After it has grown enormously in popularity Formula 1: Drive to Survive (2019‑ ) and the recent tennis documentary Break Point (2023‑ ) Netflix will release a new sports documentary series again this month. Full Swing (2023) follows the best professional golfers in the world.
From tennis ball to golf ball
Netflix is well aware that many viewers appreciate documentary series about top athletes. Two renowned producers who also contributed to the hit Drive to Survive, the fifth season of which will be released next month, started working for the streaming service with comparable series about tennis and now also golf. Full Swing offers a comprehensive look behind the scenes of the past golf season, showing how the best golfers in the world compete in the most important tournaments and are under constant pressure to maintain their level.
The makers of Full Swing try to generate new interest in golf with their series, but for followers and enthusiasts, important developments in the golf world also pass by. For example, last year a number of players had to consider whether they wanted to continue competing in the games of the leading PGA Tour, or whether they wanted to join the alternative LIV League, a series of championships funded from Saudi Arabia.
Still ‘Full Swing’ via Netflix
Disappointment
The success of Drive to Survive does not yet guarantee that enthusiasts will also find the new sports series worthwhile. We recently wrote that several viewers found Break Point a bit forced, and that the series was not at the level of its Formula 1 predecessor.
Smaller audience
The question now is of course what Full Swing will do on Netflix, especially since golf does not attract such a wide audience as Formula 1 and tennis. The series is on 15 February to be seen on the streaming platform. The remaining episodes of Season 1 of Break Point will be released in June, and you can also enjoy a new Drive to Survive season this month, supposedly. That release is scheduled for February 24.
Beeld: Still ‘Full Swing’ via Netflix