Practical coaching guidance for understanding perception, communication, orientation, sensory learning and the role of a guide.
Visual impairment may range from partial sight to blindness. Each golfer will perceive space, movement and the wider environment differently, so begin with the individual.
Visual impairment may range from partial sight to blindness. Ask what the golfer can see, at what distance and in which conditions. Consider contrast, glare, changing light, visual field and fatigue.
Ask: What can you see here, and what makes seeing easier or harder?
A golfer who has previously seen or played sport may use different movement references from someone with limited visual experience from birth. Ask how they prefer new movements to be explained and explored.
The guide can be central to orientation and play, but the golfer remains at the centre of the coaching relationship. Agree responsibilities from the beginning and avoid competing instructions.
Explains preferred support, communication and routines, and decides which information is useful.
May assist with orientation, alignment, distance, club selection and movement around the environment, as agreed with the golfer.
Observes, questions and provides technical feedback while keeping the golfer in control.
Understand what the golfer can perceive, how they prefer information to be communicated and what support helps them perform independently. Reduce assistance when it is no longer needed.
Use clear, accurate and consistent communication so the golfer can understand the task, the environment and the feedback provided.
Speak directly to the golfer. Identify yourself when approaching, explain who else is present and say clearly when you are moving away or the interaction has finished.
Ask: Which words or signals would you like us to use throughout the session?
Avoid vague instructions such as “over there”. Use an agreed clock-face system, body-relative directions or fixed reference points. Check understanding before the golfer moves or swings.
Consider: Keep terminology consistent between the coach, golfer and guide.
Options may include audio, large print, high-contrast text or braille. Reduce competing background noise when verbal detail and sound feedback are important.
Check: Can the golfer revisit the information after the session?
Build familiarity with the practice area, equipment, surfaces and safe routes before increasing performance demands.
Let the golfer handle the ball, tee and club. Describe the clubhead, shaft, grip and face, then connect those features to the task being coached. Use different equipment to help the participant make comparisons, such as different balls and clubs. Let the user explore and explain each object in detail to assist with their understanding.
Introduce the lie, different heights of grass, mat, bunker or putting surface through touch, sound and movement. Explain changes before the golfer encounters them.
Walk the area together, pace relevant distances and identify safe boundaries, obstacles, waiting points and the location of other people. Keep equipment in agreed positions.
The coach or guide can provide a stable directional reference. Agree where the voice will come from and avoid moving without explanation. Maintain a consistent voice level, as changes in volume can affect the golfer’s understanding of distance and direction.
Check whether targets, balls and practice areas remain usable as light changes. High contrast may help some golfers, while glare or rapidly changing light may reduce functional vision. Review rather than assume.
Help the golfer develop a movement concept through agreed sensory information, repetition and regular two-way feedback.
Ask before using physical guidance. Explain what you intend to do, gain the golfer’s agreement and use the least intervention required.
The golfer may place a hand on the coach, club or relevant body position to understand the shape or direction of a movement.
A club, alignment aid or other agreed object can communicate direction, position or movement without direct contact.
Directly guiding a limb or body position should be used only when agreed, necessary and safe, then reduced so the golfer can reproduce the movement independently.
Ask where pressure is felt at setup, during the backswing, through impact and at the finish.
Explore how pressure on the handle changes and whether grip tension supports or restricts movement.
Invite the golfer to describe sensations before offering the coach's interpretation.
Ask the golfer to identify changes in speed and the sound of the club moving through the air.
Use the sound and feel of club, ball and ground contact to help identify strike quality.
Request the golfer’s feedback first to support awareness and understanding. Ask questions such as: “Tell me where you think the shot started and finished?” and “Where do you think you made contact on the clubface?” Then reinforce their observations with feedback on start direction, curve, distance and elevation.
Ask the golfer to roll a ball by hand to different distances and discuss the result.
Move from hand rolling to putting, chipping and longer shots while retaining the same distance references.
Ask what the golfer felt and heard before confirming the measured outcome.
Use a simple sequence that builds familiarity, develops the chosen skill and records what should remain consistent next time.
Use these reminders when preparing a session, supporting a guide or discussing competition and access.
Ask what the golfer can see and under which conditions. Consider distance, contrast, glare, changing light, visual field, fatigue and whether perception differs between central and peripheral vision. Use this functional information to shape the task.
Agree words for direction, distance, elevation, club position and ball flight. Avoid pointing or vague phrases. Provide information in an accessible format such as audio, large print, high-contrast text or braille, according to the golfer’s preference.
Walk the space together, explain surfaces and safe routes, and keep equipment in predictable positions. Alignment may be supported through agreed verbal references, a clock-face system, tactile markers, an auditory target or assistance from a guide.
The golfer remains central to decisions. The guide may support orientation, alignment, distance, club selection and environmental information. The coach remains responsible for observation, questioning, skill development and technical feedback. Agree routines and avoid giving competing instructions.
Consider high-contrast balls or targets, tactile markers, audio distance information and accessible mobile technology where these are useful to the golfer. Introduce equipment only when it supports the task and does not create unnecessary complexity.
Rule 25.2 provides modifications for players who are blind, including certain levels of visual impairment. It permits assistance from an aide with taking a stance, aiming before the stroke and advice. It also contains specific provisions concerning alignment, caddies, bunkers and lifting, dropping, placing or replacing a ball. Coaches and players should check the current Rules of Golf and the conditions of the competition.
Lived experience shows how golfers who are blind or visually impaired learn, compete and work with coaches and guides.
Mette Havnaas describes her experience of golf and the working relationship between player, guide and the wider support team. The conversation highlights clear communication, consistent routines and the golfer’s role in directing support.
