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From Stadium to “Street”. Let’s make golf more open and simple.
Amandeep Johl, our featured guest for Coaches Corner has earned every right to be commended. Amandeep is a former National Champion in India, and is the founding member of the Asian Tour. He played professional golf for over two decades, and was on the European Tour for three seasons. Amandeep also coached India’s national golf team, and served on the board for two years as the Chairman of the Players Committee. Amandeep is a board member of “The Golf Foundation” . The foundation’s philanthropic pursuits include supporting underprivileged, yet promising young golfers.
Amandeep is a Certified Golf Coach from the National Golf Academy of India (NGAI) and is a Level 2 certified instructor from the Titleist Performance Institute. He runs his own golf academy and coaches at Siri Fort and the Delhi Golf Club. Amandeep’s coaching focuses on the development of young golfers from the junior level who play in the national amateur circuit and have ambitions to be part of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).
AddedSport brings you a seasoned professional golfer and coach, Amandeep Johl, to share his insights.
AS: From being a decorated professional golfer to one of India’s leading coaches what inspired you to make the transition to coaching?
Coaching was the next step in my professional golf career. Having played on the Asian Tour and being one of India’s top golfers over a career of 20 years, I felt that it was important to translate my vast exposure in golf into instructional training for the next generation of golfers in India.
AS: What is your coaching style?
I make golf fun and less complicated. Being in the tour long enough, I appreciated the technical aspect of the game. For my students who play on a recreational level, I want them to have fun, and appreciate the game of golf.
Complexity takes away the delight you get out of golf. I encourage my students to enjoy themselves on the golf course, rather than getting fixated about doing things “right”. If that enjoyment means taking additional strokes to finish a par 4, then so be it.
AS: What does success mean to you?
To me success is always a journey. Success is a journey where you set out to achieve a goal with the best of your ability and sincerity. You never arrive anywhere in life, because the moment you arrive somewhere, the next goal is already ready.
AS: Who is your favorite athlete of all time?
Seve Ballesteros is a superstar for me. His golf skills are amazing and his rise to the golfing scene is admirable. Seve worked as a caddy, before being one of the best and most respected golfers in the world. His determination to succeed is inspiring, especially to golfers who lack financial resources.
AS: What is your vision of golf in India?
I want to broad base the game and change the elitist outlook of people towards golf. For example, cricket was an elitist sport in the 16th and 17th century. To play cricket, a stadium and a leather ball were required. Cricket came to the “streets” because they made the ball rubber instead of leather, allowing the game to be played anywhere safely. Now hundreds and thousands of children play cricket.
To play cricket, you need to gather 6 to 8 players. In this regard, I see golf to be more accessible than cricket. I can give a putter and a soft ball to a child, dig holes in the park, and let them experience the enjoyment in playing the sport. Getting started in golf should not be complicated at all. You don’t have to go to a golf course to play, you can play golf anywhere. I want people to see that golf is simple, and have it taken to the streets.
Team AddedSport