my gloved hand. Give it a try.“
So there you have it, you can now hit longer drives courtesy of Harrington AND, you can avoid some of the terrible advice passed down on a regular basis.
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