Padraig Harrington picks up 30 yards Happy Gilmore-style
Looking for more yards off the tee? C'mon, get Happy.
In a fascinating segment, the Fox Sports Net show Sport Science tests whether the Happy Gilmore's running-start, hockey-style golf swing would actually produce more yards than a traditional drive. (Here's the part where I would give a brief synopsis of the 1996 Adam Sandler movie, but if you haven't seen it you should be reading this web site instead.)
The test subject for Sport Science is probably the least likely Happy Gilmore on the PGA Tour, mild-mannered Irishman and player of the year Padraig Harrington. However, Harrington, who's confessed to being an Eminem fan, might have a touch of the Irish rougue in him. At the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, Calif., Harrington does a picture-perfect Happy Gilmore swing. (His footwork is remarkable, much more impressive than Sandler, who is himself a physically gifted actor.) The best part of all is that the Happy Gilmore swing works. The wider shoulder turn and added swing speed from the running start add 30 yards to Harrington's drives, although he won't break out his Happy swing on Tour because he'd lose to much accuracy. Check it out here:
Posted by: greg | Apr 29, 2009 3:50:50 PM
i wonder if long drive champs will start doing this. Might as well. they arent accurate anyway and the 30 yard gain is huge.
Posted by: 4Checker | Apr 28, 2009 4:03:07 PM
Very interesting. It was amazing how similar Paddy's pose at the top of the backswing was almost identical whether he stood up or ran up to the ball Happy-style.
Posted by: John Helmering | Apr 28, 2009 3:28:33 PM
I used to get trouble from my pro for trying the Happy Gilmore swing. Great to see it actually works.