Imitating Daly’s Swift Swing Better Left to the Imagination

Now it seems as if every golfer wants to be John Daly. Well, at least smack a golf ball the way John Daly does.

Daly, who on Sunday won the PGA Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., dazzled tournament crowds and a national television audience with drives well over 300 yards and iron shots that traveled 20 to 30 yards farther than other pros swinging the same clubs. The combination gave him a huge advantage on one of the longest courses ever used for a major championship.

A PGA Tour rookie, Daly, 25, generates extreme club speed with a powerful downswing set up by an exaggerated backswing. His technique was the hot topic Monday among recreational golfers at local courses.

“People are requesting whether I can teach them the swing,” said Brad Booth, a pro at El Toro Community Center Golf Club. “The better players are coming to the point where they actually believe they can swing as hard as Daly.”

But in this case, dreaming about it might be as close as the average golfer will come to emulating Daly. The swing demands several important components typically possessed only by exceptional athletes.

“It takes a lot of flexibility and good timing and perfect balance,” said John Sullivan, a pro at Newport Beach Golf Club. “We are not going to teach it. Unless you’re very coordinated, it’s not for you.”

But that won’t stop some from trying. Robert Roland, a pro at Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club, already has seen some fooling around with the swing at the club’s driving range.

“Golfers are a strange breed,” Roland said. “They’ll try anything . . . We were really busy (in the driving range) yesterday after the tournament.”

When performed improperly, the swing can play havoc with the golf club. During the fast downswing, golfers can lose control and pound the head of the club into the ground behind the ball with enough force to snap it off.

“We’ve had a couple of broken clubs already,” Sullivan said.

As if that wasn’t enough to discourage potential imitators, there’s also the stress put on a player’s back. It’s wrenching enough to keep Rocky Rafkin, a pro at San Clemente Golf Club, from trying it himself.

“It hurts my back just looking at it,” Rafkin said. “They’d have to call 911 and call an ambulance if I tried it.”

Rafkin said he teaches golfers not to overswing but suspects they will still want to copy Daly’s swing, particularly if he wins another tournament soon.