how I play series
how I play series
Player: ............
Who better to learn from than someone who has already traversed the path?
In "HOW I PLAY by EDGA", golfers with a variety of impairments share their experience and the strategies they have employed to adapt or adjust, enabling them to perform at the best of their ability.
HOW I PLAY also brings in highly qualified and experienced coaches who share their knowledge and insights on how some of the tips given by the players can help other players and coaches.
About the author
The series was conceived and produced on evidence based research by
Tony Bennett - Head of Disability and Inclusion for the International Golf Federation and President of EDGA. As a PGA Master Professional, he is well prepared to link the discussion and provide several key points and reflections for further study.
In this episode, we speak with Juan Postigo Arce, a two time European Champion Golfer with a Disability at his home close to Pedreña, Northern Spain. Pedrenã Golf Club is the spiritual home of Juan’s hero Seve Ballesteros.
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Juan has had luminaries such as Sir Nick Faldo say that his swing is one of the best that he has seen. PGA Tour star Brandt Snedeker was stopped in his tracks and took the time to watch Juan practice at the 2018 Emirates Australian Open, ahead of the groundbreaking Australian All Abilities Championship. Juan has turned himself into one of the best players in the world of golf for the disabled.
Juan has an impressive CV and as a lead leg golfer who does not use a prosthesis is one of the most easily identifiable players.
You can also read & listen to the Juan Postigo Arce story on EDGA profiles
read more....
Juan has had luminaries such as Sir Nick Faldo say that his swing is one of the best that he has seen. PGA Tour star Brandt Snedeker was stopped in his tracks and took the time to watch Juan practice at the 2018 Emirates Australian Open, ahead of the groundbreaking Australian All Abilities Championship. Juan has turned himself into one of the best players in the world of golf for the disabled.
Juan has an impressive CV and as a lead leg golfer who does not use a prosthesis is one of the most easily identifiable players.
You can also read & listen to the Juan Postigo Arce story on EDGA profiles
Our guest coach is José Vicente Perez, who is the Director of Education for the PGA of Spain. José brought a great deal of knowledge to the table as he understands the bio-mechanical challenges that playing on one leg brings.
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 00:51 | Juan explains what his impairment is |
| 01:47 | A year of surgeries |
| 02:20 | How he kept working on his body |
| 03:03 | The importance of having a good team around him |
| 03:37 | How he wanted to be just as strong as before the surgery |
| 04:41 | Not as young as he used to be. He’s 24! |
| 05:08 | The shots he finds most difficult |
| 06:47 | José talks about uneven lies |
| 07:48 | José gives his advice to help club golfers improve their balance |
| 08:41 | Juan shares a tip from when he was a ‘little guy’ to improve his balance |
| 09:35 | Juan shares his thinking on being strong |
| 11:00 | José gives his thoughts on how working with players that have a disability can improve coaches |
| 11:54 | Juan’s advice on patience and starting to play golf |
| 13:14 | The importance of impact. |
It was a pleasure to speak with Juan and José. Together they revealed some real pearls of wisdom.
TOP SIX REFLECTIONS:
TOP SIX REFLECTIONS:
Juan has an athletes mentality and states that “an athlete can never be stopped by anything.” He then explained the importance of having a good team around him.
The importance Juan put on being prepared and strong before he came back to golf. He mentioned it was important for his mind to know that his body was ready.
Juan exhibited patience throughout his recovery. First, he wanted to get his body ready, then he started with the short game. He understood the importance of a good recovery even if it took a long time.
Both Juan and José talked about the importance of balance. There is always a good debate between coaches around balance. Is balance a consequence of good mechanics? Or are good mechanics a consequence of swinging in balance?
José suggested that the flat lies found on a driving range can limit players ability to play, as they face a variety of lies on the golf course.
José clearly states that education is important because it helps you to help others, not to know more.
In this episode, England Golf player Aimi Bullock talks about how her condition of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects her preparation, training and her ability to play on multiple days.
read more....
Aimi walks us through what she has to do the day before competing. PGA Professional Mark Taylor adds his insights to the conversation. Aimi plays golf left-handed.
You can also read & listen to the Aimi Bullock Story on EDGA profiles
read more....
Aimi walks us through what she has to do the day before competing. PGA Professional Mark Taylor adds his insights to the conversation. Aimi plays golf left-handed.
You can also read & listen to the Aimi Bullock Story on EDGA profiles
PGA Professional Mark Taylor, the Head of Development for EDGA.
Mark is a member of the PGA of Germany, having worked in Switzerland for many years and has worked with players of all abilities in his career
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 00:53 | Aimi tells us about her disability |
| 01:26 | Explains what her first MS episode was like |
| 02:12 | Explains how MS affects her ability to play |
| 02:55 | The adjustments that she makes to be able to play |
| 03:27 | Mark explains the initial intake |
| 04:21 | Organising Aimi’s schedule from a fatigue avoidance standpoint |
| 05:09 | Key learnings - including how to get the most from her practice |
| 06:16 | How a shorter driver is helping her to hit more fairways |
| 06:58 | How Aimi prepares for an event |
| 08:17 | Dealing with sensory overload |
| 09:09 | Rest is as important as practice |
| 09:40 | The quickest way to the lowest score |
| 10:47 | Dealing with the weather and travel |
| 12:45 | Aimi’s advice for someone with a similar impairment. |
It was a pleasure to speak with Aimi and Mark. Together they revealed some real pearls of wisdom.
TOP FIVE REFLECTIONS:
TOP FIVE REFLECTIONS:
MS symptoms vary for everybody and so no two people living with MS will be the same.
One frustration of MS is that the person never really knows what kind of day they will have. So the coach needs to be super flexible.
By developing better practice habits, we can get away from the practice makes perfect fallacy, and start to realise that at best practice makes permanent.
The management of fatigue both physically and mentally is a key factor for a player with MS, and as such must be taken into consideration.
The importance of rest and how players with MS must manage every part of the environment to minimise the effect of the symptoms.
In this episode of HOW I PLAY, I talk to Adem Wahbi with coach Marcus Bell. I first met Adem five years ago and was impressed by the passion he had for golf and the desire he had to make the very best of his game.
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Adem has turned himself into one of the best players with a disability in the world, and qualified to play in both the 2018 & 2019 Australian All Abilities Championship which ran alongside the Emirates Australian Open. Adem also played in the EDGA Scottish Open played at the same time and over the same course at the European Tours Rolex Series Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.
You can also read & listen to the Adem Wahbi Story on EDGA profiles
read more....
Adem has turned himself into one of the best players with a disability in the world, and qualified to play in both the 2018 & 2019 Australian All Abilities Championship which ran alongside the Emirates Australian Open. Adem also played in the EDGA Scottish Open played at the same time and over the same course at the European Tours Rolex Series Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.
You can also read & listen to the Adem Wahbi Story on EDGA profiles
Our guest coach is PGA Professional Marcus Bell.
Marcus and I have known each other for more than 26 years when as a young man he joined our professional team at Newark Golf Club.
Since then Marcus has turned himself into a very insightful coach through study, practice and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking.
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 00:18 | Adem talks about his impairment and how his brain and legs communicate |
| 00:45 | Adem explains how his impairment affects his ability to play |
| 01:29 | Adem takes us through a normal Monday training session |
| 03:03 | Adem explains where he is looking for big gains |
| 03:26 | Marcus talks us through how he works with Adem |
| 05:43 | Irons / Driver and Distance |
| 07:58 | Being competitive on golf courses 7,000+ yards |
| 08:03 | What are the forces that Adem generates |
| 09:50 | Breaking limitations |
| 10:51 | Sensory feedback |
| 12:42 | Marcus explains that every moment with Adem is a learning experience |
| 13:05 | The shots that Adem finds most difficult |
| 13:48 | Adem explains how his body attempts to control its balance |
| 14:11 | What the average club golfer may be able to learn |
| 15:40 | Fundamental movement skills |
| 16:27 | Adem’s advice to others. |
It was a pleasure to speak with Adem and Marcus. Together they revealed some real pearls of wisdom.
TOP FIVE REFLECTIONS:
TOP FIVE REFLECTIONS:
In the case of Adem, his Cerebral Palsy affects the communication between his brain and his legs.
The importance of addressing attachments and self-limiting factors.
Find out the gaps between perception and actions.
Sensory feedback coaching can be helpful to stimulate sensory feedback for the player to feel things they have never before felt, or have not noticed.
The importance of recognising that we all have blind spots.
In this episode, Gareth McNeilly, a member at Massereene Golf Club in Antrim, Northern Ireland talks about his impairment, acquired from a motorbike accident.
read more....
As a former competitive swimmer, Gareth has good upper body strength and he plays golf with a high leg amputation of his right leg, which as a right-handed golfer is his trail leg.
You can also read & listen to the Gareth McNeilly Story on EDGA profiles
read more....
As a former competitive swimmer, Gareth has good upper body strength and he plays golf with a high leg amputation of his right leg, which as a right-handed golfer is his trail leg.
You can also read & listen to the Gareth McNeilly Story on EDGA profiles
Our guest coach is, PGA Advanced Professional
Johnny Foster,
who is a Golfing Union of Ireland Provincial Coach and Irish Ladies High-Performance Coach. Johnny provides some expert insights on how the regular club golfer and golf coaches can benefit from the lessons that Gareth has learned in his game.
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 00:52 | Gareth talks about his impairment |
| 02:08 | Explains his thinking about the course |
| 04:11 | Loss of power / upper body speed / staying balanced |
| 04:39 | Johnny talks about Gareth’s understanding of the game |
| 05:45 | Dealing with multi-day events and the care of his stump |
| 11:05 | Johnny talks about uneven lies |
| 12:21 | Johnny’s advice to Gareth |
| 13:44 | Dad’s advice - “hit your second shot first!” |
| 14:55 | Gareth’s advice to others |
| 15:49 | Putting pressure on oneself. |
It was a pleasure to speak with Gareth and Johnny. Together they revealed some real pearls of wisdom.
TOP FIVE REFLECTIONS:
TOP FIVE REFLECTIONS:
Gareth has to think about the golf courses that he is going to play, are their lots of steps, deep bunkers, or big slopes? Does the golf course have buggies?
Gareth must also manage his rest and ensure that he looks after his stump, as playing consecutive days with a prosthesis can cause discomfort and sores.
Both Gareth and Johnny advocates understanding your limits, but not to be afraid of experimenting as you can learn from the outcomes.
The golf course is a wonderful coach, so get on it and try different shots.
Johnny said “don’t strive for consistency, strive to understand your inconsistency”.
In this episode, Celtic Manor Resort and Welsh Golf Ambassador Mike Jones talks about how, over the years, he has learned to play golf in three different ways.
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As an able-bodied player who played off a handicap of two, then with a mechanical prosthesis for the left leg that he lost in a motorcycle accident, and finally with an Ottobock Genium microprocessor leg.
Mike, who told his story at the European Tour’s 2019 Portugal Masters, and who is thankful to The R&A for supporting golf for the disabled is determined to help raise awareness that golf can be one of the most inclusive games of all.
You can also read & listen to the Mike Jones Story on EDGA profiles
read more....
As an able-bodied player who played off a handicap of two, then with a mechanical prosthesis for the left leg that he lost in a motorcycle accident, and finally with an Ottobock Genium microprocessor leg.
Mike, who told his story at the European Tour’s 2019 Portugal Masters, and who is thankful to The R&A for supporting golf for the disabled is determined to help raise awareness that golf can be one of the most inclusive games of all.
You can also read & listen to the Mike Jones Story on EDGA profiles
Joining the conversation is PGA Master Professional Howard Bennett.. Howard is the former National Coach of the Golfing Union of Ireland, and coached three time major winner Padraig Harrington, along with several other major winners, Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup players.
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 00:47 | Mike explains his impairment |
| 01:11 | Mike talks about the various prosthesis, both mechanical and microprocessor |
| 01:48 | The Ottobock Genium microprocessor prosthesis and how it works |
| 03:27 | Mike throws some light on learning techniques to play with the different prosthesis |
| 05:23 | Saving shots on the course |
| 06:30 | Regaining confidence in the prosthesis and his technique |
| 08:06 | Howard explains what he thought when he first saw Mike play |
| 09:26 | Mike reveals the most challenging shots he finds on the course |
| 11:19 | Balance on a stilt and how the human foot works hard to maintain balance |
| 13:48 | Mike’s advice to someone with a similar disability who would like to give golf a try |
| 14:44 | Mike advises existing golfers to make the most of their talents and enjoy the process. |
It was a pleasure to speak with Mike and also with my father Howard. Together they revealed some real pearls of wisdom.
TOP FIVE REFLECTIONS:
TOP FIVE REFLECTIONS:
Mike has been through a few different ways to play the game and has largely used trial and error, along with some coaching from appropriately qualified coaches. So don’t be frightened to experiment.
Every golfer has to have confidence in their equipment, but it is even more important for a player with a prosthesis, as it could be the difference of even being able to avoid falling.
Mike advised to make the most of what you are good at and use good course strategy to avoid throwing shots away.
Howard explained that every shot is a new decision, so be clear on what you are trying to achieve.
Enjoy the game, you will play your best golf when having fun, so don’t be too hard on yourself.
In this episode, Timo Klischan from Germany and his coach PGA of Germany Professional
Duncan Hannak,
share their insights on Timo’s golf and how his condition of Erbs Palsy
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(paralysis of the arm caused by injury to the upper group of the arm's main nerves) in his lead arm affects his game. Timo plays right-handed and with his Erbs Palsy being in the left side, he and Duncan have found workarounds to allow Timo to be a valued National Team player who now plays off a two handicap.
Timo played in the 2018 Australian All Abilities Championship which ran alongside the Emirates Australian Open.
You can also read & listen to the Timo Klischan Story on EDGA profiles
read more....
(paralysis of the arm caused by injury to the upper group of the arm's main nerves) in his lead arm affects his game. Timo plays right-handed and with his Erbs Palsy being in the left side, he and Duncan have found workarounds to allow Timo to be a valued National Team player who now plays off a two handicap.
Timo played in the 2018 Australian All Abilities Championship which ran alongside the Emirates Australian Open.
You can also read & listen to the Timo Klischan Story on EDGA profiles
During his coaching career, PGA of Germany Professional
Duncan Hannak
has twice been appointed Team Captain of the German National Team of the European Team Championship for Golfers with Disability.
In 2018 Duncan was the team Captain of the "World Team" & Winner of The ISPS HANDA Disabled Golf Cup within the World Cup of Golf Melbourne Australia.
During 2019 Duncan was appointed Team Advisor of the German National Team of the European Team Championship for Golfers with Disability Chiclana de la Frontera Spain.
In 2018 Duncan was the team Captain of the "World Team" & Winner of The ISPS HANDA Disabled Golf Cup within the World Cup of Golf Melbourne Australia.
During 2019 Duncan was appointed Team Advisor of the German National Team of the European Team Championship for Golfers with Disability Chiclana de la Frontera Spain.
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 00:28 | Timo explains the nature of his impairment |
| 01:44 | Timo explains how his impairment affects his ability to play |
| 02:25 | Duncan walks us through what Timo’s left side can do |
| 03:29 | Duncan answers Tony’s question on drills |
| 04:12 | Timo talks about his short game work |
| 05:10 | The most difficult shot that Timo faces on the golf course |
| 05:13 | How Duncan helps Timo with his bunker shots |
| 06:04 | Hear how Duncan has seen Timo develop as a player |
| 07:40 | The frequency of lessons that Timo has with Duncan |
| 08:06 | Hear the comment from Duncan that kept Timo going |
| 09:12 | Timo gives his advice to people with a similar impairment on how to get started. |
It was a pleasure to speak with Timo and Duncan. Together they revealed some real pearls of wisdom.
TOP FIVE REFLECTIONS:
TOP FIVE REFLECTIONS:
Timo and Duncan stressed the importance of the relationship between the player and the coach.
The importance of good communication.
The player must own whatever it is that they are working on.
The role of trust and motivation.
The importance of finding the right coach to fit your personality.
MULLIGAN
'tough love and second chances'
EDGA's first book is now available!
MULLIGAN 'tough love and second chances' is comprised of 18 personal accounts of players with a disability competing in golf, every story demonstrates how the power of the human spirit can move people to achieve their goals despite significant obstacles.
The EDGA "Give & Gift" campaign
For every donation of 25€ or more, EDGA will give a book to a hospital, rehabilitation/medical centre, or organisation to ensure that anyone who needs a lift, is able to read the inspiring words of MULLIGAN. As a token of our appreciation, we'll gift another book for you to keep and enjoy.
Available - NOW More Information