Prettiest, most enviable golf swing by era

[Hankshank]

The smoothest swing I have seen live (ET tournaments, numerous) is the one of Raphael Jacquelin. Effortless beyond Oosthuizen’s but with a power that does not show on the TV-screen. 
The swing of Westwood is also right up there but that is a thing of BOOM and off it goes into the stratosphere and float there for minutes. His short game wasnt as hot though. Wish I could have seen the swing of Boom boom in his prime. Maybe it wasnt as cool as it looked on TV.

Edited August 30, 2020 by Hankshank

[antip]

Best I ever saw, bar none, was Wayne Grady as a 17-18 year old, absolutely gorgeous, Scott has nothing on that swing. He started playing tours full time at the same time, courtesy of parental support for a fair while, starting on the Asian pro circuit as an amateur. Moved to the US to live and play and found the gorgeous swing was not sufficiently repetitive to survive the rigours of that tour and he adapted it to become much more mechanical (the direction David Graham went in the US). He did manage to win a US PGA title with the mechanical beast.

[SBH9458]

Not in this order, but certainly they’re at the top of my list:
 

Snead

Adam Scott

Els

Tiger (Butch version)

Louie O

 

Repeating what some others have said, but that’s because I agree with them!

[Dsk321]

I've always loved the big swingers who kept it smooth

 

snead will always be  the benchmark for graceful rhythmic swings 

Vijay always looked like his successor, phil not quite as pretty/more aggressive tempo but similar dynamics.

the closest equivalent in the modern era is maybe cameron champ, how he makes 130mph headspeed look that smooth is beyond me.

 

[oldpalchamp]

How about the original Mr. 59, Al Geiberger.  Incredible swing!  Also, Julius Boros.  Wonderful tempo.  Authored a book called, "Swing Easy, Hit Hard.

[gvogel]

Bobby Jones admired MacDonald Smith's swing, so Mac Smith should be mentioned on this thread.

[Jackhammer993]

12 hours ago, Steele47 said:

Early 80's.   Bobby Clampett.  

I totally agree with this. He had an amazing looking swing. 

[JDCON]

I was always a fan of Greg Norman’s swing.

[Tax77]

Always liked that Jack driver swing from the early 60s, those hips and butt. Swoon. 

[Lefthook]

Young Tom Morris

Vardon

Bobby Jones

Nelson

Snead 

Hogan

Mickey Wright,

Trevino

Nick Price

Tiger

DJ and several others ... today there are a bunch of really good swings

[Catty]

For me Scott and McIlroy. Older swings, Elkington and Nobilo. 

[PhilWhitUK]

Anne Van Dam has to be in any list for the current era.  Agree with the OP on many of the recommendations and have always loved watching the Big Easy.  Adam Scott is always good to watch.  I don’t know why there are so many good swings with the South African golfers.  Maybe something to do with the conditions they play in growing up?

[Jtgavigan]

Great responses here. So, trying to think of the next thread, so help me out. Some options:

 

Best putter? Best all around short game? Best driver? Best thrill seeker/swashbuckler? Pro you would want to play with? Wouldnt want to play for money?

 

Thoughts? 

[Remon]

30 minutes ago, Jtgavigan said:

Great responses here. So, trying to think of the next thread, so help me out. Some options:

 

Best putter? Best all around short game? Best driver? Best thrill seeker/swashbuckler? Pro you would want to play with? Wouldnt want to play for money?

 

Thoughts? 

All good options, but I would be more inclined to see putting and short game. I have a few names that comes to mind but would be nice to make a list and then waste a couple of days in the black hole that youtube can become.

[woodriff]

In the modern era, certainly Louis oosthuizen. I could watch that simple swing all day long.

[Dr. Block]

Bobby Jones

Sam Snead

Ben Hogan

Seve Ballesteros

Colin Montgomerie

Very young early 90's era Phil Mickelson (before he cared at all about bombs)

John Daly

Edited August 31, 2020 by Dr. Block

[MUNIGRIT]

Robert Rock anyone?

[Dr. Block]

Just now, MUNIGRIT said:

Robert Rock anyone?

Good Call.  Mac O'Grady fans everywhere would agree. 

[3whacker]

cant believe that nobody has mentioned David Frost, during DL's heyday as the swing  guru du jour Frost was the model that was used in the instructional  book, not Faldo, last time I saw him on TV his swing still looked pretty darn good

[gripandrip]

Bill Haas

[antip]

Minjee Lee

[shalsey]

Rafa Cabrera-Bello. Unbelievably beautiful swing. 

[Strategery]

14 minutes ago, illum1na71 said:

Easy.  Freddie.  

 

His outside-in loop, no thanks. He is also a coattail riding sh$t course designer.

[mat562]

'60s: Snead, Nicklaus and Thomson.

'70s: Weiskopf and Watson.

'80s: Purtzer, Norman, Woosnam, Seve, Brand Jr,  Stewart, Sellberg, Howard Clark, Glasson, O'Meara.

'90s: Price, Els, Couples, Faldo, Love, Mudd, Nobilo, O'Malley, Gamez, Elkington, Forsbrand, Forsman, Frost, Billy Ray Brown, Olazabal, Garbutt.

'00s: Woods, Baddeley, Weekley, Oliver Fisher, Scott, Schwartzel.

'10s: Oosthuizen, Day and McIlroy. And Woodland. Oh, and Eddie Pepperell.

 

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by mat562

[QuigleyDU]

I really liked Payne Sterwart and Hunter Mahan. Very different swings. But when Mahan was playing well I really liked his move. 

[m d g]

Another vote for Purtzer. 

 

And I'll add Elkington.

 

Payne Stewart didn't hit it very far but he was super smooth. Sad irony that it was a swing that would last into old age...

 

For an even four, throw in Mrs. Doubtfire...

[bladehunter]

90s has to include Vijay.  Period.  Today has to include Louis O.   He has the best tempo on earth.  

[EMA1]

I have always admired Adam Scott's swing. I recently saw a video of him hitting "smooth" 8-irons and it was absolutely beautiful.

 

Tiger's swing with Butch was a piece of art. I could watch it on loop all day.

Edited September 1, 2020 by erikalfstad

[TwistedSister]

For us lefties I vote for Bob Charles!

[ebk]

Mickey Wright for sure.  Kudos to the one who put her on the list.  Agree with Snead - effortless power.  Hogan.  Louie.

 

I used to also really enjoy watching Belen Mozo swing the club.