Sarah Stirk
“To hear Brooks Koepka open up about his struggles was a real eye-opener”
It’s always an exciting time of the season with The Masters just around the corner, but this year the release of Full Swing on Netflix has added to that sense of anticipation.
I was keen to see if it lived up to the hype, so it didn’t take me long to get through all eight episodes. It follows the tried-and-tested format of behind-the-scenes footage mixed in with talking heads and sporting action, with the aim of bringing new people to the sport while still entertaining golf fans.
So, has it delivered on that? Firstly, I’d say it’s incredibly hard to keep both those parties happy, but on the whole they’ve managed it. A few too many explanations of basic terminology can grate a little, but I think we all realise why that’s necessary. Whatever your knowledge of the game, you tune into a programme like this to get insight you can’t find elsewhere and I think the show offers that.
For me, where it came into its own was when it was able to scratch beneath the surface, and the Brooks Koepka episode was especially good at that. I’ve interviewed him many times and I’ve always been struck by his inner belief. He’s never doubted himself, at least not publicly, so to hear him open up on his struggles with form and injury was fascinating. To see a man who has won four Majors reduced to someone so low on confidence was pretty eye-opening. His quote about Scottie Scheffler not having any thoughts running through his head when playing was very telling. Koepka appeared almost resigned to never getting back to that place. With that in mind, his move to LIV Golf seemed inevitable looking back.
Talking of LIV, this obviously rumbles away in the background of each episode. In some ways it was very fortunate for the programme makers to be covering such a seismic story, but it felt almost too big at times. How do you do it justice without it dominating all eight episodes? I think the Ian Poulter episode did a good job of going over the basics and Poulter himself, whatever you think of him, always adds some colour. Where it fell down was in challenging the players themselves. I know from working at Sky it’s very hard to find the balance of maintaining relationships with players while also asking the hard questions, but sometimes they need to be asked. Beyond a few clips of players squirming in press conferences, we never saw them challenged on their decision to jump ship.
The real point of the show, though, was to let us in behind the scenes and see some of the players’ personalities. Some of it was a little bland at times and the Spieth/thomas opening episode was definitely guilty of that. Also, I’m not sure we needed to see Collin Morikawa being quizzed about possible outfit choices, but I suppose the sheer number of people at the meeting was a talking point of sorts. I counted ten by the way, but may have missed a couple. But this more pedestrian stuff was mixed with real moments of poignancy, no more so than when getting to know Joel Dahmen and his caddie. It not only highlighted his own personal struggles, but also showed the difference in mentality between your mid-level PGA Tour pro and the very best. It really shone a light on the psychology of these top athletes and how talent is not always enough.
The final part focuses on Rory and he never fails to impress me. He knows the responsibility he has as one of the most recognisable golfers in the world and the episode shows what an exceptional role model and leader he is. In my view, athletes who become so big do have a responsibility to behave in the right way because they are such public figures. When your every move is scrutinised, it is important to be seen to be doing the right thing and he handles that pressure magnificently.
Overall, if the purpose of Full Swing was to attract new interest while giving golf fans something different then I think it has succeeded. The players seem to have bought into the concept and I’m sure more will follow if there’s a second season. It’s the entertainment business after all, and these guys need to embrace these new concepts if golf is to keep up with the rest.