Mike Austin and Dan Shauger
Who is Mike Austin?
Mike Austin is the man who Guinness Records credits with the longest drive ever in competitive golf. At age 64, in September 25, 1974 at the U.S. National Seniors Open Championship at Winterwood Golf Course (now called Desert Rose) in Las Vegas, Mike hit a 515-yard drive on the par-4 465 yard 5th hole. Even more remarkable was that he did this with a 43.5" steel-shafted persimmon wood driver with one of the old balata balls. And the scary thing is...Mike, with a graduate degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in kinesiology, said that he knew what he was doing!
Top FAQ that People Ask Jaacob about Mike
How did Jaacob meet Mike Austin?
Jaacob worked in the corporate world for five years between St. Louis and Kansas City. In late December 2002, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a golf career. He got a membership at Lost Canyons Golf Club in Simi Valley and began practicing. One day while practicing in fierce winds in late January, Jaacob struck up a conversation with the man behind him...Dan Shauger. He told Dan of his career aspirations and Dan offered to take Jaacob under his wing and teach him the swing secrets of the legendary Mike Austin. Dan had apparently been good friends with Michael for roughly the last 25 years, and shortly thereafter Jaacob met Mike in his house in LA. Thus the relationship began.
On video, it just looks like a nice fluid swing. What's so different?
Although the swing looks rather effortless and easy, there's a reason for that. Mike found a way to use the body's joints, which are all levers (hinges, ball and sockets, etc), in a way that is like a powerful compound lever. He used the legs, the most powerful muscle group in the body, as the main power source. It looks so natural, because unlike the conventionally taught swing, his swing was built around how the body is meant to function. He wont use conventional jargon like coil, lag, hinging the wrists, delayed release, etc. Instead, he used natural body leverage, throwing the club around the swing circle center, and a square-blade concept. The ball flies straighter and father without the back-strain.
Why isn't Mike Austin more well known?
Back in the 1930s to the 1960s, there wasn't the huge amount of corporate sponsorship or television money available to golfers. If you decided to play on the PGA Tour, you also needed an additional job, particularly in the off-season, to make ends meet. Mike could actually make more money from teaching lessons, putting on exhibitions, and gambling using his trick shots.
If this swing is so great, why aren't you on the PGA Tour?
The Mike Austin swing is just that...a swing. It can help you hit longer, straighter, and more consistent shots, but there are other aspects to the game like putting, course management, mental and emotional management of self, etc, that go in to making it on to the PGA Tour.
Jaacob also started when he was 27. Many golfers started at a very young age, so Jaacob had and still has lots of ground to cover to catch up to the experience and knowledge of someone who started when they were 5-10 years old.
In addition, to pursue a golf career takes money to cover travel costs, tournament costs, etc. In the beginning this money has to either come from personal savings and income or from outside help through family, friends, or sponsors. Jaacob is continuing to make progress as a golfer, but because he has had to work while others can be out practicing, his progress is not as fast as it might be otherwise.
Furthermore, the purses on the mini-tours are unfortunately top-loaded like the PGA and Nationwide Tour. Because the purses are smaller and the top couple players take most of the money, it takes a top-20 in a full field of around 160 players to make back your entry fee and travel costs for the week. That means that 87.5% of mini-tour players do not make enough money to self substain. This makes it difficult for any talented professional that is in a developmental state to break through. Jaacob is in the upper 99.9% of all golfers, however, he is currently at the lower end of the professional ranks. To get to that next level is an amazing feat.
Why isn't everyone using his swing?
If you've ever met Mike or taken a lesson from him, you probably already know the answer to this. For those that don't know, Mike, although a genius when it came to the golf swing, is a bit rough around the edges, egotistical, and isn't very tactful in his dealings with people. Make no mistake, the man is great, but he is a bit bullish, especially in his old age after his stroke. After meeting him and spending lots of time around him, it wasn't at all a surprise that not many other people had heard of him or were open to hearing what he had to say and offer.
There seem to be several versions of the hand-action that Mike used. Which one is the right one?
As you can see further below on this page, there are many products and people that are affiliated with the Mike Austin swing. Everyone seems to generally agree on the pivot, however, the biggest difference is the rolling hand-action, or curling under hand-action. So who is right?
In the 1990s and prior, Mike taught a rolling hand-action. You will see this demonstrated in all of the videos that were made during this time. After he had his stroke and became paralyzed on his right side, he was basically left only to be able to ponder the golf swing. In the last few years before he died, he changed his outlook from a rolling hand-action to one that curls under and keeps the blade squarer longer. The problem is that Mike didn't make another video after he changed his viewpoint. The Peace River video was re-released as a DVD with extra footage, but the actual instruction remained the same old stuff. Also, whether it was old-age or stubborness or what, Mike would also contradict himself in these later years of his life. There was one time when Dan Shauger ( a close friend of Mike's for nearly 25 years) and Jaacob were at Mike's house working in Mike's garage and Mike was insisting that the Flammer produced the new curling under motion that he was professing, when in fact it produces a rolling hand-action. Dan modified the pivot so that it produced the curling under motion, yet Mike still insisted that the original Flammer did so. It did not. So it is understandable that some might not think that Mike professed the curling under action...even in Mike's later years.
In addition, in 2003, Dan began putting together a tribute book to Mike as told through the eyes of Dan, the How to Kill the Ball book (see below). In it included the new hand-action that Mike was professing. Mike was happy about it and even put up funding to put the book together. However, when Dan finished the book Mike began claiming that Mike himself had written it, when in fact, Dan had written it. Understandably so, Dan was upset about this and Jaacob was witness to a big arguement over it. This situation damaged their friendship all the way through to when Mike passed away. Unfortunately, many people do not know this story. So later on when the rights of the Mike Austin stuff were taken over and other people met Mike, Mike gave Dan a bad rap. Thus the discrepancy between those who advocate the rolling action and those like Dan who knew and were witness to Mike's change of viewpoint. Yes, Mike taught a rolling hand-action. But in the end, he also taught the curling under hand action and came to believe that it was the better of the two.
I have seen you swing in person (or on an internet video) and it doesn't look like Mike Austin's swing. Why is this?
There are two reasons for this. The first is that although two different people may be performing the same motion, the swings will look different because no two people have the exact same body. The second reason is that at various times Jaacob has experimented with other grips, stances, methods, etc because he wanted to be certain that he was using the best possible swing for himself. You may have seen him (or seen a video of him) during one of these experimental periods.
One time I saw you from a distance at a driving range hitting duck hooks and topping the ball. Why would I want to learn about your swing or Mike Austin's swing after seeing this?
As stated in the previous answer, Jaacob likes to experiment with other methods. When one does this it is expected that there will be mishits. In addition, golf is a game where it is sometimes useful to hit duck hooks and hard slices to get out of trouble, around trees, etc. Occasionally, Jaacob practices these types of shots on the range. As for topping the ball, one time while experimenting on the range, Jaacob found out that if he could top the ball just right it would pop up a couple feet in the air and he could catch it. It's a fun trick he likes to practice.
Who are some of the names that will pop up when you hear of Mike Austin?
Mike Dunaway
mikedunaway.org
Mike is the original protege of Mike Austin. Dunaway won the 1990 World Super Long Drive Contest. He inspired Art Sellinger, who owns the Long Drivers of America and has been a big part of The RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships, to get in to the sport of long driving. Dunaway resides in Arkansas.
Dan Shauger
danshauger.com
Nicknamed the "Tin Cup Teacher", Dan is a professional golfer who teaches at the John Wells Driving range on Strathern in Sun Valley, California. He was close friends with Mike Austin for roughly 25 years and understands the way Mike swung better than anyone. He retired from the movie industry and is currently working on other golf products. Dan also offers video instruction via regular mail.
Philip Reed
philip-reed.com
Phil Reed is a middle-aged journalist who lives in the Los Angeles area. His first novel, Bird Dog, was nominated for the Edgar and Anthony Awards. This book Free Throw: 7 Steps to Success on the Free Throw Line, was co-written with Dr. Tom Amberry, who has advised the Chicago Bulls. Reed was also worked as an undercover car-salesman and written "Confessions of a Car Salesman," for Strategies for Smar Car Buyers, published in 2003.
Jaacob Bowden
jaacobbowden.com | swingmangolf.com
Due to his physical likeness and personal connection to Mike Austin, at 6'2" 210 lbs, Jaacob was featured in Phil Reed's book about Mike Austin in a chapter called "The Living Austin Swing". He won the Pinnacle Distance Challenge in St. Louis in July 2003 with a televised drive of 381 yards, and his journey is being chronicled for a movie called "Chasing the Dream".
He currently resides in the Zurich, Switzerland and is available for lessons.
Jaacob also has an instructional video out about the Mike Austin Swing here.
Thomas Dang
mikeaustingolf.com
Thomas took Mike's several day certification course and acquired the rights to many of Mike Austin's older videos and such. Before disappearing from the United States and abandoning the MikeAustinGolf.com website, he taught the original Mike Austin rolling method out of Oregon and California.
John Marshall
jmlongdrive.com
John is one of the friendliest and most modest guys you will ever meet. But his drives are anything but modest. John has studied the Mike Austin method, has worked with Dan Shauger, and has qualified for the The RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships and won the ALDA Long Drive Championships in the Super Senior Division. He is available for lessons in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
Steve Pratt
hititlonger.com
Steve Pratt first met Mike back in June of 1993 and is another one of the lucky guys who took personal lessons from Mike. Steve teaches the rolling hand-action version of the Austin swing near Los Angeles.
DJ Watts
djwattsgolf.com
Although DJ Watts never got a chance to meet Mike, DJ has researched Austin’s swing and has blogged extensively about Mike at his website.
DJ’s “MCS” swing is based upon his observations and experiences of using the Mike Austin swing.
Heiko Falke
mikeaustin.de
Heiko Falke met Mike Austin in September 2005 a few months before Mike died. Heiko obtained the rights from Thomas Dang to sell the DVD copies of “Golf is Mental Imagery” and “Austinology”. He teaches in Hamburg, Germany.
His best student is a Pro friend of mine named Gary Birch, who has played on the European Tour and in the British Open and is currently playing on the Sunshine Tour in Africa.
Chuck???
mentoredbythelegend.com
I don’t know his last name, but…if you'd like to see some footage of Mike giving lessons, this guy named Chuck was smart enough to film hours and hours worth of the lessons he personally took from Mike Austin in the 1990s.
He has videos that show Austin actually teaching the “blade faces the ball” hand action and also how much Austin wants you to take the club back to the inside on the initial take-a-way.
Where can I learn more about Mike Austin?
How to Kill the Ball (The Formula for Power and Accuracy - Book and DVD) by Dan Shauger - 2004
Available at amazon.com, and aperfectswing.com
This book and DVD were put together at a minimal cost and the quality of presentation is unpolished, however, the information contained in each are both exceptional and like nothing you've ever heard. They contain the pivot secrets, the throw, and the latest hand action. Dan teaches a variety of other additional things, Mike Austin and not, but if you want the most complete source of Mike Austin knowledge from beginning to end...Dan knows it. Check out the other things he has on his website too.
In Search of the Greatest Golf Swing by Philip Reed - 2004
Available in bookstores, at amazon.com, and philip-reed.com
The tale of Philip Reed, and ordinary golfer, his quest to hit a 300-yard drive, and his unanticipated journey in to the world of the sport's most legendary long driver and keeper of the secret to the perfect golf swing. A great read for golfers and non-golfers alike.
The Mike Austin Swing with Jaacob Bowden (Downloadable Video) - 2012
Available here.
Instructional video by Jaacob Bowden.
Mike Austin: Secrets from the Games Longest Hitter (DVD and VHS)
Available at this website.
Originally released in 1998 and rereleased in 2004, Mike Austin teams up with 1990 World Super Long Drive Contest champion Mike Dunaway to share the secrets of raw power. Includes the pivot secrets, the throw, but teaches the old style hand action.
The Man Who Cracked the Code by Philip Reed - LA Times 1991
Read the article here.
The 515 Yard Drive by David Hochman - Travel and Leisure Golf - July 2004
Read the article here.
The Flammer Swing Training Aid
This was once available from Mike Austin for $200...but I’m not sure if they are sold anymore.
Often know for it's use in the movie, Tin Cup, the Flammer is good for keeping proper arm extension throughout the swing, but it teaches the old-style rolling hand action. This training aid is actually better for someone learning the conventionally taught golf swing. Mike used to charge around $200 for it.
The World's Best Driver
The World's Best Driver Instructional DVD by Mike Dunaway - 2005
Available at Mike’s website.
Review to be written...
Hit it Hard! The Modern Fundamentals of Power Golf by Mike Dunaway and John Andrisani - 1992
Available at amazon.com
Review to be written...
Golf is Mental Imagery 1 & 2
Available at Swing Man Golf.
Who is Mike Austin?
Mike Austin is the man who Guinness Records credits with the longest drive ever in competitive golf. At age 64, in September 25, 1974 at the U.S. National Seniors Open Championship at Winterwood Golf Course (now called Desert Rose) in Las Vegas, Mike hit a 515-yard drive on the par-4 465 yard 5th hole. Even more remarkable was that he did this with a 43.5" steel-shafted persimmon wood driver with one of the old balata balls. And the scary thing is...Mike, with a graduate degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in kinesiology, said that he knew what he was doing!
Top FAQ that People Ask Jaacob about Mike
How did Jaacob meet Mike Austin?
Jaacob worked in the corporate world for five years between St. Louis and Kansas City. In late December 2002, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a golf career. He got a membership at Lost Canyons Golf Club in Simi Valley and began practicing. One day while practicing in fierce winds in late January, Jaacob struck up a conversation with the man behind him...Dan Shauger. He told Dan of his career aspirations and Dan offered to take Jaacob under his wing and teach him the swing secrets of the legendary Mike Austin. Dan had apparently been good friends with Michael for roughly the last 25 years, and shortly thereafter Jaacob met Mike in his house in LA. Thus the relationship began.
On video, it just looks like a nice fluid swing. What's so different?
Although the swing looks rather effortless and easy, there's a reason for that. Mike found a way to use the body's joints, which are all levers (hinges, ball and sockets, etc), in a way that is like a powerful compound lever. He used the legs, the most powerful muscle group in the body, as the main power source. It looks so natural, because unlike the conventionally taught swing, his swing was built around how the body is meant to function. He wont use conventional jargon like coil, lag, hinging the wrists, delayed release, etc. Instead, he used natural body leverage, throwing the club around the swing circle center, and a square-blade concept. The ball flies straighter and father without the back-strain.
Why isn't Mike Austin more well known?
Back in the 1930s to the 1960s, there wasn't the huge amount of corporate sponsorship or television money available to golfers. If you decided to play on the PGA Tour, you also needed an additional job, particularly in the off-season, to make ends meet. Mike could actually make more money from teaching lessons, putting on exhibitions, and gambling using his trick shots.
If this swing is so great, why aren't you on the PGA Tour?
The Mike Austin swing is just that...a swing. It can help you hit longer, straighter, and more consistent shots, but there are other aspects to the game like putting, course management, mental and emotional management of self, etc, that go in to making it on to the PGA Tour.
Jaacob also started when he was 27. Many golfers started at a very young age, so Jaacob had and still has lots of ground to cover to catch up to the experience and knowledge of someone who started when they were 5-10 years old.
In addition, to pursue a golf career takes money to cover travel costs, tournament costs, etc. In the beginning this money has to either come from personal savings and income or from outside help through family, friends, or sponsors. Jaacob is continuing to make progress as a golfer, but because he has had to work while others can be out practicing, his progress is not as fast as it might be otherwise.
Furthermore, the purses on the mini-tours are unfortunately top-loaded like the PGA and Nationwide Tour. Because the purses are smaller and the top couple players take most of the money, it takes a top-20 in a full field of around 160 players to make back your entry fee and travel costs for the week. That means that 87.5% of mini-tour players do not make enough money to self substain. This makes it difficult for any talented professional that is in a developmental state to break through. Jaacob is in the upper 99.9% of all golfers, however, he is currently at the lower end of the professional ranks. To get to that next level is an amazing feat.
Why isn't everyone using his swing?
If you've ever met Mike or taken a lesson from him, you probably already know the answer to this. For those that don't know, Mike, although a genius when it came to the golf swing, is a bit rough around the edges, egotistical, and isn't very tactful in his dealings with people. Make no mistake, the man is great, but he is a bit bullish, especially in his old age after his stroke. After meeting him and spending lots of time around him, it wasn't at all a surprise that not many other people had heard of him or were open to hearing what he had to say and offer.
There seem to be several versions of the hand-action that Mike used. Which one is the right one?
As you can see further below on this page, there are many products and people that are affiliated with the Mike Austin swing. Everyone seems to generally agree on the pivot, however, the biggest difference is the rolling hand-action, or curling under hand-action. So who is right?
In the 1990s and prior, Mike taught a rolling hand-action. You will see this demonstrated in all of the videos that were made during this time. After he had his stroke and became paralyzed on his right side, he was basically left only to be able to ponder the golf swing. In the last few years before he died, he changed his outlook from a rolling hand-action to one that curls under and keeps the blade squarer longer. The problem is that Mike didn't make another video after he changed his viewpoint. The Peace River video was re-released as a DVD with extra footage, but the actual instruction remained the same old stuff. Also, whether it was old-age or stubborness or what, Mike would also contradict himself in these later years of his life. There was one time when Dan Shauger ( a close friend of Mike's for nearly 25 years) and Jaacob were at Mike's house working in Mike's garage and Mike was insisting that the Flammer produced the new curling under motion that he was professing, when in fact it produces a rolling hand-action. Dan modified the pivot so that it produced the curling under motion, yet Mike still insisted that the original Flammer did so. It did not. So it is understandable that some might not think that Mike professed the curling under action...even in Mike's later years.
In addition, in 2003, Dan began putting together a tribute book to Mike as told through the eyes of Dan, the How to Kill the Ball book (see below). In it included the new hand-action that Mike was professing. Mike was happy about it and even put up funding to put the book together. However, when Dan finished the book Mike began claiming that Mike himself had written it, when in fact, Dan had written it. Understandably so, Dan was upset about this and Jaacob was witness to a big arguement over it. This situation damaged their friendship all the way through to when Mike passed away. Unfortunately, many people do not know this story. So later on when the rights of the Mike Austin stuff were taken over and other people met Mike, Mike gave Dan a bad rap. Thus the discrepancy between those who advocate the rolling action and those like Dan who knew and were witness to Mike's change of viewpoint. Yes, Mike taught a rolling hand-action. But in the end, he also taught the curling under hand action and came to believe that it was the better of the two.
I have seen you swing in person (or on an internet video) and it doesn't look like Mike Austin's swing. Why is this?
There are two reasons for this. The first is that although two different people may be performing the same motion, the swings will look different because no two people have the exact same body. The second reason is that at various times Jaacob has experimented with other grips, stances, methods, etc because he wanted to be certain that he was using the best possible swing for himself. You may have seen him (or seen a video of him) during one of these experimental periods.
One time I saw you from a distance at a driving range hitting duck hooks and topping the ball. Why would I want to learn about your swing or Mike Austin's swing after seeing this?
As stated in the previous answer, Jaacob likes to experiment with other methods. When one does this it is expected that there will be mishits. In addition, golf is a game where it is sometimes useful to hit duck hooks and hard slices to get out of trouble, around trees, etc. Occasionally, Jaacob practices these types of shots on the range. As for topping the ball, one time while experimenting on the range, Jaacob found out that if he could top the ball just right it would pop up a couple feet in the air and he could catch it. It's a fun trick he likes to practice.
Who are some of the names that will pop up when you hear of Mike Austin?
mikedunaway.org
Mike is the original protege of Mike Austin. Dunaway won the 1990 World Super Long Drive Contest. He inspired Art Sellinger, who owns the Long Drivers of America and has been a big part of The RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships, to get in to the sport of long driving. Dunaway resides in Arkansas.
danshauger.com
Nicknamed the "Tin Cup Teacher", Dan is a professional golfer who teaches at the John Wells Driving range on Strathern in Sun Valley, California. He was close friends with Mike Austin for roughly 25 years and understands the way Mike swung better than anyone. He retired from the movie industry and is currently working on other golf products. Dan also offers video instruction via regular mail.
philip-reed.com
Phil Reed is a middle-aged journalist who lives in the Los Angeles area. His first novel, Bird Dog, was nominated for the Edgar and Anthony Awards. This book Free Throw: 7 Steps to Success on the Free Throw Line, was co-written with Dr. Tom Amberry, who has advised the Chicago Bulls. Reed was also worked as an undercover car-salesman and written "Confessions of a Car Salesman," for Strategies for Smar Car Buyers, published in 2003.
jaacobbowden.com | swingmangolf.com
Due to his physical likeness and personal connection to Mike Austin, at 6'2" 210 lbs, Jaacob was featured in Phil Reed's book about Mike Austin in a chapter called "The Living Austin Swing". He won the Pinnacle Distance Challenge in St. Louis in July 2003 with a televised drive of 381 yards, and his journey is being chronicled for a movie called "Chasing the Dream".
He currently resides in the Zurich, Switzerland and is available for lessons.
Jaacob also has an instructional video out about the Mike Austin Swing here.
mikeaustingolf.com
Thomas took Mike's several day certification course and acquired the rights to many of Mike Austin's older videos and such. Before disappearing from the United States and abandoning the MikeAustinGolf.com website, he taught the original Mike Austin rolling method out of Oregon and California.
jmlongdrive.com
John is one of the friendliest and most modest guys you will ever meet. But his drives are anything but modest. John has studied the Mike Austin method, has worked with Dan Shauger, and has qualified for the The RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships and won the ALDA Long Drive Championships in the Super Senior Division. He is available for lessons in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
Steve Pratt
hititlonger.com
Steve Pratt first met Mike back in June of 1993 and is another one of the lucky guys who took personal lessons from Mike. Steve teaches the rolling hand-action version of the Austin swing near Los Angeles.
djwattsgolf.com
Although DJ Watts never got a chance to meet Mike, DJ has researched Austin’s swing and has blogged extensively about Mike at his website.
DJ’s “MCS” swing is based upon his observations and experiences of using the Mike Austin swing.
mikeaustin.de
Heiko Falke met Mike Austin in September 2005 a few months before Mike died. Heiko obtained the rights from Thomas Dang to sell the DVD copies of “Golf is Mental Imagery” and “Austinology”. He teaches in Hamburg, Germany.
His best student is a Pro friend of mine named Gary Birch, who has played on the European Tour and in the British Open and is currently playing on the Sunshine Tour in Africa.
Chuck???
mentoredbythelegend.com
I don’t know his last name, but…if you'd like to see some footage of Mike giving lessons, this guy named Chuck was smart enough to film hours and hours worth of the lessons he personally took from Mike Austin in the 1990s.
He has videos that show Austin actually teaching the “blade faces the ball” hand action and also how much Austin wants you to take the club back to the inside on the initial take-a-way.
Where can I learn more about Mike Austin?
Available at amazon.com, and aperfectswing.com
This book and DVD were put together at a minimal cost and the quality of presentation is unpolished, however, the information contained in each are both exceptional and like nothing you've ever heard. They contain the pivot secrets, the throw, and the latest hand action. Dan teaches a variety of other additional things, Mike Austin and not, but if you want the most complete source of Mike Austin knowledge from beginning to end...Dan knows it. Check out the other things he has on his website too.
Available in bookstores, at amazon.com, and philip-reed.com
The tale of Philip Reed, and ordinary golfer, his quest to hit a 300-yard drive, and his unanticipated journey in to the world of the sport's most legendary long driver and keeper of the secret to the perfect golf swing. A great read for golfers and non-golfers alike.
Available here.
Instructional video by Jaacob Bowden.
Available at this website.
Originally released in 1998 and rereleased in 2004, Mike Austin teams up with 1990 World Super Long Drive Contest champion Mike Dunaway to share the secrets of raw power. Includes the pivot secrets, the throw, but teaches the old style hand action.
Read the article here.
Read the article here.
This was once available from Mike Austin for $200...but I’m not sure if they are sold anymore.
Often know for it's use in the movie, Tin Cup, the Flammer is good for keeping proper arm extension throughout the swing, but it teaches the old-style rolling hand action. This training aid is actually better for someone learning the conventionally taught golf swing. Mike used to charge around $200 for it.
The World's Best Driver Instructional DVD by Mike Dunaway - 2005
Available at Mike’s website.
Review to be written...
Available at amazon.com
Review to be written...
Available at Swing Man Golf.