It was December of 1996. A magazine article entitled, “Mike Austin: Longest of the Long. Golf’s Venerable Big Hitter Talks About Taking It Deep” led me cross-country to Studio City, California to meet the legendary golf instructor. During my first lesson I was tongue-lashed, twisted, pushed and pulled. But within the hour I was hitting golf balls farther, more accurately and with less effort than every before. That evening I headed back to the Studio City golf range and launched 4 huge buckets of balls into the California night. Onlookers gathered around me. I woke up with absolutely no pain or stiffness. I jumped out of bed and headed to my second lesson. So began my golfing odyssey and friendship with Mike Austin.
Mike Austin holds the record for the longest drive ever -recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records – a mind-numbing, 515-yard blast during the 1974 National Seniors Open. He was 64 years of age. A student of medicine, engineering and kinesiology, Mike was a pioneer in the study of muscle movement as it related to the golf swing. “If you practice kinesiology, the science of muscle movement, you don’t need to play often to play well”, he once told the L.A. Times.
Mike’s life was the stuff of legend. Born on the Isle of Guernsey, one of the two Channel Islands off the coast of England in 1910, his family moved to the United States when he was ten. He spent his youth practicing golf at East Lake Country Club, the pro at the time being Stewart Maiden of Bobby Jones fame. He was a member of the PGA and played the likes of Lloyd Mangrum and Sam Snead. His golfing exploits as a hustler earned him the nickname, “The Golfing Bandit”. Mike roomed with Errol Flynn and gave lessons to Howard Hughes. He sang in operas, spoke several language and appeared in Hollywood movies. In 1984, at the age of 74 Mike was named Southern California’s PGA Golf Profession of the Year. He was known for prodigious drives and fantastic ball striking.
Mike shared his passion for golf and brilliant teaching with thousands of students, including the legendary long-driver Mike Dunaway. Mike gave golf lessons in Studio City, California well into his late 80’s. His revolutionary teaching tenets ran counter to much of what is commonly taught. Mike continued to provide golf instruction from his home well into his 90’s. Mike passed on in November of 2005 at the age of 95. He is survived by his lovely wife, Tanya.
Copyright June, July 2010, llenroc enterprises LLC
Mentored By The Legend - Mike Austin 
Chuck
Like to make sure I am getting the latest posts. Just purchased a Pause-n- Throw device and would appreciate your opinion of it.
Thanks
Haven’t used one.
Chuck
Thanks for the response. I believe your site was the most accurately telling of all for the Mike Austin method. At 80 years if age I am still struggling to perfect it. While I have lost swing speed , I can still bend my knees well and swivel my hips. I still have problems with putting it all together especially when to initiate the “flat” wrist cock, bringing the club to position and rhythm.
Is your site still active ?
Tony Izzo
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Chuck,
Hello. I am viewing, studying and practicing Mike Austin’s and Mike Dunaway’s video. It is going well with the exception of one area that I just don’t get. I have the 4 o’clock 10 o’clock move. I don’t’ get the push down of the right hip movement. When watching Mike D hit the ball he has a sort of upward push like movement. It is a subtle move and I seem to be overdoing it. A man named Shawn Clements advocates that move but his is exaggerated Mike Dunaway’s is not. The up move which is a reaction of the downward hip move is, I believe, a power generating move. Can you provide information on this right hip between the ball and knee downward movement?
Sincerely,
Robert
Hey Robert,
From address with a bent right leg – When you extend your right knee and the right hip moves back to 4 o’clock – your left knee flexes/bends.
You are now in the tripod position (see prior video clip).
With your left knee bent, your left hip is naturally below your right.
The opposite happens at the beginning of your downswing.
Now your right knee flexes and moves toward 10 o’clock. That’s going to lower your right hip.The hip then continues to go around however until the hips are perpendicular to the target line.
(To simplify, just stand straight upright. Flex your left knee. Your left hip lowered and your right hip got higher.)
Hope that helps!
Robert,
See also the video clip on “Completing the Mike Austin Swing” as to the hip position at the end of the swing.
Best
Also, see “The Power Move” and notice how the hips tilt.
Hi Chuck
I your video where Mike has you holding to your pants pocket, what exactly does he do to prevent you from turning?
Also, what do you feel is the trigger for the lower body to provide power during the down swing? Do you find its the front hip pulling at 8 o’clock or the back leg pushing forward to 10 o’clock?
Charles,
Mike Austin was stepping on my trailing foot. Now that you know, you can probably “see” it.
On both the backswing and the forward swing Mike was big on the fact that if you don’t “raise the heel” you can’t make the proper pivot.
And, the pivot was the engine that caused the rest of the machine to then move.
Mike taught me to trigger the forward swing in the lower body with the right knee going to 10:00.
Hope that helps.
Best,
Chuck
HI Chuck
I would also like to know when exactly in the forward swing you initiate the throwing of the club?
Do you transfer your weight first by swinging your right knee at 10 o’clock and then from that momentum you throw the club using your hands or you need to transfer weight, swing torso and arms and then throw the club with your hands?
It seems that I’m still struggling to get the timing right because I’m inconsistent in my ball striking. When I release too early, I pull the ball or duck-hook it. If I’m late, then it’s a push or nasty cut. When the timing is right, I can’t ask for more, the ball goes far and straight.
It’s only the sequence of action that I need to ingrain in my brain.
Thank you so much for such an informative site. Keep the lessons coming. I would like to ask you if you would name a few players from the PGA, Nationwide Tour or Champions Tour that come close to resembling the Mike Austin swing.
Gene,
You are more then welcome. For leg action, check out older motions of Nicklaus and many golfers of that era. Also, earlier I posted a clip on Bubba Watson.
For the bowed left wrist check out the post on Dustin Johnson. Recently, Tom Watson had a recent article in Golf Digest regarding his throwing motion of the right hand.
Best,
Chuck
Hey Tony, are you still at Yale??
Chuck, wherein New England are you? If you come down to NYC ring me up, would love to meet with you
I am in New England – often in RI and NY.
If I know I am in Manhattan I will surely give you a shout.
Thanks for the note.
Best,
Chuck
Hi Chuck,
thanks for those great, new insides from someone who really knew him and was even able to record his lessons..quite outstanding. I just discoverd that blog and I am really looking forward to all new posts. Hopefully soon….
Regards from Germany
Thomas
Thomas,
Thanks so much. Glad you found the site.
It’s very exciting that this information on Mike Austin has reached Germany.
More secrets are on the way!
Best,
Chuck
Chuck,
of course we know MA, there have been some dicussions about MA in some german internet-forum and there is a teacher at Hamburg who knows him from his hospital days and promotes the DVD’s. I started golf just 3 years before and didn’t like the art of teaching which I felt was against your natural abilities so I came in touch with MA because I was kind of searching him. Regrettably I was too late to meet him but.
Thanks again for sharing!
Thomas
Thank you so so much for keeping these pictures and video around. It brings back a great deal of good memories for me. I have been wishing that I had filmed all my lessons, and Mike’s sessions with other students. There is no question that this is the easiest way to hit it long and straight. Ever since meeting Mike Austin it is nearly impossible to watch pro golf swings on TV.
What you are doing is wonderful – keep it up!
Chuck,
Thanks for the webpage – I have bought everything out there claiming to be Mike Austin and it is clear to me they are not all identical! In studying Mike’s swing, it looks like to me that the right arm is used differently than other swings – some have described it as a tromboning action and I look forward to your comments on the right arm.
dennis
Dennis,
Thanks for the email. I will get into the right arm swing. I can tell you that a lot of it has never been divulged before in any tapes or books.
Thanks,
Chuck
Hi Chuck,
As a friend & student of Mike Austin’s, I greatly appreciate your wonderful website. Your words captured it best, “Mike Austin was a treasure.”
Having met Mike Austin ~1 year after his stroke in 1990, I never saw him make a full swing live, but I was privileged to see him teach his protege, Mike Dunaway. His swing looked as effortless as a practice swing, but the ball took off like a cannon shot.
Also, for anyone questioning the quality of Mike Austin’s ball striking, each of his irons had a severely worn dot the size of pea right on the sweet spot. He rarely mishit anything.
By the way, his clubs had shafts as stiff as telephone poles, with ultra high swing weights (my guess would be well into the “G” range). It’s a testimony to his extraordinary physical strength. One could only imagine what he could have done with the modern golf ball & clubs.
Andy,
Thanks so much for the wonderful email.
It’s fantastic to hear others contribute about MIke.
I am sure that it helps the readers get a feel for Mike’s intellect, golfing skills and personality. It also must have been incredible to see MIke give lessons to Mike Dunaway.
Mike use to tell me stories of Dunaway hitting 6 irons over the highest part of the farthest point of the Studio City driving range. I had the good fortune of speaking to Mike Dunaway several times while at Mike’s house. He seemed like a wonderful, down-to-earth man.
Please feel free to provide any insights and/or stories.
Thanks again,
Chuck
Hi Chuck,
Nice site you have here. I have been trying to learn the Mike Austin Swing for a couple of years. Sometimes I think I’m close but not really sure. Are you located anywhere close to Northern Virginia?
Thanks Bruce. I am generally in the New England area though I often travel to metro areas on the east and west coasts.
If interest In Mike Austin’s teaching continues to grow i may try to take it on the road to give those interested hands-on insights.
In the meantime I have some really detailed instruction from Mike which I hope to get out. Thanks again!
Chuck,
I’m looking forward to seeing the instructions. Your Site is great resource and thanks for making it available to us. BTW right now I am not counter rotating my wrists. I just let them flow naturally in the back swing and downswing. When my hands are waist high in the back swing the toe of my club is straight up. I hope that is how Mike used to do it.
i took many lessons with mike. i am a teaching pro in ct. i have been teaching for 25 years 8 years at yale golf course. i would never teach anything other than austinology. thanks tony
Tony,
Welcome to the site. Thanks for your input.
Please feel free to share any of your insights.
Love the golf course at Yale. Wonderful, great course.
Chuck
Chuck,
Did you ever participate in the Mike Austin golf forum which was started by Thomas Dang?
I didn’t previously participate in any Mike Austin forums to the best of my recollection.
I read some. I wasn’t a fan of all the arguments going on nor the information that I saw. I do not know the person that you reference nor do I know which forum you are referencing (??)
Thomas Dang began what was tauted as the official MA site: Mikeaustingolf.com.
From that site one could purchase the Austinology and Mental Imagery dvd’s.
The forum at one time was very popular.
Within the past year or so, Mr. Dang has diappeared. That site is in limbo.
I am pleased to see someone who is seeking to perpetuate Mike Austin’s memory in a meaningful way.
Thanks for the kind words. Sorry to hear of the demise of the other site.
I hope that Mike once again gains in popularity. He was a real golf treasure.
Love all the nice stuff you put into this blog. Looking to learn and see more 🙂
I’m off to Orlando tomorrow to meet with Rocky who studied under Shauger. Hope to learn the technique to hit the ball consistently..I liked your blog on Mr. Austin..
Great site! I just started on the MA swing a few weeks ago – I have spent just a few hours with Dan Shauger and it helped immensly. Seeing and hearing Mike is both interesting and helpful. I look forward to you posting more video.
Thanks Again!
I wish I could have been so fortunate to have met Mike Austin. Looking forward to seeing your upcoming vidoes.
Thanks.
I consider myself very fortunate.
Mike was bigger-than-life:
A huge talent, wonderful character and dear friend.