Before Mike Austin’s stroke in 1989, his true genius and enormous athletic talent was obvious when he swung a golf club.
With only 1 arm and no weight shift, Mike could still hit a 5 iron 140 yards and play bogey golf all his par 3 home course.
He combined the explosiveness of an NFL linebacker with the suppleness, flexibility, and balance of the greatest ballerinas. Add the tempo of Buddy Guy or Geddy Lee and it’s almost like watching a Rembrandt painting in full motion or listening to a concerto by Mozart only with your eyes.
Many people called him the Leonardo Da Vinci of the golf swing, because his motion was like art, science, and futurism all in one. Da Vinci not only painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, but also is credited for inventing the airplane and other things centuries before they became reality.
Witness the swings he was making at age 76 in this great clip. Here he is on the range at Studio City Golf Course, now known as Weddington Golf and Tennis. It’s in the San Fernando Valley part of Los Angeles. About 20 minutes from his home, he taught here for around 25 years.
Eyewitnesses during this era all report that Mike would still carry the fence and land in the L.A. River behind. Although Studio City range is only about 215 yards long, it has a fence nearly 120 feet high. So it probably requires a 290 carry to clear with a high drive.
Although Mike looks rather effortless, you can get a sense for the high speed of the clubhead. Remember, this guy had Popeye’s forearms!
There is no holding lag or trying to extend towards the target – he simply throws the clubhead around the circle starting from the top of the swing.
Although there is reason to be skeptical of some of Mike’s legendary feats, there is no doubt this was one of the greatest swings of all time.
