Mike Austin (golfer)

Mike Austin ( born February 17, 1910 the island of Guernsey, † 23 November 2005 in Los Angeles ) was an American golfer and teacher. Since 1974 he holds the world record for the longest drive that was ever beaten in a professional tournament: 515 yards (about 471 m).

Mike Austin set his record on September 25, 1974, at the age of 64 years, with a tailwind of about 50 km / h and a flat fairway on the fifth hole at the U.S. National Seniors Open Championship at the Winterwood Course in Las Vegas. His flight partner, the former PGA champion Chandler Harper was impressed with Mike's haircuts and urged him therefore, "walk" once to make a deduction. The ball sped to the bewildered players on the green over, because the 5th hole was a long par 4, 454 yards He used for this tee a persimmon driver with a steel shaft of 43.5 inches in length. While the former baseball player Mike Dobbyn could hit his ball 551 yards away on a golf course on 17 July 2007, but this was neither a professional yet another regular golf tournament.

Based on his record, and many other successes in Long Drive and golf tournaments is Mike Austin today is still a household name among golfers and his swing technique the subject of debate. Last but not least a 2004 published biography helped him new popularity.

Austin has shown the golf swing is physically and physiologically more than 50 years ago comprehensively. His work, which includes a precise description of all joint and muscle actions, is considered one of the reference models for the full swing. Several students of Mike Austin have made ​​it their task to teach the concept. There are instructional videos and books for self-study. Therein, the golf swing is explained as a sequence of biomechanical processes. Supporters of Mike Austin technique argue that these techniques are closely watching the case for most world-class players. As an example, Ben Hogan is often called, has been informed in accordance with a story by Walter " Smiley" Jones by Mike Austin.

Other experts believe that Mike Austin in the first place for a researcher who described the golf swing scientifically accurate, but it has propagated any particular methodology.