Netflix has furthered its hegemony in the sports documentary series game by enlisting the team behind Formula 1: Drive To Survive, Box To Box Films, for yet another all-access affair involving the PGA Tour. And just between us, LIV Golf-related drama aside, the first Full Swing trailer looks considerably more exciting than the one we received for the equally long-anticipated Break Point (the tennis docuseries premiering later this week; also from Box To Box Films).
“You picked a hell of a year to start following the PGA Tour,” Ian Poulter can be heard saying in the teaser cut above.
“If I want the game that I love to be played by future generations, the game needs to be pushed forward,” states Rory McIlroy to punctuate the preview.
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“Compared to other spectator sports like tennis, football, or basketball, golf might seem like the quiet one of the group: Players enjoy long, peaceful walks outdoors, nicely pressed chinos and plenty of silent time to laser focus,” notes Netflix themselves.
“However, Full Swing proves that when it comes to professional sports, there’s nothing quite like the high-stakes, ultracompetitive world of golfing.”
The series executive producers are Vox Media Studios’ Chad Mumm and Mark Olsen; Box To Box Films’ Paul Martin and James Gay-Rees. Here’s everything we know about you next sport doco binge.
Everything We Know About Netflix’s Full Swing
What Is Netflix’s Full Swing About?
Similar to both Formula 1: Drive To Survive and Break Point, Netflix’s Full Swing follows a diverse group of professional golfers on and off the course during a “gruelling” season of competition in the PGA Tour.
For the first time ever, all four of golf’s major championships – the Masters/Augusta National, PGA Championship, US Open, Open Championship – in addition to the likes of the WM Phoenix Open and WGC-Match Play will be showcased from an unrestricted behind-the-scenes perspective against a rather dramatic backdrop involving the Saudi rebel league.
Cameras quietly began rolling back in early December of 2021, parallel to a small 20-player invitation in the Bahamas known as the Hero World Challenge (where Tiger Woods himself made his long-awaited return after a near-fatal car accident):
“More than a half-dozen pros sat for their first interviews that week. Others consulted their agents, spoke with show producers and considered and reconsidered their participation in a show that hopes to introduce professional golf to an entirely new audience.”
Golf
According to Golf, the streaming giant engaged some battle-tested collaborators for the job alongside Box To Box Films, including Vox Media (Explained) and Rickie Fowler’s own Main Event Productions (Basketball Or Nothing).
Given the quality of entertainment all parties involved have churned out in the past – not to mention the global following pro golf retains – it seems as though Netflix is once again on track to capture lightning in a bottle.
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Do we know the cast members of Netflix’s Full Swing?
The core collective of professional golfers featured in Netflix’s Full Swing include the following:
- Jordan Spieth
- Justin Thomas
- Collin Morikawa
- Brooks Koepka
- Scottie Scheffler
- Ian Poulter
- Rory McIlroy
- Dustin Johnson
- Tony Finau
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Sahith Theegala
- Joel Dahmen
- Mito Pereira
- Cameron Young
Expect pundits, satellite personalities, and more to make an appearance.
Obviously, those who have since defected to LIV Golf may have a limited involvement. But that doesn’t mean they’ll be completely stricken from the record. Similarly, there could very well be glimpses of some bigger names absent from the list outlined above (i.e. Tiger Woods). They just haven’t sat down for a one-on-one interview.
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Netflix’s Full Swing Release Date Australia
All eight episodes of Netflix’s Full Swing season 1 is scheduled to debut globally on the streaming platform early next month (February 15th, 2023). An entire day after Valentine’s Day, so make sure you put in the work to free up that schedule.
Netflix’s Full Swing Trailer
As previously mentioned, Netflix has just dropped the very first Full Swing trailer (see above) along with the following description:
From the producers of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Full Swing takes you deep into the world of golf with unprecedented access following some of the best players in the game - including Rory McIlroy. Unimaginable Pressure. Up Close.
