There will never be another Arnold Palmer.
The King's singular impact on golf - turning it from a mostly stuffy, staid sport for elites into a modern-day spectacle with stars who had personality to match their talent - continues to pay dividends. The recent upheaval to the sport of golf's structure has distinguished those who embody Palmer's sense of integrity and duty to the supporters of the game from those who are primarily out for their own enrichment.
But more than a figure and a symbol of what we love about golf, Palmer - who would have celebrated his 93rd birthday on September 10 - was a hell of a player, wringing every ounce of talent from a quirky but nevertheless fundamentally sound swing. He won his seven major championships and the majority of his 62 PGA Tour wins in a flurry from early 1958 to early 1964, making it one of the most dominant six-year stretches the game will ever see.
Part of Palmer's legacy is his role in founding Golf Channel, a sister property to GolfPass under the banner of NBC Sports. As such, we and our members are lucky to have a great deal of Arnold Palmer's wisdom at our fingertips in the form of archival footage of several exhibitions he played throughout his career, as well as invaluable tips he has passed on to latter generations of golfer. He has also inspired many of today's greatest instructors, who have their own interpretations of his greatness to pass along to golfers like you and me.
Here is a foursome of our favorites.
How to grip the golf club like Arnold Palmer
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Anyone who had a chance to meet Palmer - be it out and about in professional golf or at his home club, Bay Hill, in Florida - received a stirring handshake. Is it any wonder that he gripped the golf club as well as anyone who has ever played? In this video, from 2007, he breaks down the textbook overlapping grip he learned from his golf pro father, Deacon. If you're struggling to hit the ball consistently, you might want to get back to basics with this tip.
How to drive the ball far like Arnold Palmer
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Palmer may have played in an era with different equipment than we have now, but his swing remains an enviable mix of power and panache that any golfer would do well to emulate. In this tip from an episode of School of Golf in 2012, Arnold Palmer tells host Martin Hall about how he would adjust his swing to hit the ball as far as possible off the tee.
How to 'anchor' your golf swing like Arnold Palmer
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Palmer had a reputation for swinging out of his shoes and occasionally being a little wayward as a result. But the power he displayed and the aggression with which he played came down to the solidness of two "anchors" of his golf swing. In this Exclusive Extra from School of Golf (normally only available to GolfPass Video and GolfPass+ members), Martin Hall and Blair O'Neal give a brief overview of this important aspect of Palmer's swing, which will help you play your best.
How to play golf like Arnold Palmer
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Martin Hall and Blair O'Neal dedicated this entire episode of School of Golf to Arnold Palmer during the week of the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2019. In this 18-minute episode, you'll hear echoes of the shorter-form tips above, and it will give you an appreciation of how The King put it all together in his own way. You can forge your own unique, effective golf swing, too.
