I think pretty much everyone who frequents this site has seen the movie Happy Gilmore. It's obviously a ridiculously hilarious movie that in no way shape or form should actually be able to help your golf game. But you know what, it actually can.It turns out that the famous Happy Gilmore swing, where Happy runs up to the ball before belting it is not only legal, but it'll actually add length to your drive.
Padraig Harrington, who's won three majors, decided to test the swing out for the show Sports Science to see how well it worked. Surprisingly well, is the answer.
'Because I plant a little bit like a javelin thrower in my Happy Gilmore, I get a much better stretch and then my left hip stops much quicker so I get that acceleration.'
Harrington improved his driving distance by 30 yards, from 296 to 326. He admitted it sacrifices accuracy, so he won't use it in tournaments, but he recommended that less serious golfers give it a try. 'It's not as accurate, but you get an extra 20 to 30 yards,' he said. 'You should try the Happy Gilmore, you have to try it.'
Even better, the stuffy bastards at St. Andrews even admitted it's completely legal.
'It is probably not something we would want to encourage on golf courses because of the damage it could cause if you missed the ball,' said a St. Andrews spokesman.
But he admitted: 'There is nothing to prevent people doing it.'
Here's a video of Harrington trying out the Happy Gilmore:
And here's a video of the Sports Science episode:
Personally, I absolutely hate golf. But if I can do this on a golf course, I may suddenly take a liking to the game.
Harrington gets his Happy Gilmore on [SPORTSbyBROOKS]
Taking a run up before hitting your golf ball may make it sail a lot further... but is it a fair way to play? [Daily Mail]
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