"Amazing Blind Golfer Video
That Left Me Speechless!"
When I received Phil's story via email
and his ability to sink just 22 putts for 18 holes I knew
I had to share it with you ....
Email from Phil Blackwell - President
of the United
States Blind Golf Association:
"My golf history is quite short
for a game that takes a life time for most of us.
I have been totally blind for 39 years.
I had never played golf as a sighted person.
My son-in-law (by the way a great player) encouraged
me to try the game of golf 8 years ago. I was given 3 clubs
as a Christmas gift from my family. I was not thrilled!
Still I reluctantly went to the driving
range, with my son-in-law, and did everything wrong.
I told my son-in-law that I did not want to try it again.
He was persistent and continued to encouraged me, so I continued
to go with him to the driving range.
After a few months we played a par three.
The first hole was a distance of 130 yards. He lined me up
and placed the club behind the ball. He stepped back and said
"Clear", I took a swing and the ball landed on the
green.
I was very surprised, well to be honest
thrilled!
We walked down to the green and putted
it in for a birdie!
As we walked away I thought, this
was more fun than I ever thought it would be.
I think from that point on I was hooked.
I qualified to become a member of the
USBGA in 1999. I had never hit a driver until the week
before our first sanctioned tournament. Our first competition
in a great amount of rain. We won with a 117.
In 2000 we competed in the IBGA World
Championship in Edinburgh, Scotland. We won! Another
wonderful surprising event for us.
Some Tournaments Stats:
2002 Second Place World Champion.( Canada
)
First place six times "Masters for The Blind"
Twice First place USBGA National Champion.
19 First place out of the last 27 Sanctioned USBGA tournaments.
Lowest score in tournament play 89.
I am now the president of the USBGA and
have a strong desire to help those of us that are blind
and vision impaired, that love this game of golf, to continue
to play and compete.
Please forgive me for being so bold as
to tell you about my golf accomplishments. Without giving
you a little history you would not want to think twice about
my point of view on this game.
Introduction to the United States
Blind Golf Association Video
Regarding my first attempts at putting
left handed. Oh did I mention I am left handed! Yes, the wrong
side of the ball for most.
As we played from time to time my son-in-law
would forget to get my putter.
He would say, "Just use my putter."
This would keep us from wasting time going back to get my
left handed putter.
Golf, being so new to me, I did not
mind. That was the start of me putting right handed cross-handed.
Gosh! For me, eight years later, it still works!
Without writing a book lets look at one
tournament 4 years ago. A great finish of 100.My coach and
I had 22 putts for the 18 holes. Not bad!
USGA rules for blind golfers:
Blind golf is played by the same USGA
rules as sighted golfers.
There are only two modifications of the rules.
These rule modifications can be found it the USGA rules for
golfers with disabilities.
I will not go into the details of the rules for now.
1: We can ground our club in a
hazard. Such as a bunker.
2: The coach can remain behind
the line of the ball as we putt. Everything else is the same
as for sighted golfers.
Now understand that this game of blind
golf is the ultimate team sport.
Without a coach I only have a stick and a ball.
I am going nowhere.
Now take a look at putting from my point of view.
Putting with your eyes closed isn't as
unusual as you might think, at least as a practice technique.
Many of the best golfers practice putting with their eyes-closed
in practice. I have talked with a few great golfers that
have told me it is part of what they do to quiet down
their putting swing.
You can quieten the brain. With so much
of golf being a mental game I think I have learned to filter
out a number of things that distract from my game.
For sure clearing the mind of all the clutter is very important.
Not seeing the ball may just be a good
thing for my game, at least for putting. There are many examples
of tour players who have struggled with their stroke and have
resorted to these techniques. When a player loses confidence,
they sometimes can relieve doubts by focusing one thing, or
by closing their eyes completely.
This, I feel, is a way of clearing the
mind. Perhaps a way of getting away from ball-focus. Also
from being too mechanical, and allowing a little of the sense
of "feel" to take over.
Putting with your eyes-closed is
sometimes a last resort for golfers when they start that downward
sling into the abyss that can take time to climb out of.
Let's think of rapid eye movements going
into your brain right out into your swing. The eyes transmit
the necessary club information to the brain and the rapid
eye movement could possibly interfere with the brain and or
muscle control.
With the eyes closed, the player
receives information about the club head, stroke path and
putter momentum through the hands instead.
Well, it's probably not the best idea
for a recreational golfer to close his or her eyes during
play. Most golfers have enough trouble with their eyes open!
I feel there are ways to incorporate the
eyes-closed technique in your practice routines that can help
you develop better feel in your putting stroke.
Let me now explain how I approach putting.
When I approach a green my coach and I
walk from the hole to the ball or even both ways if time allows.
This is where I get the number of steps of distance
it is from the ball to the hole.
My Grip: It looks just like the grip I
use for my left-handed swing. I just stand on the right side
of the ball. Starting with the arms
I do not move them.
I use my upper body and swing like a pendulum.
This is of course not a new idea.
My arms are held against my rib cage and
the movement comes from my upper body only.
Club length is changed for more distance not more swing.
My finish is always at least 2 times
that of my back swing. I suggest as little arm movement
as possible.
So as simple as I can say it.
If my back stroke is 3 inches back then the ball should roll
about 5 of my steps forward.
This would be about 15 feet.
Now with that thought I increase the stroke
of my club for the 3, 5, 9 steps of ball roll.
This increase is a very small amount.
Any distance longer than 9 steps
I do add more swing distance and club length to my back swing.
Of course, some of this is a matter of feel.
This is, of course, with everything being
equal on the putting green. or me, the length of my club is
a very important part of the proper putt for me. I mentally
look at where I place my thumb on the grip. This is one
of the keys for me and my distance.
Try putting a ball 3 steps away from the
hole as normal, with your eyes open.
Now try the same putt with your eyes
closed.
Learn what this feels like. You
may find that your putts are shorter with your eyes closed
in the beginning. Once you get a feel for it with your eyes
closed you will find every part of your swing will be more
consistent.
Remember I focus on my rib cage.
Although I am aware of my hands and grip
position. My focus is on my rib cage and arms. This is what
I look at mentally
Find your focus point when you practice
with your eyes closed.
Repeat putts with and without your eyes
closed at 5, 9, and 13 steps.
Those of you that have a thing about the
number 13, may want to shy away from putting 13 steps from
the hole.
The next time you play, check how many
times the ball ends up that far from the hole.
You may be surprised it is more often 13 steps than you think.
If 13 bothers you just call it 14.
I do.
If you incorporate this putting drill into your practice routine,
you should begin to develop a better feel on the greens.
I would suggest a focal point of
just behind the ball when you putt with your eyes open. So
stop all of that eye movement as you prepare and putt. This
is what I hear from all of those sighted golfers. It is the
same as me focusing on my rib cage, and not everything else.
For me, keeping my arm movement to a minimum
and using my rib cage as my focus point, I find my distance
to be very accurate.
My last thought ...
I find from time to time, as I tire during
a game I leave a slight amount of weight on the putter as
I address the ball.
This is just enough weight to ruin a good putt.
My coach will remind me to take the
weight off before I putt.
Now I have given most of my putting secrets away.
I hope that they save you a few strokes on the green.
Reading Putts - that is for another time.
Now with blind golf being the ultimate
team sport, some of the direction of the ball is on my coach.
My take on reading the greens is for another time.
Yes, reading the greens is one of the
things some of us "blind golfers" really like about
this game.
As I say: "You don't have to see
It to tee it!"
Finally , one more thing ...
The United States Blind Golf Association
is a 501 c 3 non profit organization and relies, each
year, solely on donations. USBGA continue to provide our Junior
Golf programs for blind and vision impaired kids.
United States Blind Golf Association's Junior Program Video
The USBGA mission tries to provide a way
for blind and vision impaired people can continue to play
and compete in this game of golf they love."
I'm sure you will agree that this is a
remarkable story - hats off to Phil!
Your Golfing
Success,
Andy
Brown
P.S.
Don't forget to send your golf mates to this page, the page
link is http://www.golfswingsecretsrevealed.com/blindgolf.htm
!
