Furyk Wins Second Event of 2010

Like many decent players here in Pennsylvania, I had the chance to play with Jim Furyk when he was still an amateur at the University of Arizona back in the early 1990's. We were paired together in a U.S. Amateur qualifier at West Shore CC in Camp Hill, PA. Jim fired rounds of 69-74 for a one under par total, and was medalist. I fired two balls out of bounds in my first two holes (actually, one was just a lost ball on the range next to the first hole) en route to rounds of 83 and 76.

I thought Jim was an excellent player with a goofy swing, but I thought I had played with many better players before him in my amateur career. I outdrove Furyk by 20 to 25 yards on every hole.

Now, 19 years later, Furyk has just won his 15th tour event and has a U.S. Open victory and over $45 million in earnings. A few more wins, or one more major, and he is a shoe in for the Hall of Fame.

He has accomplished this one with of the most unorthodox swings ever seen on the PGA Tour, comparable to Trevino, Miller Barber and Chi Chi Rodriguez. So, how is he able to play so consistently well?

One thing Peter Kostis mentioned in the CBS telecast today is that while Furyk takes the club up steeply in the backswing, he loops it back to the inside on a better swing plane on the down swing. Therefore, he is always hitting the inside of the ball. Most amateurs, since most slice the ball, hit the outside of the ball, and have a flat backswing and steep downswing.

Also, Furyk stays very balanced through the entire swing, and he always swings within him self. Most amateurs are typically off balance and will often try to hit shots that they are unable to hit.

Finally, while unorthodox, Furyk is able to repeat his swing consistently. That is the key to consistent ball striking and is also what made Trevino such a great player with an orthodox swing. Unfortunately, most amateurs can not achieve this consistency due to the basic swing faults in their swing. A steep downswing combined with an early release of the hands, or even a change in spine angle are three killer flaws that many amateurs have. However, it really is not all that difficult to correct these errors. A little practice and some guidance from a good teaching professional can set you on the right path.

Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
www.powergolftraining.net