Spoiler Alert! Joel Dahmen Steals the Show in ‘Full Swing’ Episode 4

The new Netflix documentary ‘Full Swing’ is trending worldwide in all golfing spheres, and for good reason.

Maybe you’re yet to start it, so here comes the required **‘spoiler alert** – but episode four – ‘Imposter Syndrome’ on Joel Dahmen, is definitely worthy of further discussion.

The Joel Dahmen and Matt Fitz episodes are my favourite, Finau’s a close 3rd
pic.twitter.com/IyjLzUOmtD

— The Bogey Men (@BogeyMenPod) February 16, 2023

A relatively unknown player until his first win on the PGA Tour in 2021 at the Corales Puntacana Championship – the bucket-hat-wearing Washington state representative loiters just inside the top 100 in the world.

Episode 4 of ‘Full Swing’ was all about him and his caddy – Geno. From the beginning of the episode – the lack of self-belief was quite a shock to see. He didn’t think he was capable of beating the best. He didn’t think he could win a major. He didn’t seem to have any clear goals. We witnessed a half-hearted gym session accompanied by a mediocre mindset; it was a wonder he made any cuts at all.

The episode unpacked his fairly traumatic history, losing his mum within six months of her cancer diagnosis and then being diagnosed himself at just 23 years old – he was described as ‘drifting’ through his life in his younger years.

So, Dahmen doubled down on golf. Something that, annoyingly, he appeared to have a natural talent for, winning his State championship in his freshman year by eight strokes. His caddy, Geno, was instrumental in the episode but also clearly in Dahmen’s life, propping him up in low points and being described as his psychologist, caddie, and also his best friend. One highlight was Dahmen reading an email that Geno had sent eight years earlier, officially requesting to become his caddie.

He’d said:

“I truly believe you can become one of the best players in the world.”

The episode followed him to the US Open at Brookline, where he tied for the lead through 36 holes – and just started showing glimmers of self-belief. The documentary cleverly showed him having a chat with Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Collin Morikawa before he teed off in the final round on Sunday, referencing the fact that he was starting to earn the respect of the top names and gaining a seat at the table.

🚁 @Joel_Dahmen with the helicopter! pic.twitter.com/55iKoJhMWH

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 13, 2022

The episode reminded us that we love an underdog story in golf and juxtaposed Brooks Koepka in the previous episode, lounging around in his Florida mansion with his dog and his supermodel wife and looking like the unhappiest man in America. He, too, had no direction, no clear goals, and had stopped believing in himself – which made the move to LIV even more obvious to us at home.

This was a natural-born winner who had forgotten what it felt like to win. Rather than take the harder route back to the top, he cashed the cheque and took the win. It probably felt good, but won’t solve his attitude toward his own golf game until he beats the best once again.

‘Imposter Syndrome’ was a good title for the episode, showing how Dahmen didn’t believe he deserved to be up there but also showing that he definitely has what it takes, and – with Geno’s help – overcoming that mental barrier that was preventing him from really achieving in the game.

By the end of the episode – Geno’s unwavering belief in Dahmen superseded any doubts he may have had himself. I expect a lot more people to recognize Joel and root for him after watching this episode, and after watching the mindset shift throughout, I expect another PGA Tour win in the not-so-distant future.

Cover Image Via Twitter