The walk-up, sometimes a sprint, has become iconic. When playing a casual round of golf, it’s become somewhat of a challenge — approaching a ball, club in hands and attempting a hockey-like slap-shot all in one swift movement. It may have spawned from a comedy, but the “Happy Gilmore swing” has made a legitimate mark in the world of golf.

Adam Sandler’s hit 1996 film, “Happy Gilmore,” introduced perhaps the most popular-yet-unorthodox swing technique in the history of the sport, now commonly referred to as the “Happy Gilmore swing.” Whether it’s professional athletes and celebrities taking a stab at the sped-up swing, or a group of golf newcomers discovering if they’re athletic enough to pull it off, Sandler’s character’s hockey-oriented method has become renowned.

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If you’re unfamiliar with the unique shot routine, here’s the clip from the movie where Happy Gilmore swings a club for the first time:

The “Happy Gilmore swing” is certainly wacky and difficult to pull off, discouraging players from actually using it in professional settings. But if they wanted to, would the pros be permitted to attempt it under the standards set in professional golf?

Here’s a full breakdown of the iconic “Happy Gilmore” shot, from its legality under USGA rules, to the physics behind how the swing is actually beneficial.

MORE HAPPY GILMORE NEWS:

Is the Happy Gilmore shot legal?

Simply put: Yes, the “Happy Gilmore” swing is legal. If Scottie Scheffler woke up tomorrow and decided he wanted to go full Adam Sandler at a major tournament, running up to the ball before he drives it, he could do so.

There are no rules that regulate having a running start or unorthodox pre-shot routine, like Gilmore does in the film. As long as a player does not alter the conditions of the stroke (such as the lie of the ball), “push” or “scoop” the ball with one long swing or multiple swings, and the ball remains stationary before the swing, then there’s nothing barring a player from using the “Happy Gilmore” style.

In fact, plenty of PGA Tour stars have experimented with it in practice or other types of events. Padraig Harrington is likely the most famous example of that, as the three-time major winner has used the run-up swing method in long-drive competitions and exhibitions, showcasing how it adds distance to a drive.

Paddy Gilmore.

The movie was released 28 years ago today.@Padraig_H’s Happy Gilmore swing is better than most. pic.twitter.com/1CA7AwH4jD — PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) February 16, 2024

MORE HAPPY GILMORE NEWS:

John Peterson became one of the first, if not the first, golfer to attempt a “Happy Gilmore” swing in an actual PGA Tour tournament in 2015. At the CIMB Classic, Peterson was in last place heading into the final round. He decided to go with the running start style swing, eventually recording a par on the hole:

New fave US player is John Peterson who hit a Happy Gilmore off the 1st tee on Sunday and shot -6! #allinthehips pic.twitter.com/eQ6L3HNRzq — Ryan (@TheClub) November 2, 2015

For the most part though, golfers who utilize the slap-shot method introduced by the sports-comedy film only use it in practice or for fun. But why is that?

For one, the “Happy Gilmore” swing makes a drive much more difficult. It’s hard to control, adding extra movements before the swing, so it can result in shots that are way off-target — or even missed shots altogether. Accuracy and solid contact on the ball are harder to come by when a player is also focused on a huge “run-up” to the swing.

Between the potential for ineffectiveness, difficulty of the technique, lack of golf “etiquette” and even added injury risk, the “Happy Gilmore shot” may be legal — and fun — but the game’s biggest stars don’t have much interest in utilizing it with the millions of dollars at stake in real tournaments.

USGA golf swing rules

Here are a few key rules from the USGA when it comes to a golf swing:

For each stroke, the player must play the course as they find it, and play the ball as it lies

Play in the spirit in the game, such as acting with integrity, taking care of the course, etc.

Players may not “anchor” the club, meaning either intentionally holding the club/hand in contact with any other part of the body, or intentionally holding a forearm in contact with any part of the body to establish a gripping hand as a stable point (the entire club must be swung)

Players cannot improve their conditions for a stroke, such as the area of the swing, the line of play, etc.

Swings and misses, with the intention of hitting the ball, count as a stroke

Accidental contact with the ball during a practice swing results in a penalty stroke (except on teeing ground or putting green)

A video from the USGA about three types of strokes that are illegal (notably excluding the “Happy Gilmore” swing) can be found here, which notes the ban on “scoops,” billiard-style “pushes” and “scrapes.”

MORE HAPPY GILMORE NEWS:

Is the Happy Gilmore hockey stick putter legal?

Unlike the iconic slap-shot drive, Happy Gilmore’s “hockey stick putter” is not course-legal.

While it is another fun golf idea brought to life by the comedy film, the back of the hockey stick putter is flat, and its dimensions would exceed the rules for a putter head.

That being said, if you wanted to use a “hockey stick putter” for casual play, or just to put on display, replicas from “Happy Gilmore” are sold as memorabilia.

USGA putter rules

Here are some of USGA’s key rules regarding putters:

A putter’s loft may not exceed 10 degrees

The club face must be hard and rigid

For the club head, the distance from the heel to toe must be greater than the distance from the face to the back; the distance from the heel to the toe of the head must be less than or equal to 7 inches; the distance from the heel to the toe of the face must be greater than or equal to two thirds of the distance from the face to the back of the head; the distance from the heel to the toe of the face must be greater than or equal to half of the distance from the heel to the toe of the head; and the distance from the sole to the top of the head, including any permitted features, must be less than or equal to 2.5 inches (63.5 mm)

Club heads also must be “plain in shape,” generally meaning they must be “structural in nature and functional,” and “must not be designed to resemble any other object”

The physics behind Happy Gilmore’s golf swing

When done correctly — which is no easy task — the “Happy Gilmore swing” can actually be quite beneficial for the length of a drive.

With a normal golf swing, physics says that just three things can alter how fast the ball is going to fly off the head of the club. One, predictably, is the speed of the club coming in from the swing. The faster a golfer can swing the club at the ball, the further the ball will go. The second is hitting the “sweet spot” of the club head, the spot where one can transfer the maximum amount of energy into the ball. The third is the weight of the club head, as a ball will travel faster if the club head is heavier.

When one pulls off the “Happy Gilmore swing,” which involves a brief run-up to the ball, they are adding some extra speed to the club head, which can increase the driving distance (in the right circumstances). If done correctly, while still hitting the “sweet spot” on the club head, the momentum built from the run-up can add some extra power to the swing.

Realistically, the trade off when actually attempting the swing is the difficulty in hitting the minuscule “sweet spot” of the club head while still running up and swinging in one big motion. There’s even a chance that someone misses the ball entirely when they’re more focused on the run-up portion.

The iconic show “Sport Science” once broke down the physics of the “Happy Gilmore swing.” The show dives into what can happen when a world-class golfer like Harrington uses the movie’s method:

In that breakdown, Harrington’s normal, stationary swing resulted in him hitting the ball 296 yards. When he added a multi-step run up to the ball, like Gilmore, Harrington hit it 30 yards further on average.

Overall, the kinetic energy transferred from the running start of the “Happy Gilmore swing” into the ball can lead to longer drives. But it also has to be pulled off to perfection, something that involves much more risk for professional golfers.

Best ‘Happy Gilmore swing’ attempts from golfers, athletes

After watching “Happy Gilmore,” it’s tempting to want to try the iconic slap-shot drive made famous by Sandler. Plenty of stars have done so, from baseball players to PGA Tour stars.

In 2021, Sandler himself re-created his character’s swing in honor of the 25-year anniversary of the film.

Over the years, plenty of non-golf athletes have taken their stab at the swing.

Fernando Tatis Jr. tossed the ̶b̶a̶t̶ golf club after breaking out the Happy Gilmore swing 😂🏌️‍♂️

(via tatis/IG) pic.twitter.com/utZC1OBTDv — MLB (@MLB) February 1, 2025

Browns TE Brenden Bates tried the Happy Gilmore swing and failed miserably 😂@te_university | @BatesBrenden pic.twitter.com/AmPaQac8Li — NFL (@NFL) June 26, 2025

Pro golfers have also shown off with Gilmore’s method in more leisurely situations, including Tiger Woods’ attempt:

It’s been nearly three decades since the beloved golfer/hockey player/”Price is Right” host puncher Happy Gilmore graced the silver screen. The sequel is set to release tomorrow on Netflix, and it’s bound to have fans hooting, hollering, and most importantly, pointing at their monitors shouting “Oh hey! I know that person!”

Sandler’s films have become known for their cameos in recent years. He’s insisted that he prefers casting his friends and has even offered small roles in his projects to certain athletes if they achieve certain feats, as was the case with Baltimore Ravens’ running back Derrick Henry.

Given the original “Happy Gilmore’s” impact on the golf community, it was reasonable to assume that several of golf’s biggest stars would clamor for an opportunity to appear in the sequel. And boy, did they.

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Here are all of the golfers with cameos in “Happy Gilmore 2.”

Collin Morikawa on the first hole during the second round of The 153rd Open Championship golf tournament.

Golfers with cameos in Happy Gilmore 2

Golfers John Daly, Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris, Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka all make appearances.

Furthermore, former professional golfer and social media personality Paige Spiranac makes an appearance as well.

Here is a list of golfers, via IMDB:

John Daly

Scottie Scheffler

Will Zalatoris

Collin Morikawa

Bryson DeChambeau

Justin Thomas

Rory McIlroy

Brooks Koepka

Keegan Bradley

Rickie Fowler

Jordan Spieth

Xander Schauffle

Corey Pavin

Sandler has said that there were no original plans for so many celebrity cameos, but as more stars came to film, more parts were written to fit them in.

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“I don’t know how it happened,” said Sandler. “We wrote ’em, stuff. Everybody was kind enough to come. Everybody in it did a great job. Every day, someone cool would show up, and we’d hang out.”

What other athletes make appearances?

Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce has a role as a hotel employee in the film.

When does Happy Gilmore 2 release?

“Happy Gilmore 2” releases on Netflix Friday, July 25 at 3 a.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Every star golfer cameo in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’

Courtesy of Netflix

Happy Gilmore 2 arrives on Netflix tomorrow, July 25. The sequel features both returning and new stars from the beloved 1996 golf comedy, along with more than two dozen celebrity cameos, including professional golfers, hip-hop legends, NFL players, WWE stars and more.

Nearly three decades later, Adam Sandler reprises his role as Happy Gilmore, the short-tempered hockey player-turned-golfer. In the original film, Gilmore enters a series of tournaments to save his grandmother’s house from foreclosure. The movie ends with Gilmore winning the Tour Championship and reclaiming his grandmother’s home.

In the Netflix sequel, co-written by Sandler, Happy has left golf behind following a tragic accident. But when he needs $300,000 to send his daughter Vienna (Sunny Sandler) to a ballet school in Paris, he returns to the sport in hopes of raising the money.

Courtesy of Netflix

“Happy Gilmore isn’t done with golf — not by a long shot,” the film’s synopsis reads. “Adam Sandler’s short-fused legend swings for a comeback to make his kid’s dream come true.” Sandler told Good Morning America that his character’s “life isn’t perfect right now” — at least “at the beginning of the movie.” He continued, “And he’s a family man, and he’s gettin’ back into the golf game.”

In addition to Sandler, the 2025 film also sees the return of several familiar faces, including Julie Bowen as Happy’s love interest, Virginia Venit; Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin, Happy’s arrogant nemesis; and Ben Stiller as Hal L., the orderly from Happy’s grandmother’s nursing home. Unfortunately, Carl Weathers was set to reprise his role as Derick “Chubbs” Peterson before he passed away in February 2024.

Of course, no Sandler movie is complete without his family. The actor’s real-life daughter, Sunny Sandler, plays Gilmore’s daughter, Vienna. His wife, Jackie Sandler, and elder daughter, Sadie, also appear in the sports comedy.

Read on for a full breakdown of the Happy Gilmore 2 cast, from returning fan favorites to all the exciting cameos.

Who Are the Returning Happy Gilmore 2 Cast Members?

Scott Yamano/Netflix

See all the original Happy Gilmore cast members who return for the sequel below.

Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore

Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit

Ben Stiller as Hal

Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin

Philip Schneider as Bobby

Maxwell Friedman as Gordie

Ethan Cutkosky as Wayne

Conor Sherry as Terry

John Daly as John Daly

New Happy Gilmore 2 Cast Members And Celebrity Cameos

Getty Images

Here’s a list of all the actors and celebrities spotted in the Happy Gilmore 2 trailer:

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (Bad Bunny)

Sadie Sandler

Sunny Sandler

Blake Clark

Margaret Qualley

Jackie Sandler

Eric André

Martin Herlihy

Tim Herlihy

Nelly Korda

Becky Lynch

Nancy Lopez

Verne Lundquist

Jack Giarraputo

Kevin Nealon

Benny Safdie

John Farley

Kym Whitley

Lavell Crawford

Ken Jennings

Cam’ron

Eminem

Post Malone

Marcello Hernandez

Dan Patrick

Oliver Hudson

Reggie Bush

Becky Lynch

Nikki Garcia

Jack Nicklaus

Travis Kelce

Ken Jennings

Stephen A. Smith

Eminem

Post Malone

Which Professional Golfers Are In Happy Gilmore 2?

Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix’s Happy Gilmore sequel features cameos from several real-life golf pros, including:

John Daly

Paige Spiranac

Rory McIlroy

Scottie Scheffler

Bryson DeChambeau

Brooks Koepka

Justin Thomas

Will Zalatoris

Happy Gilmore 2 premieres on Friday, July 25 at 3 a.m. ET on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.

Frazer Harrison/Getty; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Kyle Newacheck and Travis Kelce

What can’t Travis Kelce do?

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 35, has pivoted his work on the gridiron to a stint on the silver screen with an anticipated cameo in the Adam Sandler-led Happy Gilmore 2, and director Kyle Newacheck has no notes!

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE ahead of the sequel film’s Netflix release on July 25, Newacheck recalls collaborating with the NFL star on set and praised his talents in front of the camera.

“Kelce was fantastic. He’s a hard worker, and he wanted to do right by the film… everybody did,” Newacheck tells PEOPLE, adding, “I think Kelce’s just so charismatic.”

Netlfix Travis Kelce in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’

The three-time, Super Bowl winner doesn’t just run lines, either. He adds his own comedic flare, an element to his effortless — and infections — on-screen abilities Newacheck picked up on while working with him on the film.

“He just is so funny. You want to be around him, and he’s an entertainer,” he says of Kelce, who made his acting debut in Ryan Murphy’s FX series Grotesquerie, plus, has hosted Saturday Night Live, Prime Video’s Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity and co-hosts his podcast, New Heights.

Newacheck also cites the former Cincinnati Bearcat’s football background as a likely reason why he’s so comfortable on set — and from a director’s perspective, knows how to lock in when it’s go time.

“He’s an athlete, so he knows the moment,” he points out, emphasizing, “He knows how to perform in the moment.”

Kevin Mazur/Getty Kyle Newacheck attends the “Happy Gilmore 2” world premiere in N.Y.C.

Several other professional athletes also make surprise appearances in Happy Gilmore 2 alongside Kelce, many of whom are — you guessed it — golfers.

“I think that’s what I found interesting was when you have these cameos that are professional athletes, they all understand how to perform in the moment. Every one of them gets it,” the director shares. “Theirs is physical, and now we have to just say words that are funny.”

He adds, “But Travis had a natural charisma that I felt… I felt it. I loved it.”

Kelce’s acting has been applauded by more than just Newacheck for his work on Happy Gilmore 2. In late June, Christopher McDonald — who reprises his villainous, yet fan-favorite role as Shooter McGavin in the sequel film — praised the NFL star for his on-camera work.

Mike Coppola/Getty; Allen Berezovsky/FilmMagic Adam Sandler and Travis Kelce

“Travis Kelce has been out there and I just really liked him as a person. He is really funny. Way too handsome, by the way, but really a good actor actually,” McDonald told PEOPLE in June while celebrating Happy Gilmore 2’s partnership with Subway.

“Surprisingly good,” he added.

While McDonald was careful not to spill too many details ahead of Happy Gilmore 2’s release on Netflix, he did shed some light on Kelce’s golf skills.

“I think he’s got game,” the actor said of the NFL star, admitting that they “did not” get to play together while filming.

Scott Yamano/Netflix Adam Sandler and Bad Bunny in “Happy Gilmore 2”

“He’s a good athlete,” McDonald continued of Kelce. “He’s a beast. I’m sure he kills the ball.”

In August 2024, Sandler broke the news on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that Kelce would be appearing in his Happy Gilmore sequel.

Kelce called working with the Sandman “a dream come true” when speaking on an episode of ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show in January 2025.

Happy Gilmore 2 hits Netflix on Friday, July 25.

Read the original article on People

Bad Bunny has revealed he was moved to tears when he first met his Happy Gilmore 2 co-star Adam Sandler.

The Puerto Rican rapper, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, appears in the forthcoming Netflix sequel to the 1996 golf movie, as part of a string of celebrity cameos, including Eminem, “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans and athlete Travis Kelce.

Appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers alongside the film’s lead, Sandler, Bad Bunny revealed that he was starstruck the first time he encountered the actor, when they were sitting opposite each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game.

Sandler had noticed the musician because his daughter had recognised him and she began hitting her dad with excitement.

“And then we locked eyes,” Sandler said. “And then I gave you some love from across the court.”

Bad Bunny, best known for songs “Me Porto Bonito”, “I Like It” and “Safaera”, explained he had been waiting a long time to meet Sandler, and was even tearful when it finally happened.

“When he [made] eye contact with me, I was like, ‘Bro!’” he said. “I cried.”

The rapper tried to hide his emotions, telling himself: “I can’t cry courtside… He knows who I am!”

Bad Bunny and Adam Sandler will appear together ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ (Getty)

“I was waiting for that moment!” he added. “I’d been to a lot of Lakers games. I saw every celebrity, but never Adam Sandler.”

Netflix announced last year that Sandler would be reprising his role as Gilmore, an ice hockey player with anger management issues who realises he can channel that anger towards major pro golf wins.

Much of the original cast will return for the sequel, including Modern Family star Julie Bowen, who played Virginia Venit, a rep for a professional golf tour and the girlfriend of Sandler’s character.

Sandler recently revealed that the script had to be rewritten following the death of his co-star Carl Weathers, who had famously played Chubbs Peterson, the mentor to Sandler’s Gilmore, in the original film. He died last year, aged 76.

“We had a painful change,” Sandler told Collider. “Carl Weathers had a massive part.”

Adam Sandler in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ (Netflix)

He continued: “I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl passed away. We had to rewrite a lot of the stuff, and even what the story was. We made a lot of nice references to how great Chubbs was in the movie. That was the biggest change.”

Asked how Weathers’ character would have featured in the film, Sandler explained: “In the first version that we came up with, he had a son. He was coming back to me a lot in my dreams, and he had a son who was mad at Happy for causing the death of daddy.”

Newcomers to the cast also include Margaret Qualley, Eric André, Sunny Sandler and Benny Safdie.

Happy Gilmore 2 is released on 25 July.