19-year-old budding golfer converts backyard into range

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3

Golf is an expensive sport, but this countrywide lockdown has taught city’s 19-year-old budding golfer Aadil Bedi how to make it look like any other sport.

Bedi, who virtually cannot live without golf even for a single day, is practising his swing at the backyard of his accommodation —- using mattresses, chairs and a few towels.

And for improving his putt placement, he is using a senser-plates track, which he has placed right in the middle of his drawing room.

“I don’t move an inch outside my house. It’s better to stay inside; so I have found some innovative ways to practise golf. It’s not as comfortable as playing on the actual greens, but it’s better than sitting all day on a couch,” says Bedi.

He has placed a few old mattresses on the wall with the support of a table and a few chairs. The mattresses have been tied with towels. And Bedi stands behind the set-up to launch his swing. The moment the ball hits the mattress, the budding golfer gets an analysis of his shot, including its flight, drop and force of swing.

“I have upgraded my lab with equipment from the USA. I have a Trackman, KVest and sensor-level plates and some computer software for analysing the force and direction of the swing. So, I just put the desired equipment at the spot to practise for nearly five hours these days. Afterwards, I analyse my day’s performance with the help of the digital equipment,” says Bedi.

Last month, he hogged the limelight by winning his maiden PGTI title in Kolkata. He triumphed with a chip-in birdie on the sixth playoff hole. A die-hard fan of Jeev Milkha Singh, Bedi took up golf at the age of four and went on to represent the nation in the 2018 Asian Games.

On taking care of his fitness, Bedi says he uses a treadmill. For weight training, he uses the equipment that is available. “The front yard of the house is now my gym. A temporary exercise bar, a set of old bricks and swings installed outside (which are used by children) are among my fitness equipment during this quarantine period. Though it’s tough to manage, but with no other option, I have to adjust with whatever I have,” he says.

As an amateur, he has played 275 championships and has won 175. He made his pro debut in the 2018 Panasonic Open in Bengaluru. He also attends online classes by famous golf coach Bob Byman, who is settled in the USA. “I have enrolled with a USA-based university. I have to attend the classes online. Also, I am working on my golf lessons with Byman. These are taken care of in the evening. Since I stay at home, I get ample time to revise lessons, both theoretical and practical. I was scheduled to play back-to-back championships before playing some tourneys in the USA in May. However, now that the PGTI tour stands postponed, I have to wait for the right time to go on the greens,” adds Bedi.