Inside look at Happy Gilmore's unique golf swing 29 years after his first tee shot
In the original movie, Adam Sandler plays a wannabe ice hockey star whose grandmother's house is repossessed by the IRS. To save her house, he takes his powerful swing to the golf course, hoping to win a professional tournament and the big cash prize that comes with it. However, he faces opposition from Shooter McGavin, a preppy pro golfer and full-time jerk, played by Christopher McDonald, who is determined to thwart his plans.
Now, 29 years after winning his first tour championship, retired golfer Happy Gilmore, despite being quite rusty, returns to the sport to pay for his daughter Vienna's ballet school.
"It's all in the hips": The Happy Gilmore swing
"Happy Gilmore" introduced a wacky and very popular, almost slap-shot style swing now commonly referred to as the "Happy Gilmore swing."
The PGA (and USGA) rules do not prohibit a player from taking a running or walking approach to the ball before striking it, which is the core of the Happy Gilmore swing. The legality hinges on the player not altering the conditions of the stroke. This includes not pushing, scraping, or scooping the ball, with multiple swings or altering its lie before the swing
At the CIMB Classic in 2015, John Peterson became one of the first, if not the first, golfer to attempt a "Happy Gilmore" swing in an actual PGA Tour tournament.
Almost three decades later, the Happy Gilmore sequel is set to introduce a new generation to Happy's infamous swing.
Here's a look at Sandler executing Happy's swing in the original movie:
Who is coming back for "Happy Gilmore 2"
Several familiar characters will be returning to reprise their roles in the sequel.
◾Adam Sandler – Happy Gilmore
◾Julie Bowen – Virginia Venit
◾Christopher McDonald – Shooter McGavin
◾Ben Stiller – Hal L.
◾Dennis Dugan – Doug Thompson
◾Kevin Nealon – Gary Potter
◾Lee Trevino – Himself
◾Verne Lundquist – Himself
Several actors from "Happy Gilmore" have passed away since the movie's release in 1996.
◾Carl Weathers – Chubbs Peterson
◾Frances Bay – Grandma
◾Richard Kiel – Mr. Larson
◾Joe Flaherty – Donald
◾Bob Barker – Himself
SOURCES USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Netflix; Naturalbirdies.com; UberSense.com; golfguidebook.com
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