The golf swing has been analyzed, picked apart, diagrammed, filmed from every possible angle, modified by teachers, examined by coaches, and refined by science.
From the grip to the takeaway to the angle of approach to the point of contact, one might conclude that there is one perfect way to hit a golf ball.
On the flip side of that, meet Snappy Gilmore.
One of the latest influencers in the social media whirl and how it relates to the golf space, Snappy, whose real name is Eliezer Paul-Gindiri, has a swing that might best be described as the motion of a helicopter as it is about to crash.
It’s a one-armed, looping, wobbling, violent swing that sends the ball soaring in the 250-300-yard range and leaves spectators wide-eyed.
To call it unorthodox is like calling Jack Nicklaus a fine golfer.
If you haven’t seen Snappy’s swing, you’re behind the times. He has become a star of the TikTok and Instagram worlds, leading to millions of views and a video session with the PGA Tour. Videos of his swing have attracted the notice of ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
Snappy’s nickname, of course, comes from the 1996 movie “Happy Gilmore” starring Adam Sandler as a hockey player who brings a very unorthodox swing to the PGA Tour and disrupts the normal flow of things. He also has a quite entertaining fight with Bob Barker, he of the “Price is Right” game.
Paul-Gindiri became a social-media star by accident. A group of friends invited the 21-year-old to join them on an outing to a driving range. He had never played golf and had no yearning to do so, but he tagged along.
“They said, ‘Dude, just come watch and chill and hang out with everybody,’ ” he said.
He picked up a club and tried hitting balls with a two-handed swing. He hit the ground more often than the ball, so he switched to one hand and started pounding balls into the distance. He brought the driver around with a windmill-like motion, and the clubface matched up with the ball, and away he went.
His friends quickly gave him the “Snappy Gilmore” label. “They started calling me that before I ever saw the movie,” he said. “I’ll just go with it. If you had told me a year ago that I would be playing golf today, I would say you’re insane.”
Despite the pleadings of teachers and coaches, unorthodox swings work for some players. Those who have seen Snappy’s drives fly off into the wild blue yonder aren’t likely to try to change his method.
“I ask people what am I doing wrong, and they’re like, ‘You’re asking me that question?’ ” he said.
The short game requires a different approach, of course, and Paul-Gindiri says he’s working on that.
“When I started, it was really bad, but now I’m getting to know different techniques and stuff,” he said. “I literally have to coach myself because nobody does it the way I do it.
“I’m just falling in love with the game. I can’t go a week without playing.”
