As an 18 year old, I caddied in George's group in the pro-am at the'76 Ontario Open, which he won handily. I was a pretty good player myself already, but I'd never seen anything like his ball striking to this day. He was an inspiration to me for my entire golfing life. Also, I might add, a real gentleman and a model of how to conduct oneself on and off the course.
George Grew up at St. Charles. He played with my brother Gerry Kennedy and I'm told held the course record by lowering my Dad's course record some twenty five years after my Dad (Gerhard Kennedy held St. Charles course record. My father also won the Manitoba Open in 1942 and created a tournament (Think called Winnipeg Open in 1946) I met George at National GC in Woodbridge in about 1978. He and Al Balding were teaching a group of 7 Canadian Tour player including Erin Fostey, Scott Knapp, Doug Warner, think Gar Hamilton and a few other notables
They brought all the names and greats to extremely upscale course I caddied at but never saw George Wish I had Some were quite friendly and approachable despite their fame ! Bobby Nichols to me sensing my desire for pro ( implying not all cracked up to be) " well if you don't have a job"! Friendly !
I worked at Oakdale GCC in Toronto where George was a club pro for many years. He was good friends with my Grandmother who worked there also. Every year there is still a charity auction under his name. The man is not forgotten.
George Knudson had one of the greatest swings in the history of golf. When Lee Trevino, considered the best ball striker since Ben Hogan, praises you, that's huge. I've seen this man on Shells World of Golf. One of the worst putters ever in golf. With half a putting touch he would have won 30 or more times on tour. No doubt. With no putting at all he still won nine times on tour!A fabulous striker of the ball. Probably top five to top ten all time. I would place Hogan, Snead, Trevino Nelson and a forgotten man above him. That man was Tommy Bolt. Bolts terrible putting and worse temper prevented him from winning more on tour. As with Snead, Hogan stated that if Bolt would have had a head on his shoulders, he would have been the greatest player ever. Knudson belongs in that pantheon of players. If only golfers didnt need to putt after reaching the green. A genius from the tee to the dance floor.
Tommy Bolt is somebody I have to research more of. He had quite the interesting career based on what I know. That is high praise indeed for George. Cheers Don.
A dear friend and my long time golf coach, John Dudley, was an assistant at St. George’s in the late 60s and told me stories of playing practice rounds for the Canadian Open with Mr. Knudson. Thanks for reminding me of this gentleman hero of Canadian golf.
I can't believe you made a documentary about Knudson! This is fantastic. Can't wait to watch this. My grandfather was a amateur champion in Canada. He died of lung cancer from smoking when I was only 11. I wish I had a chance to play golf with him. This was fantastic. Thanks for making this.
I've been a Moe Norman fan for more than 20-yrs. I remember Moe talking about his $20.00 bets with George Knudsen about who hit it closest to the hole. Never really appreciated GK until watching this video. Now, his book and video are a 'must get'...Thank you
I love Moe Norman. Loved to hear him talk about George...he said you could talk to him about anything...except putting. To hear Moe talk about him got me interested in his pal George. George seemed to be a gentleman cool and collected. Wish more players had that Gentleman demeanor. Not to mention that silly smooth swing. Those were the good old days of golf with guys like George Moe, Hogan Sam Snead to name a few. Great video. Thank you.
First, thank you for the video of someone I knew little about. 2nd: The one thing I hear that rings constant from the great golfers is, you have to stay balanced, relaxed, and still firm and allow your body to react to the swing towards a target, and not the golf ball. You arent swinging at the ball, you are swinging towards a target. The ball just gets in the way of that. Those have been the wisest words I was ever told in my game.
From stories I heard from Moe Norman (of course on TH-cam). Moe & George would go out and bet to see how many flag poles they could hit in a round of 18. Moe loved playing with George and very much admired his swing.
Bravo Trevor ! 👏 👏👏🥂🇨🇦 Wonderful tribute to a pure "Ball Striker" His swing was true poetry in motion....the sound of the strike echoed like no other. I will always cherish the lessons I took with him at the National Golf Club, Woodbridge, ON in the early 80s. P.S. Thanks for using my post in your video...Honoured that you did so...😊
@@Sueezedtight I’ve been working on this the past few rounds. A couple of deeps breaths in think box, step up feel balance, relaxed grip pressure, and go. So, so much easier, and much better contact. Love it.
Thanks for the comment and kind words Will. I wanted to create something for the man that changed the way I swing the club. I'm happy with how it turned out. Have a great day.
I attended a golf school back around 1992 that was held at Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, Ontario. Ben Kern who was close with George was delivering the "Natural Golf Swing" schools. Ben, who has since passed shared many stories about Geroge, their relationship and his prowess with a golf club. Really enjoyed that day and have always remembered Mr Knudson as a ledgend.
I taught myself how to play based largely on his book. Thankfully that book and Hogans were the first one's I ever read. Love the effortless swing all based on balance and centrifugal force. Speed happens from the move it isn't artificially generated by some technique. Truly a swing you can play for a lifetime. Great video.
Two incredible books and that's great those being your first two golf books. My first book was a Leadbetter.. Thanks for the comment and support my friend.
@@TrevorStymie Leadbetter is the polar opposite to Knudson in philosophy and application. I sincerely feel sorry for you that had to be your first book! Every time I hear a modern player announce they're gonna get lessons from Leadbetter I cringe and know that player will have a year of no results. Lydia Ko got lost in his abyss and eventually left and went to Foley and started playing winning golf again. Patrick Reed did it last year and I knew he was done at winning. Now, wisely, he returned to his coach from younger days. He'll be back now. Love Knudson's teaching.
@@cryptoking8060 Couldn't agree with you more, I stopped reading Leadbetters book after 2 chapters, he is a swing by numbers teacher and way too technical, and why I work on George's swing, and it works wonders (3 cap). Cheers
Thank you for this absolutely inspirational video. So sad though and happy at the same time. Swinging the club brought him joy. I fully understand that. No sound is better than that crisp sound of the ball coming off the middle of a golf club. Crisp and sweet, just a happy sound.
Beautifully produced documentary about my golfing hero. For almost the entire decade of the 70's I followed George at the New Orleans PGA tour stop (He won our tournament in '67 beating Nicklaus by a shot). Ben Hogan was right - he said George had the best swing of "his generation of players" - pretty high praise from the Master himself. I count myself as very lucky to have watched this man play so many times. He was taken from us much too soon and - to this day - is greatly missed. He was the ultimate artist with a golf club.
John, that's an incredible story. I'm glad you got to experience that first hand for so many years. Thanks for sharing the story, and thanks for the support. Take care my friend.
I got to meet Moe Norman at the 2000 Canadian Open. I asked him on the practice range who is the best ball striker of all-time ( other than yourself, ha ha), Moe never hesitated one second, " Knudson!! Oh yeah, no violence in his swing, so smooth!! Hogan of course great!!" I asked Moe about Tiger ( who was having that incredible year) actually most years were incredible. Moe says with a high voice " he misses the green with a wedge" ! " but best short game scrambler and scorer in history yet Tiger played army golf off the tee ( left, right, left, right). Moe was a great guy to talk to, a real character and thanks for this video, and George Knudson sure was a class act!
hahah Gotta love Moe man! That's a fantastic story, thanks for sharing it. Also it does blow my mind that two of the best, most accurate, ball strikers of all time, are from Canada. Cheers!
@@perserverance333 Moe does stick with his running comments, he was priceless. “The ball is just sitting there, easy to hit it, oh yeah but how dumb can we be with all the manipulations etc, the middle of the fairway is so balmy it is dark and cold in the trees🤣” I saw him another time doing a clinic in Brockland driving range near Thorold Ontario and he was this small quite old man by then but the sound of the strike every one flew straight and not short on yardage flying them easily 240 yards in the air with a 3wood. He would put balls in deep divots still hit them perfectly (yes lower ball flight). But he then said let’s hook the ball 70 yards and it would! ok let’s slice it way right and slice it would then back to the dead straight shots. Amazing ball striking!
Excellent Documentary Trevor! I would like to see a Documentary on our Spokane Washington native Rod Funseth. I was only 5 or 6 when I met him. His mom lived across the street from us. Her name was Gladis. What a fantastic lady. My folks loved her. Rod was an incredible golfer. I remember Jack Nicholas was always a fan of him. He also passed at a young age as well as almost won the Masters. Spokane is also Native of Bing Crosby. I know Rod, Bing and Bob Hope played a few rounds here too. Keep up the great work.
Excellent documentary, put together very well. George Knudson had quite an impact in Australia too. I had started playing golf, aged 15, in 1968 and well remember GK winning The Wills Masters at Victoria GC, Melbourne in 1969 and he was second in the same event in 1970. He just looked so accomplished hole after hole. I think he played 2-3 other events each year when he came in our Summer when the US Tour had a break. He played beautifully and looked so cool in his sunglasses, nobody else played in them then, but I never knew he was a poor putter as he holed plenty in Australia. However, having seen him on most of the SWWOG videos he did seem to miss a few☹️
Hey Stuart, thanks for the great story. I enjoyed reading that. You're not wrong. He really was the stylish dude to play this game. In my opinion anyways. I appreciate the support and take care my friend.
Exactly my thoughts. I remember watching a live telecast of that event. Possibly commentated by Tony Charlton. Yes GK was so cool in his sunglasses and attire, striding along the fairways super confident. Absolutely perfect driving and fairway shots. Can't remember his putting, but otherwise an outstanding performance which I can still remember some 55 years later. Thanks for your input. Really brought back fond memories.
I was there too, as a15 year old golf devotee. I'd never heard of GK but happened to see him on the range prior to his tee time and was instantly captivated - I'd never seen a ball striker like him before (or since). Of course, I had to follow him around during the final round and I remember he became very unwell on the front nine - dehydration I think - and a doctor in the gallery stepped in and revived him, enabling him to march on to victory. A true artist - he made an indelible impression on me.
Fantastic video, thank you so much for this. As a PGA of Canada teaching professional, I was taught as a junior by Ben Kern, a protege if you will of George as he learned directly under Mr. Knudson, so I was gifted with many stories as well as his video and book at an early age. George was simply the Maestro 🇨🇦
That's incredible Kevin. I'm sure you've heard a lot of great stories about George from Ben. It's cool that you've followed in their footsteps and continue to teach this great game in a simpler way. Thanks for the comment and take care.
Very enjoyable.. And impressed and humbled by this man.. His interlect and wisdom are right there. He looked like he owned the secrect and would let the world in on it. His being incapeble to relax... I totally get that too.."He loved to swing the club the competition was secondary"... Although I (obviously) don't play on any tour I absolutely feel the same way. He did leave a mark on this planet.. Very sad he was taken so early..
I ate breakfast with George in a hotel outside Montreal many years ago. He was a delightful companion and full of great stories. Not many people will know that he was an advocate of moleskin pants which, he said, helped him achieve a firm base from which to swing the club. I’ve been wearing them ever since though I’ve yet to break 90.
Thank you for putting this together! One tidbit to add to Knudsen's story: in 1986 or 1987, the assistant pro at my club in Moose Jaw showed me a draft manuscript of the new teaching methodology that the Royal Canadian Golf Assocation was going to adopt. It had black and white photos of Knudsen's swing along with a lot of the same concepts and phrasing that surfaced a few years later in Knudsen's book "The Natural Golf Swing." I don't know if the RCGA formally adopted it, as I joined the military and curtailed my golf for a long time. It took me until the late 1990's to throw in the towel on my approach to golf and get Knudsen's book. It's a very dry read (no pictures), but well worth the effort. I would summarize it this way: if you start the swing in balance and finish the swing in balance, then it follows that you are going to be in balance at impact. Health issues have curtailed my playing, but I was hitting the ball further in my fifties than I was in my twenties doing it the wrong way. I played a course where, on back to back par 3s, I hit a 7-iron to 2 feet on each hole. I holed an 8-iron from 150 yards on a par 4 in a tournament to win the skin on that hole. I am mystified that no Canadian golfer has appeared on the PGA tour using this swing methodology. No tricks, just pure physics, and my testimony is that it works. Kudos also to Lorne Rubenstein for bringing the book to publication after Knudsen's passing.
I am looking forward to more of your videos. Can't believe I did not know about this wonderful Golfer. His backswing is so short. Keeps everything onplane.
you deserve way more recognition for your vids, they are the most high quality videos i've seen in a while. The storytelling is just so amazing and paired with perfect music choice i cant ask anything more except to make more videos in the future.
I’ve had his book for a few years but only now started reading it as I follow the teachings of Manuel de la Torre/Ernest Jones. I was surprised to find a lot in George’s work that agrees with what I’d already learned; especially the target (not ball) focus and his emphasis on balance. Many thanks for the video.
Wow! Just found this documentary. I have a copy of an instruction article on George from the December 1965 issue of Golf Digest. Time to re-read a little more carefully!!
Thank you for presenting George to us. His swing was beautiful and I want to adopt some principles for my swing.Letting go and allowing the swing to happen rather than trying to make it happen is what I want to do. Just let go and enjoy. Thanks again.
I love this so much. I stumbled upon a couple of Mr. Knudson's videos and they were so inspirational for me in my pursuit of the PGA tour. It solidifies that hard work and love for the game can get you there. This was such a nice documentary my friend. Thanks so much for putting it together. A work of art!
First off I wish you nothing but success in that pursuit. You are right and also developing a strong mental attitude is important. The next documentary I do will touch on that. Heres to you success and thank you for the kind comment Allan. Take care
Great presentation on one of my golfing heroes! Knudson's book, The Natural Golf Swing, is a classic and should be on the shelves of any serious student of the game and the swing..
Played several times with George as a young man. Master ball striker! Great guy! Very helpful to a young guy trying to hit that little white thing. Sandy B.
I watcabout hhed George Knudson one week in about 1979 at a small tournament on course about hay 50 , North of Hay #7. I don't think he won it but he inspired me to try to copy his swing. I'm 77 now and still trying. At times, I really hit the ball well, but could never chip.
If he could finish second at the Masters, where putting is a real test, it means compared to us mortals he was not that bad a putter. It was just next to guys like Nicklaus, Trevino, and most Tour players that he was lacking. The putting cure is to "putt as you drive", in other words have your putting stroke mirror your full swing instead of setting up completely differently. If Knudson had done that, his stroke would have been more natural, and he would have been comfortable on the greens. IMO
Mr. Knudson turned himself into the embodiment of Mr. Hogan's Five Lessons book. I've read my copy of Five Lessons many times over the years, But I believe the time has come to try to get Mr. Knudson's Natural Golf book.
Nice work on the documentary. I really enjoy watching GK swing the golf club. His book and video has made me such a better golfer. Since learning of NGS, I went from a 14 to a 7. I wish I could find someone near me that teaches the NGS so I could get NGS lessons and get my handicap even lower. I haven't found an instructor that understands the NGS so they ignore the theory.
Martin Chuck who founded Tour Striker and you probably see all over in ads, was mentored by Knudson (he references GK frequently in his content). He has multi- day golf clincs in AZ where he's based.
This was an incredible introduction to a lost hero of golf. It would have been nice to hear more about his philosophy of the golf swing, but that should not take away from the excellence of this video.
Thanks for the comment Rich. You're not wrong as originally the script had a bit more of his philosophy. But i decided to take it out and let his video "The swing motion" explain it as it does so in his own words. But yeah, I agree. Cheers
My friend Vince Sullivan was the one who introduced George to Ben Hogan. At the IVB Golf Classic Vince told Hogan about George while in the locker room together, and possibly Hogan could play a practice round with him because George idolized him. Hogan asked Vince could George play. Vince told Hogan George was an amazing player. The next day Vince was playing a practice round and looked over and there was George playing with Hogan. George should be considered in the top 5 of all-time ball strikers. He was amazing.
Great documentary, cannot believe the similarities between George’s swing and that of Sandy Lyle, similar tempo, slightly flat and compact ( by todays standards) backswing , and super tall finish… and Sandy was a revered ball striker.
Great documentary! Never really saw Knudsen swing before this video, so this was very enlightening. Heard of Knudsen through watching Moe Norman videos. It looks like he ran that right knee into the ball, what Jody Vasquez said was Hogan’s secret. Thanks for putting this together and sharing it. 👊👊
Hey man, just wanted to say that this was an incredible video. TH-camrs have to start somewhere but there is a (admittedly somewhat unfair) expectation of lower quality with less subscribers, but this one was really good! Not to mention it was about someone I'd never heard of before, so double thanks for that! Good luck with the channel and I'll be here watching!!
Hey Derek thank you for that! I appreciate those words my friend. I'm glad you enjoyed a video on a golfer that you didn't know of before. That says something. In my ways, on TH-cam, you can go one of two ways. Pump out a lot of videos each week where the quality may suffer. Or work on making something great, even if it takes way longer. Which is the route I'm going for with this channel. Thanks again
Also I'm a huge fan of Walter Hagen. He's on my list for future videos. The only problem is, theres not that much video to build something with. But i still want to do it in the future. Take care.
Thank you Mike. Interestingly enough, my next doc will be on Moe Norman. I'm in the research phase right now so the video will take some time to come out. I'm making sure the production quality is even better than this one. Thanks for the support and take care.
@@TrevorStymie Great news! Moe's quixotic story is worth telling but his swing, as "unorthodox" as it appears to be, is actually, bio-mechanically, the most efficient way to strike a golf ball. That is an aspect that is generally neglected but that helps to explain his rhetoric around the "Feeling of greatness".
@@donaldvalley5452 Todd "Little Moe" Graves is, indeed, the SPS man. Having made use of his services for a year, it helped me adopt the swing properly by the use of video analysis and coaching instruction. With a 5 hdcp, I hope to play my age (68) ...
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I'd never heard of him, but his thoughts on relaxing to find your golf swing resonated with me. I also related to the divide between hitting the ball well but putting woefully, lol.
Im glad you enjoyed the video and I'm happy that some of Georges wisdom resonated with you. As for putting, its such a different animal lol. Thanks for the comment!
Beautifully done! I will be watching this with my dad, John Knudson, George’s big brother. Thanks so much.
That is awesome! Georges game and teaching helped so many of us. Thanks for the comment and all the best to you, John and the rest of the family.
Curtis, your Uncle had an all-time golf swing.
Hey Curtis, I used to work with your cousin Kevin at a predecessor airline to Jazz. How is he doing?
That's strange... so will I!
Brother Curt??
Is that you?
Wow!
As an 18 year old, I caddied in George's group in the pro-am at the'76 Ontario Open, which he won handily. I was a pretty good player myself already, but I'd never seen anything like his ball striking to this day. He was an inspiration to me for my entire golfing life. Also, I might add, a real gentleman and a model of how to conduct oneself on and off the course.
George Grew up at St. Charles. He played with my brother Gerry Kennedy and I'm told held the course record by lowering my Dad's course record some twenty five years after my Dad (Gerhard Kennedy held St. Charles course record. My father also won the Manitoba Open in 1942 and created a tournament (Think called Winnipeg Open in 1946)
I met George at National GC in Woodbridge in about 1978. He and Al Balding were teaching a group of 7 Canadian Tour player including Erin Fostey, Scott Knapp, Doug Warner, think Gar Hamilton and a few other notables
When George passed in 1989, his friend Ken Venturi gave a touching tribute to George during a CBS golf broadcast. Gone too young.
They brought all the names and greats to extremely upscale course I caddied at but never saw George Wish I had Some were quite friendly and approachable despite their fame ! Bobby Nichols to me sensing my desire for pro ( implying not all cracked up to be) " well if you don't have a job"! Friendly !
Never heard of this guy before watching this, he was indeed great. RIP good sir.
I worked at Oakdale GCC in Toronto where George was a club pro for many years. He was good friends with my Grandmother who worked there also. Every year there is still a charity auction under his name. The man is not forgotten.
That is super cool Adam. Thank you for that. You are right, he is not forgotten. Cheers
@@TrevorStymie just say it- George was a jerk.
George Knudson had one of the greatest swings in the history of golf. When Lee Trevino, considered the best ball striker since Ben Hogan, praises you, that's huge. I've seen this man on Shells World of Golf. One of the worst putters ever in golf. With half a putting touch he would have won 30 or more times on tour. No doubt. With no putting at all he still won nine times on tour!A fabulous striker of the ball. Probably top five to top ten all time. I would place Hogan, Snead, Trevino Nelson and a forgotten man above him. That man was Tommy Bolt. Bolts terrible putting and worse temper prevented him from winning more on tour. As with Snead, Hogan stated that if Bolt would have had a head on his shoulders, he would have been the greatest player ever. Knudson belongs in that pantheon of players. If only golfers didnt need to putt after reaching the green. A genius from the tee to the dance floor.
I tried to see if that charity was last year I didn't see it run. Is this running still in 2022?
Tommy Bolt is somebody I have to research more of. He had quite the interesting career based on what I know. That is high praise indeed for George. Cheers Don.
Million dollar swing and the ten cent putter.....George was a fantastic golfer... could watch that swing every day.... incredible.
A dear friend and my long time golf coach, John Dudley, was an assistant at St. George’s in the late 60s and told me stories of playing practice rounds for the Canadian Open with Mr. Knudson. Thanks for reminding me of this gentleman hero of Canadian golf.
My grandmother also told me how she used to beat Knudson on the Canadian tour
I can't believe you made a documentary about Knudson! This is fantastic. Can't wait to watch this. My grandfather was a amateur champion in Canada. He died of lung cancer from smoking when I was only 11. I wish I had a chance to play golf with him. This was fantastic. Thanks for making this.
Who was your grandfather?
I've been a Moe Norman fan for more than 20-yrs. I remember Moe talking about his $20.00 bets with George Knudsen about who hit it closest to the hole. Never really appreciated GK until watching this video. Now, his book and video are a 'must get'...Thank you
I love Moe Norman. Loved to hear him talk about George...he said you could talk to him about anything...except putting. To hear Moe talk about him got me interested in his pal George. George seemed to be a gentleman cool and collected. Wish more players had that Gentleman demeanor. Not to mention that silly smooth swing. Those were the good old days of golf with guys like George Moe, Hogan Sam Snead to name a few. Great video. Thank you.
First, thank you for the video of someone I knew little about. 2nd: The one thing I hear that rings constant from the great golfers is, you have to stay balanced, relaxed, and still firm and allow your body to react to the swing towards a target, and not the golf ball. You arent swinging at the ball, you are swinging towards a target. The ball just gets in the way of that. Those have been the wisest words I was ever told in my game.
From stories I heard from Moe Norman (of course on TH-cam). Moe & George would go out and bet to see how many flag poles they could hit in a round of 18. Moe loved playing with George and very much admired his swing.
Yeah from what I've read, the two got along. George respected Moe Norman when other people did not.
From what I heard neither of them could compete with Hogan and Snead
Better than most golf documentaries I've seen, including those on the Golf Channel. I look forward to your future TH-cam contributions. Well done!
Excellent video. Well produced and certainly worth watching.
GREAT SWING TOO
Cheers
FJ N
What a beautiful tribute.
Years ago i found his book in used bookstore and it change my life, not just my game.
Love that! Thank you
Wonderful tribute ....as a young teenage boy from Toronto who was in love with golf he was my boyhood hero......
And what a great hero he was. Thank you for the comment
Bravo Trevor ! 👏 👏👏🥂🇨🇦
Wonderful tribute to a pure "Ball Striker" His swing was true poetry in motion....the sound of the strike echoed like no other.
I will always cherish the lessons I took with him at the National Golf Club, Woodbridge, ON in the early 80s.
P.S. Thanks for using my post in your video...Honoured that you did so...😊
Thanks for the comment JP, and your story! Take care my friend
@@TrevorStymie Pleasure mon ami....👍😁
We don't golf to relax, we relax to play golf. When we can give up the controls, then we can fly. So true.
I love that quote from George. Onwards and upwards my friend.
Scientifically accurate as well. Muscles can only do "work" by contracting and only a relaxed muscle can then contract and get the job done.
@@Sueezedtight I’ve been working on this the past few rounds. A couple of deeps breaths in think box, step up feel balance, relaxed grip pressure, and go. So, so much easier, and much better contact. Love it.
A beautiful tribute and an excellent biography to a wonderful golfer, thank you for posting.
I loved the way he played and followed him when he came to the Phoenix or Tucson Opens. Stylish, understated and a great swing.
This is incredibly well put together. I can’t believe you only have a few subscribers.
Thanks for the comment and kind words Will. I wanted to create something for the man that changed the way I swing the club. I'm happy with how it turned out. Have a great day.
@@TrevorStymie Seriously, this had the feel of a professionally produced documentary from Netflix or HBO.
Thanks my friend. The next one i do will most likely be on Moe Norman. With that one I look to really improve my editing skills.
I attended a golf school back around 1992 that was held at Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, Ontario. Ben Kern who was close with George was delivering the "Natural Golf Swing" schools. Ben, who has since passed shared many stories about Geroge, their relationship and his prowess with a golf club. Really enjoyed that day and have always remembered Mr Knudson as a ledgend.
Great story! Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for this video biography. My favorite swing ever and one of my favorite golfers. All you’ll ever need is to watch the swing motion video.
You're right John. That swing motion video is so good. Thanks for the comment
I taught myself how to play based largely on his book. Thankfully that book and Hogans were the first one's I ever read. Love the effortless swing all based on balance and centrifugal force. Speed happens from the move it isn't artificially generated by some technique. Truly a swing you can play for a lifetime. Great video.
Two incredible books and that's great those being your first two golf books. My first book was a Leadbetter.. Thanks for the comment and support my friend.
@@TrevorStymie Leadbetter is the polar opposite to Knudson in philosophy and application. I sincerely feel sorry for you that had to be your first book! Every time I hear a modern player announce they're gonna get lessons from Leadbetter I cringe and know that player will have a year of no results. Lydia Ko got lost in his abyss and eventually left and went to Foley and started playing winning golf again. Patrick Reed did it last year and I knew he was done at winning. Now, wisely, he returned to his coach from younger days. He'll be back now. Love Knudson's teaching.
@@cryptoking8060 Couldn't agree with you more, I stopped reading Leadbetters book after 2 chapters, he is a swing by numbers teacher and way too technical, and why I work on George's swing, and it works wonders (3 cap). Cheers
Thank you for this absolutely inspirational video. So sad though and happy at the same time. Swinging the club brought him joy. I fully understand that. No sound is better than that crisp sound of the ball coming off the middle of a golf club. Crisp and sweet, just a happy sound.
Beautifully produced documentary about my golfing hero. For almost the entire decade of the 70's I followed George at the New Orleans PGA tour stop (He won our tournament in '67 beating Nicklaus by a shot). Ben Hogan was right - he said George had the best swing of "his generation of players" - pretty high praise from the Master himself. I count myself as very lucky to have watched this man play so many times. He was taken from us much too soon and - to this day - is greatly missed. He was the ultimate artist with a golf club.
John, that's an incredible story. I'm glad you got to experience that first hand for so many years. Thanks for sharing the story, and thanks for the support. Take care my friend.
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I got to meet Moe Norman at the 2000 Canadian Open. I asked him on the practice range who is the best ball striker of all-time ( other than yourself, ha ha), Moe never hesitated one second, " Knudson!! Oh yeah, no violence in his swing, so smooth!! Hogan of course great!!" I asked Moe about Tiger ( who was having that incredible year) actually most years were incredible. Moe says with a high voice " he misses the green with a wedge" ! " but best short game scrambler and scorer in history yet Tiger played army golf off the tee ( left, right, left, right). Moe was a great guy to talk to, a real character and thanks for this video, and George Knudson sure was a class act!
hahah Gotta love Moe man! That's a fantastic story, thanks for sharing it. Also it does blow my mind that two of the best, most accurate, ball strikers of all time, are from Canada. Cheers!
Interesting, all the quotes you list here of Moe can be found in his TH-cam video interviews too.
@@perserverance333 Moe does stick with his running comments, he was priceless. “The ball is just sitting there, easy to hit it, oh yeah but how dumb can we be with all the manipulations etc, the middle of the fairway is so balmy it is dark and cold in the trees🤣” I saw him another time doing a clinic in Brockland driving range near Thorold Ontario and he was this small quite old man by then but the sound of the strike every one flew straight and not short on yardage flying them easily 240 yards in the air with a 3wood. He would put balls in deep divots still hit them perfectly (yes lower ball flight). But he then said let’s hook the ball 70 yards and it would! ok let’s slice it way right and slice it would then back to the dead straight shots. Amazing ball striking!
That’s funny. Thanks for sharing
Try meeting Moe as a golf professional and his first question being “how many ologys do you know?” Not at all joking. True story lol
Excellent Documentary Trevor!
I would like to see a Documentary on our Spokane Washington native Rod Funseth. I was only 5 or 6 when I met him. His mom lived across the street from us. Her name was Gladis. What a fantastic lady. My folks loved her. Rod was an incredible golfer. I remember Jack Nicholas was always a fan of him. He also passed at a young age as well as almost won the Masters. Spokane is also Native of Bing Crosby. I know Rod, Bing and Bob Hope played a few rounds here too. Keep up the great work.
I'll read up on him. He sounds very interesting from my brief research. Thanks for your input PH.
One of the most smooth, polished tributes I have ever seen and heard.
Excellent documentary, put together very well. George Knudson had quite an impact in Australia too. I had started playing golf, aged 15, in 1968 and well remember GK winning The Wills Masters at Victoria GC, Melbourne in 1969 and he was second in the same event in 1970. He just looked so accomplished hole after hole. I think he played 2-3 other events each year when he came in our Summer when the US Tour had a break. He played beautifully and looked so cool in his sunglasses, nobody else played in them then, but I never knew he was a poor putter as he holed plenty in Australia. However, having seen him on most of the SWWOG videos he did seem to miss a few☹️
Hey Stuart, thanks for the great story. I enjoyed reading that. You're not wrong. He really was the stylish dude to play this game. In my opinion anyways. I appreciate the support and take care my friend.
Exactly my thoughts. I remember watching a live telecast of that event. Possibly commentated by Tony Charlton. Yes GK was so cool in his sunglasses and attire, striding along the fairways super confident. Absolutely perfect driving and fairway shots. Can't remember his putting, but otherwise an outstanding performance which I can still remember some 55 years later.
Thanks for your input. Really brought back fond memories.
I was there too, as a15 year old golf devotee. I'd never heard of GK but happened to see him on the range prior to his tee time and was instantly captivated - I'd never seen a ball striker like him before (or since). Of course, I had to follow him around during the final round and I remember he became very unwell on the front nine - dehydration I think - and a doctor in the gallery stepped in and revived him, enabling him to march on to victory. A true artist - he made an indelible impression on me.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story, George was one of the greatest to ever swing the club.
I totally agree John. Thanks for the comment.
Fantastic video, thank you so much for this. As a PGA of Canada teaching professional, I was taught as a junior by Ben Kern, a protege if you will of George as he learned directly under Mr. Knudson, so I was gifted with many stories as well as his video and book at an early age. George was simply the Maestro 🇨🇦
That's incredible Kevin. I'm sure you've heard a lot of great stories about George from Ben. It's cool that you've followed in their footsteps and continue to teach this great game in a simpler way. Thanks for the comment and take care.
care to share some?
Just listen to the sound...PURE
Very enjoyable.. And impressed and humbled by this man.. His interlect and wisdom are right there. He looked like he owned the secrect and would let the world in on it. His being incapeble to relax... I totally get that too.."He loved to swing the club the competition was secondary"... Although I (obviously) don't play on any tour I absolutely feel the same way. He did leave a mark on this planet.. Very sad he was taken so early..
I ate breakfast with George in a hotel outside Montreal many years ago. He was a delightful companion and full of great stories. Not many people will know that he was an advocate of moleskin pants which, he said, helped him achieve a firm base from which to swing the club. I’ve been wearing them ever since though I’ve yet to break 90.
What I’d give to have a swing half as sweet as George’s, just poetry in motion… nice work man
Thanks man. I'm right there with you hahah. Cheers!
I love to rewatch the SWWG with George in them .I admired the way he carried himself and was humble oh yeh and a million dollar swing
Thank you for putting this together! One tidbit to add to Knudsen's story: in 1986 or 1987, the assistant pro at my club in Moose Jaw showed me a draft manuscript of the new teaching methodology that the Royal Canadian Golf Assocation was going to adopt. It had black and white photos of Knudsen's swing along with a lot of the same concepts and phrasing that surfaced a few years later in Knudsen's book "The Natural Golf Swing." I don't know if the RCGA formally adopted it, as I joined the military and curtailed my golf for a long time.
It took me until the late 1990's to throw in the towel on my approach to golf and get Knudsen's book. It's a very dry read (no pictures), but well worth the effort. I would summarize it this way: if you start the swing in balance and finish the swing in balance, then it follows that you are going to be in balance at impact. Health issues have curtailed my playing, but I was hitting the ball further in my fifties than I was in my twenties doing it the wrong way. I played a course where, on back to back par 3s, I hit a 7-iron to 2 feet on each hole. I holed an 8-iron from 150 yards on a par 4 in a tournament to win the skin on that hole.
I am mystified that no Canadian golfer has appeared on the PGA tour using this swing methodology. No tricks, just pure physics, and my testimony is that it works.
Kudos also to Lorne Rubenstein for bringing the book to publication after Knudsen's passing.
Great note. His book came out before he passed. He signed a copy for me.
Excellent. Well put together and a fitting tribute.
Great documentary! Just order a copy of George's book.
Thank you!
Swwog gave us so many wonderful swings that would’ve been lost in time , Mikey Wright springs to mind
Awesome! thanks for taking the time to put this together
Thanks for the support and comment
A wonderful story of a great man.
I appreciate that Nick.
Great story. I played with his son Paul as we tried out for the lpci golf team in Toronto at Don valley... Omg a life time ago
Very cool! How did that tryout go?
@@TrevorStymie he made the team go figure lol
@@davidjames3164 No surprise there lol
I have to check out Don valley, the next time I'm in Toronto. I've also heard of the Don Valley Yacht Club...
Great video. I've been fascinated watching George on the Shell videos, so it's been interesting to hear more about the man behind the swing.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the comment. George was an interesting guy and really had his own approach to the golf swing.
I am looking forward to more of your videos. Can't believe I did not know about this wonderful Golfer. His backswing is so short. Keeps everything onplane.
This is really great work. Love the approach and execution!
Thank you brother. I appreciate the support and kind words. Cheers!
you deserve way more recognition for your vids, they are the most high quality videos i've seen in a while. The storytelling is just so amazing and paired with perfect music choice i cant ask anything more except to make more videos in the future.
Well done I work for George and learned from him. He was my teacher and I still teach what he taught me
Trevor, really outstanding documentary. Well done sir.
I appreciate that my friend. Take care
I’ve had his book for a few years but only now started reading it as I follow the teachings of Manuel de la Torre/Ernest Jones. I was surprised to find a lot in George’s work that agrees with what I’d already learned; especially the target (not ball) focus and his emphasis on balance. Many thanks for the video.
I'm a Big fan of Manuel as well. Actually with my next documentary he will get mentioned in it. Thanks for the comment Chris and take care.
You did a nice job on this. It was nice to learn more about him. Thanks!
Thanks for the comment and I'm glad you enjoyed it
this guy is a complete package, long and straight drives, perfect short game and a master at putting.
Awesome video. I like how George Knudson was a true artist of the game. Thank you and George Knudson
Wow! Just found this documentary. I have a copy of an instruction article on George from the December 1965 issue of Golf Digest.
Time to re-read a little more carefully!!
Thank you for presenting George to us. His swing was beautiful and I want to adopt some principles for my swing.Letting go and allowing the swing to happen rather than trying to make it happen is what I want to do. Just let go and enjoy. Thanks again.
Succinct and informative. Knudson had the greatest swing. Thanks!
thanks Al!
I love this so much. I stumbled upon a couple of Mr. Knudson's videos and they were so inspirational for me in my pursuit of the PGA tour. It solidifies that hard work and love for the game can get you there. This was such a nice documentary my friend. Thanks so much for putting it together. A work of art!
First off I wish you nothing but success in that pursuit. You are right and also developing a strong mental attitude is important. The next documentary I do will touch on that.
Heres to you success and thank you for the kind comment Allan. Take care
The best fairway wood player I have ever seen. Jack Nicklaus on George Knudson.
Awesome documentary! Many thanks
Thanks for watching Degen
Excellent documentary. I will certainly buy his instructional book. I’d heard of him but never knew his story. You educated me.
Very nice documentary. Well done. Thank you.
Thank you for the comment and support
Fantastic video, golfs biggest enigma. We lost him way too soon.
Agreed and thank you.
Great presentation on one of my golfing heroes! Knudson's book, The Natural Golf Swing, is a classic and should be on the shelves of any serious student of the game and the swing..
I agree Sean. It's a book that should be read by every golfer.
I Appreciate the comment and support. Cheers!
I read the book. His biggest key is balance. I use his swing for sand shots and high pitches.
You have the perfect voice for these narrations!
You know I wondered about this. We all seem to hate the sound of our voice hahah. Thanks brother!
@@TrevorStymie which golfer is next? Looking forward to seeing more of these documentaries!
Heres a hint. He's another Canadian great.
@@TrevorStymie Moe Norman
Ordered his book.
The Natural Swing
Can't wait to read and implement
Nice job. Beautiful documentary and commentary.
Played several times with George as a young man. Master ball striker! Great guy! Very helpful to a young guy trying to hit that little white thing. Sandy B.
Outstanding
I love playing golf
I knew nothing of this man. I’m grateful for you too create this video
and now I know
🙂
Natural player. A joy to watch .
Inspirational my friend especially on Masters weekend (2023). Jason in UK
Stenson looks similar in some parts of the swing. Very nice documentary!
Yes! thank you for the comment
I’m so glad this was recommended to me.
I appreciate this comment brother. Cheers
Very enjoyable, well done. Thank you.
Always some tiny nuggets to gather with every viewing of this lovingly crated tributary!
I watcabout hhed George Knudson one week in about 1979 at a small tournament on course about hay 50 , North of Hay #7. I don't think he won it but he inspired me to try to copy his swing. I'm 77 now and still trying. At times, I really hit the ball well, but could never chip.
If he could finish second at the Masters, where putting is a real test, it means compared to us mortals he was not that bad a putter. It was just next to guys like Nicklaus, Trevino, and most Tour players that he was lacking. The putting cure is to "putt as you drive", in other words have your putting stroke mirror your full swing instead of setting up completely differently. If Knudson had done that, his stroke would have been more natural, and he would have been comfortable on the greens. IMO
Love this documentary. You've done a wonderful job as a narrator 👍
I appreciate that. Thank you
Mr. Knudson turned himself into the embodiment of Mr. Hogan's Five Lessons book. I've read my copy of Five Lessons many times over the years, But I believe the time has come to try to get Mr. Knudson's Natural Golf book.
Thanks for making this. Love his move into he ball.
Amazing doco, you deserve like a billion more subs.
Working on it Jonboy hahah. Thanks for the support
Nice work on the documentary. I really enjoy watching GK swing the golf club. His book and video has made me such a better golfer. Since learning of NGS, I went from a 14 to a 7. I wish I could find someone near me that teaches the NGS so I could get NGS lessons and get my handicap even lower. I haven't found an instructor that understands the NGS so they ignore the theory.
Thats a great story. Thanks for telling it. If I ever find someone teaching that, even online, I'll let you know. I appreciate the support Jim. Cheers
Martin Chuck who founded Tour Striker and you probably see all over in ads, was mentored by Knudson (he references GK frequently in his content). He has multi- day golf clincs in AZ where he's based.
His son Paul still teaches in the GTA I believe, great guy who I spoke to about his father's swing.
Nicely done. It really was George at his best in the Archer Elder Knudson match.
And thank you for posting that
@@TrevorStymie my pleasure. Nice to see it put to good use.
Ordered his book. Looking forward to learning more about the natural swing
This was an incredible introduction to a lost hero of golf. It would have been nice to hear more about his philosophy of the golf swing, but that should not take away from the excellence of this video.
Thanks for the comment Rich. You're not wrong as originally the script had a bit more of his philosophy. But i decided to take it out and let his video "The swing motion" explain it as it does so in his own words. But yeah, I agree.
Cheers
My friend Vince Sullivan was the one who introduced George to Ben Hogan. At the IVB Golf Classic Vince told Hogan about George while in the locker room together, and possibly Hogan could play a practice round with him because George idolized him. Hogan asked Vince could George play. Vince told Hogan George was an amazing player. The next day Vince was playing a practice round and looked over and there was George playing with Hogan.
George should be considered in the top 5 of all-time ball strikers. He was amazing.
Louis Oosthuizen's swing does it for me, I can't think of a swing that pleases me more to watch.
Excellent... Thanks Trevor 👍
Thank you Steve
Great documentary, cannot believe the similarities between George’s swing and that of Sandy Lyle, similar tempo, slightly flat and compact ( by todays standards) backswing , and super tall finish… and Sandy was a revered ball striker.
I love golf but I didn't know about him. Thank you for the movie.
Great documentary! Never really saw Knudsen swing before this video, so this was very enlightening. Heard of Knudsen through watching Moe Norman videos. It looks like he ran that right knee into the ball, what Jody Vasquez said was Hogan’s secret. Thanks for putting this together and sharing it. 👊👊
Thanks for the comment and kind words. There is a lot of Hogan in Knudson, just like that right knee. Good observation. All the best!
Thanks so much. Always wondered about his life!
Hey man, just wanted to say that this was an incredible video. TH-camrs have to start somewhere but there is a (admittedly somewhat unfair) expectation of lower quality with less subscribers, but this one was really good! Not to mention it was about someone I'd never heard of before, so double thanks for that! Good luck with the channel and I'll be here watching!!
Also, until now, my pick was always Walter Hagen. Gonna have to ponder now...🤔
Hey Derek thank you for that! I appreciate those words my friend. I'm glad you enjoyed a video on a golfer that you didn't know of before. That says something. In my ways, on TH-cam, you can go one of two ways. Pump out a lot of videos each week where the quality may suffer. Or work on making something great, even if it takes way longer. Which is the route I'm going for with this channel. Thanks again
Also I'm a huge fan of Walter Hagen. He's on my list for future videos. The only problem is, theres not that much video to build something with. But i still want to do it in the future. Take care.
This was SO well done - thank you for shedding a bit of light on Knudson. Do you have a video on Moe Norman as well?
Thank you Mike. Interestingly enough, my next doc will be on Moe Norman. I'm in the research phase right now so the video will take some time to come out.
I'm making sure the production quality is even better than this one.
Thanks for the support and take care.
@@TrevorStymie Great news! Moe's quixotic story is worth telling but his swing, as "unorthodox" as it appears to be, is actually, bio-mechanically, the most efficient way to strike a golf ball. That is an aspect that is generally neglected but that helps to explain his rhetoric around the "Feeling of greatness".
Check out Graves Golf Academy, they have been all about Moe Norman and the Single Plane Swing, for more than 20-yrs...
@@donaldvalley5452 Todd "Little Moe" Graves is, indeed, the SPS man. Having made use of his services for a year, it helped me adopt the swing properly by the use of video analysis and coaching instruction. With a 5 hdcp, I hope to play my age (68) ...
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I'd never heard of him, but his thoughts on relaxing to find your golf swing resonated with me. I also related to the divide between hitting the ball well but putting woefully, lol.
Im glad you enjoyed the video and I'm happy that some of Georges wisdom resonated with you. As for putting, its such a different animal lol. Thanks for the comment!
Weiskopf had about the same problem as Knudson. Also a beautiful swing.
Agreed 100%
Great video, thank you
I appreciate that
Beautiful 🙏🏼❤️
Thank You🙏🏼
Thank you for making this great video!!!
Thank you my friend! I have enjoyed your swings over the years. All the best and take care