Mount Gambier professional creates challenges to complete from home

Craig Davis Dsc 1669  TBW Newsgroup

Craig Davis Dsc 1647 TBW Newsgroup
FOCUSED: Limestone Coast golf pro Craig Davis attempts to complete the hotpot challenge. Picture: THOMAS MILES

ALTHOUGH golf is one of the few sports able to continue competition during these unprecedented times, Limestone Coast professional Craig Davis has created a series of challenges players can complete in their own homes.

After he was forced to close the doors of his golf store in Mount Gambier and spend more time in the backyard than his simulator, Davis searched for new ways to keep his mind ticking.

The result was a number of skill-based drills using everyday appliances such as cooking pots, cans, ladders and mugs people can use during lock down.

Davis said this creativity has always been part of his life.

“I guess I have always been a little bit creative when it comes to this sort of stuff,” he said.

“When I played on tour, I always tried to make my practices as enjoyable and fun as I could.

“Growing up I used to spend hours upon hours just hitting shots through the pine trees, looking for gaps and spaces to shape the ball around.

“These things I am doing at home are just new ways to expand on that and keep me entertained.”

The first game Davis created was the can ladder challenge.

It consists of five cans placed on a step ladder, with the objective to hit each target in consecutive shots.

Davis said the game was inspired by an American coach and is the hardest of the lot.

“A coach I follow in America was doing it with dozen golf ball boxes, but I thought that was a bit easy because the targets are quite big,” he said.

“So I questioned what can I use to make it smaller and I thought cans will work.

“I was pretty surprised when I did it.

“I got down down to the third can a few times and thought lets do it one more time before packing up because I was getting a bit frustrated.

“So I did it once more and nailed all five.

“I shocked myself.”

This inspired another chipping drill called the hotpot challenge.

It contains five pots spread evenly one metre apart, with the goal to hit the ball into each target filled with water.

Davis said it is a modification of a previous chipping games he has created in the past, but he has struggled to overcome it.

“I have previously used this as a skills session with a group of kids using buckets, but I tried to make it more fun,” he said.

“But I have not tried it again since the first time, so I will have to give it another go.”

Davis has also been working hard on his putting.

He has even created his own putting green in his garage and turned an old club into a paint brush.

Davis said the green is simple to create, while the painting idea surfaced from a term he uses when coaching his clients.

“The green is a pretty simple way of just putting into a cup on a carpet,” he said.

“I just went into the hardware store and built a ramp, so it is pretty easy to make.

“With the paint brush idea, I just tried to make something funny.

“I always talk that when you putt, you swing the putter like your using a paint brush because you do not want to change direction too quickly and flick the paint everywhere.

“So I grabbed a little kids putter and away I went, but have not used it since.”

Davis has used Facebook and Instagram to share the drills and even created a page called the “Isolated Golf Guy” on the latter.

He has challenged the community to complete them and has not ruled out the possibility of extending the series.

“I am trying to come up with a few ideas, but I am a little bit stumped at the minute,” Davis said.

“However, I will be in the backyard somewhere and something will come up.”