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We met Josh Broadaway on Wednesday and he might be my new favorite golfer, simply for his swing.
Broadaway plays cross handed, meaning the right hand is above the left on the club - the opposite of the conventional method. He is a natural lefty and the grip came out of necessity. There were no left handed clubs growing up, so he took his normal baseball grip on a right handed club and with a little stubborness and determination, *presto* you have a Nationwide Touring pro.
He get's questions about his grip constantly. He knows the looks when he sees them. (Seriously, are you swinging crosshanded in your living room right now?!) But the looks mainly come from his hitting it so well. Go ahead, go to the range and try it for yourself. Try and move the ball more than five feet or try not to shank. Hell, just make contact. I whiffed three times and then blooped one. My photographer on the other hand whiffed once then made great contact on his second. He is now being instructed to swing like that permanently.
But Broadaway's swing is no sideshow. Go follow him during the rounds. He can ball. He was two places outside the Top 25 money list last season and after three good tournaments, he is 77th on the money list now.
He putts natural lefty and chips cross handed too. That is a actually a little more common. Chris Couch won in Louisiana on the PGA Tour not too many years ago with a cross handed chipping stroke. (He also had a huge dip in his mouth when he did it)
Broadaway is a fan favorite at the Wichita Open for some years. He was requested for the Pro-Am Wednesday and he regularly plays the role of Dean Martin in the Monday Shootout.
He is the kind of guy you root for out there. He does it his way and if it doesn't work, that's OK because he did it his way. You gotta admire that.
See you bright and early tomorrow morning when the madness that is the first round of the Wichita Open begins
