Fundamentals key to Rory and Sam’s perfect swings

RORY McILROY’S swing — a combination of perfect positions, tempo and balance — makes comparisons with the great Sam Snead inevitable.

Meanwhile, McIlroy is surrounded by technique-addicted golfers who have been stack-and-tilted, golf-machined and one-planed to death.

McIlroy is dismissed as a natural by those who think that the swing should be more complicated. Teachers who preach a series of static positions over a fluid motion and scoff at the word ‘fundamentals’ are the root of the problem. Until 30 years ago golf was taught by former Tour players who talked about grip and grip pressure, stance, posture, ball position, tempo, rhythm and the waggle.