Sam Bennett is Awesome, but don't copy his swing

In this video, I will discuss a worrisome trend emerging in the swings of many of the great young golfers.

[@jonathanstevens2937]

Monte, you are just straight up the voice of reason in golf instruction. Im right back to your NTC video program and the drills you gave me in our online lessons a few years ago after going adrift in the last two months.

[@RCGolf]

Great analysis. I have spent the past 3 years rebuilding my swing because I was a big over-rotation guy and it resulted in two back injuries. The reason for the side bend is that the more you hold the angles, the right wrist and the very bent right arm, the more side bend you need to actually get down to the ball. That amount of side bend with very fast hip rotation just destroys the lower spine. It is basically the skinny kid who hits it far swing, as you tend to learn this as a kid and never really grow out of it.

[@zerofactor7871]

Love Sam Bennett, I caught the last few holes of his winning round at the US Am and have followed him ever since, was incredibly pleased to see him do so well at Augusta. But I agree with you, his swing represents a lot of modern trends in conventional golf instruction. As a lifelong tradesman with many old injuries, the biggest observation I've made is that the traditional/conventional swing taught today has become so convoluted and complex that it's very easy to build a Franken-Swing that leaves you vulnerable to injury. I'm only 28, but have fallen off of roofs, had several hundred pounds of drywall dropped on me, dislocated joints, broken bones and torn tendons - so reducing the strain on my busted-up body is a top priority. Ultimately I went with a very minimalistic single plane swing that allows me to swing smoothly and hit the ball far and accurate, taught by Kirk Junge. The most significant benefit of learning from him is that there is simply no one else teaching his swing online, so I never have to worry about my swing being "infected" by taking bad advice from a well-intentioned instructor teaching the same flawed swing principles as everyone else. (Personally, I think the conventional golf swing is fundamentally flawed and that the game needs to evolve past it - there is no good reason that it should take an average person several years to learn how to swing consistently. One thing I hear most amateurs frequently talking about when discussing their swing is the desire for it to look good, and they will vex themselves for years trying to figure out how to build a beautiful swing that's actually functional. Swinging on a single plane is not the prettiest way to wield a club, but in my honest opinion the vast majority of people are wasting years of their lives trying to learn a swing that is simply not designed around the limits of the human body.)

[@John_Wood_]

These guys won't be ballin like Mickelson in their 50's that's for sure!

[@josephwirtz8352]

Zalatoris just withdrew from the Masters because of a bad back…

[@seanm3226]

Out for the year.

[@Q.FL1]

@@seanm3226sheesh! Is he?

[@TheMainMan123]

@@Q.FL1 he’s out for the season, he’s such a talent but if he’s having serious back operations at 27 he could have a short career.

[@werquantum]

I can feel my back just watching that still shot.

[@MeanMints5]

What? Hitting a club won’t hurt your back.

[@werquantum]

@@MeanMints5 But swinging one might. Just ask Will Zalatoris.

[@martinh5402]

That's nuts!! Thanks Monte, love your insight!

[@LashedOutX]

As a now 30 year old, this comes down to one thing and one thing only that has been overlooked for years by professionals. Each body type can support and requires different biomechanics. Myself I have such fast clearing lower body and upper body that I get open without even trying. So naturally I can either reduce speed and fight my natural biomechanics. Or I go full side bend and play better. The key then becomes simple, I focus on sheer flexibility and taking care of my natural limbo body. That's how swings should be developed, by your actual body type and not what's actually winning on tour. Now over doing it you are right or chasing it artificially can cause problems but so long as you take the time to maintain your body you are better off doing what's natural. Telling guys to slow that hip turn down and eliminating that side bend will happen naturally as they lose flexibility. The mind and body are smart enough to figure it out, hence why There's a reason people come over the top, it's to counter an open face and hit the ball. Obviously this is something you could play with and learn a "power fade" but it all is determined by how much time and effort you want to put in to fix it or counter your mechanics.

[@baldurhermannsson9413]

Words of wisdom! Thanks.

[@chachichochacorta8577]

Great content, Monte, as always. I've watched your videos for years now and still love that bump, dump, and turn sequence. While some amateurs will try to copy Bennett's and Nieman's swing, would you say it is more or less dangerous to copy DeChambeau's new swing-out-of-your-shoes style?

[@Justin_Palmer]

Bryson just swing hard in general, but his form is a single plane swing. no golf swing is perfect in a physical health aspect. For instance, Bryson left hand has been surgically repaired due to the wrist hold off through impact. Zalatoris on the hand is more shallowed out swing path similar to the content of the video recently WD from the masters with a spinal or back injury. IMO from an imitation stand point Bryson swing is safer for every joes, but at the end of the day everyone body is different. with that being said, swinging out of your shoes at some point will lead to an injury no matter how you cut it.

[@barebarekun161]

He's like a mix of early JT and Will Zalatoris and you know what Will is going through right now. A type of swing that works only when you 100% healthy young and athletic if you're off your fitness level by a little this kind of swing will wreak havoc the body fast it already happened to Will and Cam Champ went through few injuries never quite get their mojo back. Completely agreed with Monte about all these young players obsessed over one thing and overdone it to the point it became unhealthy or damaging. I saw so many promising young low amateurs in my country did the same chasing that extreme athleticism, they asking for short careers before they even started. I changed my swing back when I was a 19 year old and dodged the bullet but for completely different reasons.

[@Parmesan300]

Thank you for doing this.

[@Q.FL1]

1000% agree! Very effective and successful swing “RIGHT NOW”… I just really don’t see it lasting long term though! It’s great to be young… but at 45… this swing would send me to the ER… immediately!

[@richyclubsport5155]

Good luck with a long career, no wonder so many younger golfers are here today and never seen again. At my club, the young lad who won the junior championship and then our club championship the following year who did this is now recovering from back and neck surgery, apparently his dad said he'll probably never be able to play again

[@ScratchArkkitehti]

Mike Adams offered the advice to Joaquin who asked him...." am i going to have back problems". He suggested that his opening was caused by his closed face takeaway. He said close it less and you will need less bend to open the face.

[@WereAllThatBored]

I couldnt copy that if I wanted to. Amazing impact position. Hope he wins as well. Love watching history.

[@maamold]

What is interesting is that his lower back side bend (~45°) is good for a young player, I just don't know why he feels the need to deep the upper back, neck and head at 90°. He's putting a huge amount of trust that his left side will be able to counterbalance that. Letting the upperback-neck-head remain at the same 45° would lessen that strain without any other changes.

[@tonytanti8138]

I really like Gordon Sargents swing....190 ball speed is crazy. Heat the longest on tour

[@malthuswasright]

Good concise analysis. They'll find it hard to win 100m when they have to retire early with crippling back problems. That said, nice to see an amateur doing that well at a major.

[@mrkipling3841]

Well said, Monte.

[@golfdoc1950]

Zalatoris is missing the Masters because of injury. There's no way I could get myself into that position anyway.

[@SonnyVakil]

he is taking the entire year off for double bulging discs

[@davidd1395]

Didn’t Harvey Penick say something about ‘just a little medicine?’

[@cadger10]

I couldn’t agree with you more!! These guys are going to be in serious pain later in life!!

[@danielheyward8818]

Well said!

[@thegolfswinganalyst]

He looks like Lee Trevino. It’s accurate and that’s the reason he’s where he’s at. Moe Norman has mentioned though that modeling Lee’s swing hurts his back.

[@greggallego3111]

Interesting point

[@patriziodaveri1442]

Great video. End of range of motion is never a good idea

[@staryeyedmonk]

I'm single plane swinging it something like Moe Norman. It doesn't hurt my back at all and I know where my ball is going.

[@oldprogolf7292]

Excellent, Monte. The college coaches and teaching pros who are pushing these youngsters into this position need to check their insurance policies. It is criminal. Plenty of good golfers who don't do this and will still be competing in their 40s and 50s. These kids won't. I see it as lack of arm release. Hand release has to happen but instead of releasing the arms before impact, they keep turning the shoulders fast into the follow through with the lead arm held to the chest.

[@method341]

He has never had a swing coach apparently. He said so in a Good Good video

[@oldprogolf7292]

@@method341 thank you, that is surprising. His swing does not look like a natural swing, maybe he has copied someone. However, no-one seems to be teaching traditional swings like Snead, Watson, Mickelson. Apart from Monte and one or two others they all teach violent, positional swings, forward shaft lean, fast hips and so on. This is for young, fit players. How can your average, overweight, middle-aged golfer get into these positions?

[@oldprogolf7292]

​@@method341just seen a Golf digest story that confirms that Sam has never had a coach though other reports say he was coached at high school and college. He says he fought a slice and developed his method to reduce it to a fade. He has been told that his back won't stand it so needs to make money quick. Like Zalatoris.

[@Chris.Cliver]

The golf instructors that preach a sustainable healthy swing distinguish between lower back lumbar spine and the thoracic spine. Basically from the ribs up bend in T spine is good, from the ribs down to sacrum the lower 5 lumbar vertebrae… bend is bad.

[@Jdeneik]

Spot on here

[@mylesfecundo8240]

Sam Bennett said during the press conference in the masters. I don’t have 190 ball speed and a pretty swing. Hey he put a awesome performance in the masters

[@tlim1945]

couldn’t agree with you more. Scary

[@frankskyle1]

Like Harvey Penick famously said, "when I tell you to take an aspirin, don't take the whole bottle".

[@joekeefe3229]

Perfect

[@spencerjsteel]

Been around long enough to see most of the trends you mentioned, and many of the elite players who employed them either had their careers cut short due to injury, or had to significantly change the way they hit the ball. Ain't nothing new under the sun; guys like Snead knew what they were doing without necessarily knowing why they were doing it, and they stayed out there forever. I wouldn't teach Phil Mickelson's swing, as it's got a lot of unusual stuff in it as you point out in your analysis of him, but there's nothing inherently destructive about the way he moves the club. He's been out there 30+ years, never been hurt, and can still compete with the very best on any given week, two months from fifty-three. Of course you don't change a Tiger Woods when the guy is winning one of three starts, but if you'd asked me twenty years ago where he'd be, with the snapping straight of that lead knee down into the ball, and the tremendous torque he put on his lower body, I'd have said he'd be looking at back and knee problems down the line. By '08 the knee had given out, and a few years later it was the back. He adjusted for all of this and was hitting it as well as ever, when the car accident pretty much put an end to his competitive days at 45. Would have been interesting to see how he'd have fared as a healthi(er) older player.

[@ironsideeve2955]

Lol Tiger got his injuries from lifting heavy weights

[@RCGolf]

@@ironsideeve2955 No he didn't. Compared to pretty much all athletes in other sports Tiger Woods was a runt. Baseball players lift heavy, football players lift heavy you don't see those types of injuries in those sports. Injuries mostly happen from overuse (too many reps and not enough recovery) or in game injuries or lastly bad habits. Tiger hit tons of balls his entire life and had a tremendous amount of speed for a skinny kid which he produced by torquing his hips and snapping his lead leg. A lot of guys that snap that lead leg for speed have had knee problems so it comes with the territory.

[@madskrillz2]

@@ironsideeve2955 you're a moron if you actually believe that.

[@dant4974]

@@RCGolf That dude doesn't understand tiger has rods in his back and had knee problems for a good while... I mean people forget his drug problems started when he played the '08 US open on a torn ACL and they just drugged him up to get him through it lol. All of that had very little to do with lifting. But as you said, the body can only take so many reps and I think Tiger was close to the human limit in regards to that lol

[@CruceEntertainment]

Weird position he gets into. But the important thing is which way the club is going as it hits the ball and the which way the club face is facing. However you can get it done.

[@houthat]

great take

[@devastatn]

I don't know about the others on your list but Sam has never had a lesson in his life. I'm not sure we're he got his swing from being it was 10+ years ago when he started to ingrain this swing. But yes, these limberbacks need to pull back a lil. They'll not last a dozen years without some down time. Great video brother. ⛳❤️👍💯

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

He is still exposed to the culture. Most of us hav e ever been to a nutritionist or trainer, but know the mantra of no carbs and cardio cardio cardio.

[@CArube1094]

I think he's. Great kid good for him! Too bad he didn't win any masters money being Amateur but my chips are on him next year...I'm sure his Father's smiling 😃 on him hes a great kid. I'm a fan! We all have back issues whether reverse c but enjoy it!

[@OriginalGollie]

Preach

[@roythomson638]

It seams to be the players that are very skinny lean flexible that do this, I can think of many great ball strikers that don’t do this

[@smilingbeast7173]

That cross is telling... Amen.

[@rangepro]

He stands up over 4 inches from address to make room for his hands to hit the ball! HIS BACK will never last!!

[@golfmaniac]

The first time I saw Tiger swing, I said he will have Body issues down the road. The key with all these guys is to make a ton of money before their body fails them. Tiger did it, hope Sam will to.

[@rogermiller4929]

If I could get into that position, I would join the Cirque de Sol. 😂

[@JL-yw3rf]

My back hurts just watching swings like this

[@petteremberson]

His swing reminds me of Jim Furyk.

[@MeanMints5]

And he’s still on the tour and old.

[@petteremberson]

@@MeanMints5 Yes I know.

[@brianmcg321]

Tiger called this his o’le swing he had when he was a teenager.

[@rektspresso7288]

This is a huge stretch (no pun intended)

[@killacamfoo]

This is why Will Zalitoris is out of the master this week. Sam should take note.

[@JimmyGunXD556]

Exactly. his swing is ridiculously enifficient

[@kevinmetzger4136]

so so dumb

[@pushtostart1377]

You have no idea what he’s actually doing to make his body look like that, this is what happens when you get 3 dimensions stuffed into 2.

[@kevinmetzger4136]

@@pushtostart1377 ya thats why u look at face on too lol. breaking records but inefficient, get head checked

[@jasonw4915]

back wrecker will zalaroris is the same way

[@LegolasFan69]

Kinda reminds me of Jaco Nieman’s swing

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

I mentioned him too

[@austincurtis7999]

This guy says hes never had lessons and this is a homegrown swing according to him

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

I said this to an earlier comment. That’s mostly irrelevant, he learned the game in the golf culture where all anyone talks about is getting as open as possible. You don’t need to have gone to a nutritionist or trainer to know you can’t eat carbs and have to go all out cardio.

[@3rdgroove]

This swing is super stable. Very little club head rotation. A true drive-hold-release. And I'm not sure why do you think it's too much bent. Just because it looks more bent than most? Yes it does. But why exactly should this be too much?

[@larrybud]

He just said: because their bodies won't take it in the long run

[@mylesfecundo8240]

Sam goes hard on his downswing and he has too much side bend. It’s not bad but it’s not gonna last long

[@oldprogolf7292]

Will Zalatoris!

[@golfmaniac]

That much bend, with the speed he rotates at, are a recipe for injury. No one could swing like that their whole career, and not come away with back issues.

[@3rdgroove]

@@golfmaniac Why do you think that?

[@Jackybug]

This seems to be what GG is teaching

[@montejr6992]

Holy crap, another Monte.

[@robsaxepga]

Man that just looks like an injury begging to happen. Zalatoris has already had back problems. Not good.

[@andybecker5001]

Looks like hell on the lower back. His arms look too far behind him on backswing forcing him to extreme sidebend with tones of upper rotation too

[@ironsideeve2955]

Im kinda over every YTer telling everyone what restrictions to place on themselves. Swing ur own swing.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

FYI, I asked Arnold Palmer personally and he said, “When I said swing your swing, I meant when you arrive at the course that day. I didn’t mean keep your crappy swing.” Jack Nicklaus said, “I wasn’t too good to listen to someone about my swing, so why are you?”

[@rektspresso7288]

@@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf I asked George Washington what he thinks on this topic and he said "what is golf" then the other founding fathers stood and gave a round of applause

[@TheBooze13]

The Will Zalatoris effect….

[@davideveringham2881]

Golf tips are like aspirin. One may do you good, but if you swallow the whole bottle you will be lucky to survive. Harvey Penick

[@robertartwohl]

Will Zalatoris, 26, just underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy. . .

[@jungfraulicheukulele8682]

Also don't copy his pre shot routine.

[@joeldriver-sp2rg]

Niemann is even more bent than that. He will have a VERY short career. Look at Natalie Gulbis' swing if you get a chance. She did the same thing and has already retired from golf at age 37 but she was having all sorts of back issues for years leading up to that. Our bodies were simply not built to sustain that type of repeated abuse.

[@doug7170]

Another will. Here today hurt tomorrow

[@paulcontreras3264]

Will Zalatoris just had spinal surgery. He is done for the season. Maybe longer than that.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

This makes me sad. I enjoy watching him play.

[@mr.javier6790]

Zalatoris had back surgery didnt he? In Dallas I believe.

[@mikeneuburger3989]

That looks so painful lol

[@marcostisanifrancadanese3076]

Cameron champ, Rory mcilroy all get more ball speed than these guys, and they don’t bend nearly as much. Champ especially, he can get mid 190s ball speed, and he has a much more mechanically sound swing

[@russdadda]

Sam has said on other channels that he has never had a lesson before university. Home grown swing, working it out.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

Yes but……he’s been exposed to the get wide open trend just like everyone else.

[@Tigersmundo]

*SIDE BEND talking, we are thrilled to sponsor some of the most talented and accomplished golfers in the world! Arnold Palmer, Scottie Scheffler, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Jamie Sadlowski, Jordan Spieth, John Rahm, Victor Hovland, Joaquin Niemann, Sahith Theegala, Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, and Ole Tiger Woods are all incredibly skilled and inspiring athletes. We are proud to support THEIR efforts and look forward to watching them compete at the highest level. Our goal (side bend) is to provide the best tools and technology to help these golfers maximize their potential and achieve their goals. We are confident that our Swing Catalyst products will help these amazing athletes take THEIR game to the next level and reach their peak performance. Thank you for your opinion Monte Scheinblum and for helping us in supporting these athletes they'll cry to their Doctors with multi millions in the bank, but there is still plenty of GOAT HUMPING to fix out there.*

[@SonnyVakil]

Zaletoris is out for a year because of this move.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

I HATED hearing that. Like I said in the video, I want all of these guys to kill it on tour.

[@kevinmetzger4136]

success leaves clues... but ya, dont copy a guy thats breaking records

[@dieplehoang1123]

Feel like nieman

[@brokenspell4851]

It’s the $$$. Hope they can walk at 35.

[@Not.Satoshi]

Great analysis. I have seen a few really good young players in this position. I hope their bodies can take it long enough to make it worth it. Sam said in his press that he will never get a swing coach. I hope he changes his mind in the future because I would love to watch him play for a long time. Rooting for Sam in The Masters!!!

[@paybax]

Why would be do that? A swing change hasn’t worked out for a ton of golfers, like Hunter. He is better off planning for a short career.

[@Not.Satoshi]

@@paybax I didn’t say change it today. I agree with Monte, roll with it while it’s working.

[@ironsideeve2955]

Ill bet if he had a swing coach he would get worse and hit it shorter

[@marct9587]

Yes, how long can anyone's back hold up to that much contortion?

[@thomasmichaels6850]

Going to be a ton of amateurs with bad backs .

[@3rdgroove]

When Niemann turned pro in 2018 I remember a lot of people saying he'll be breaking his back. But he's doing just fine.

[@spencerjsteel]

@@3rdgroove Yes, Niemann is just fine at 24, five years after he turned professional. Monte's contention is that it might not be a swing built for a lifetime. He was clear that he wouldn't touch either of these guys, but that Bennett and Niemann are extremes, and that copying extreme positions has generally proven a bad idea. He wouldn't have touched Jason Day in 2015-16 either, but the player himself was forced to adjust his swing or else it spelled the end of his career. He's incorporated more hip turn and shallowing of the club, and is back (no pun) playing some amazing golf. Look though all of the great players through the game's history - the ones who stayed injury-free and competitive the longest had the least radical physical motions. Since we don't make our livings playing the tour, wouldn't' it make sense to try and emulate the commonalities of the greats who stayed healthy so that we can play better golf and stay healthy as well?

[@larrybud]

@@spencerjsteel Monte predicted Day would jack up his back long before he did too. Talked about it all the time on Golfwrx.

[@3rdgroove]

@@spencerjsteel I don't know why Monte thinks that. Is it something he sees and knows that will cause the body to break down (because he's seen it before) or is it just a hunch? JDay had back pain since he was 13. That's when he started to take golf seriously. So lot's of swinging with a technique that has caused a lot of back pain with many other players. I totally agree. But with that Nieman rotational swing I just don't see what could cause an injury.

[@part1801]

Looks painful in slow mo

[@Ri_Guy]

He’s never had a lesson, so he just swings this way. No one told him too.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

Read my res-ones when others have said this.

[@jicalzad]

Yeah this doesn’t look healthy at all

[@pushtostart1377]

I disagree, but I guess that’s where the saying those who can’t do, teach, comes from

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

Weak response. I’m a former world long drive champion and played on every major tour, so I can “do”

[@Little_Alesi]

Krüppel in 20 years

[@goldbug007]

I cant watch him… he is sooooooooo sloooooow. He cant trigger and shoot. Worst than Sergio Garcia was…

[@erwinmonti5066]

This kid had a hot week sort of like a Flash in the Pan.. I predict He will wind up like many many of the tour players not winning anything again. He won't even be around next year.

[@JJG86]

Similar to Joaquin Nieman.