SWINGING WITHOUT SEEING
Back
to Articles
Back to Home Contents
by Bob Andrews
Whenever anyone finds out that I am totally blind, yet still manage to play golf, the inevitable question "Just how is that possible" is asked? In responding to the question, I find myself giving sort of a mental golf lesson. I'll explain what I mean and in doing so, share a few golf tips that anyone can use.
It is interesting to note that some important factors in a golf swing have nothing to do with sight. A few examples will best explain and provide basic tips. How often have you taken a practice swing, prior to hitting a shot, and thought to yourself "Boy that felt good. I wish the ball had been there with that swing." Well, think about it. You knew the swing was good because it felt right and you weren't even looking at a ball! The lesson here is much easier said than done. Concentrate on swinging the club, not hitting the ball. Continuing on the same line of thought, remember taking a shot that the swing felt great and the club contacting the ball was solid? Before you had a chance to see where the ball landed, you knew the shot was on target. You didn't have to see to know the results of your shot, you felt it. The lesson here should convince you to do all those things that you so often hear, instead of looking up to see your fabulous shot. That's right - keep your head down - swing down and through - and follow through with the swing, etc.
Playing golf when you are blind requires the assistance of a coach. Two of the primary functions of a coach are to properly align the club in the direction of the shot and to give you the correct distance. So often when I play golf with someone, they always describe their shot as being left or right of the fairway or the green/pin. I'm surprised how readily people accept the fact that they are short or long on a shot as if the only thing that mattered was being on line. In blind golf, knowing distances is critical, especially on approach shots. The lesson here is simple. Spend as much time practicing the distance as you do the direction of a shot.
The coach assists the blind golfer in setting up after choosing a club. Close attention is given to a proper address to the ball since a perfect swing coupled with a poor set up results in a bad shot. The position of the ball and the alignment of the hands, feet, hips, and shoulders before swinging can all contribute to where the ball lands. For example, don't automatically assume you blocked a shot out to the right while swinging. The proper address is the foundation of a good golf swing, whether you can see or not.
Now we come to the part of the game that almost everyone has trouble with - putting. Here is where a blind golfer has an advantage that sighted golfers could learn from. Once the distance is established by stepping it off, adding or subtracting feet depending on the slope, and the correct break determined; a blind golfer then has only two things to think about while putting, a smooth straight stroke and the correct distance. We are not distracted by threatening undulations, shadows on the green, people, and all those other demons. The lesson here can be summed up this way, make all the necessary decisions for distance, speed and break before standing over a putt and stick with it. Then when you are over the ball, you can concentrate on the correct distance and putting straight.