Shaping the shots of the future:
Ken’s golfing comeback
“I thought that was it for me, golf was over for me. I couldn’t stand, so how could I play? It’s amazing how it’s changed again, so you should never give up.”
Aged 62, Ken Powell’s life was altered dramatically in 2021 when he was left paralysed from the waist down following surgery.
This intelligent and witty man from the Kent coast in England will tell you that he is now able to play golf again essentially because of his family and friends, and others in the game who care, and his own determination to enjoy his life ahead. Add to that, the skill and love he had developed in golf over decades, the shaping shots and stroking putts that are part of his D.N.A, and you begin to understand how his imagination was able to show him what might just be possible.
After first absorbing the shocking news from the doctors four years or so ago, Ken has been busy making the practical and philosophical changes needed to first leave the hospital and survive intact mentally, before finding the focus to make continued great progress, amazing those around him.
Undergoing regular physiotherapy, buying and converting a bungalow with family support, finding an adapted car and accessories to rediscover some independence, and receiving the support from fellow members at his club (North Foreland Golf Club near Broadstairs), Ken now finds himself on the fairways again, playing for two years in a ‘Paramotion’ mobility device.
Remarkably (or should that read outstandingly?), at the time of writing Ken had just become a single figure golfer again, with a Handicap Index of 9.5 no less, reducing from his first handicap when starting again of 27, in 2022. His secret? (Apart from all the guts and hard work, and the lessons from a PGA coach.) He replies: “Well, I have very well educated hands, right from being a boy, the hands play such an important part in the game.”
Encouraged by his Dad, Ken started to play when he was 12 around Ramsgate, before attaining his first full handicap at 14 and playing at the legendary former Open Championship venue at Prince’s. Here, those well-drilled hands were needed to make the required shots on the south coast, the punch shots into the wind and the shaped fades and draws in the cross-winds; that knowledge and control which propels the ball where it needs to fly.
You can see it from the photographs now, the hands set in the naturally good grip Ken exhibits at address. He played in teams for Kent Boys and Kent Youth, and aged 16 he travelled up to play in the British Boys’ Championship at Royal Liverpool in 1974. He recalls that his friend Toby beat Sandy Lyle comprehensively in the final after Ken had entrusted Toby with his hat and his 2-iron.
Playing off a 4 handicap at 14 and getting as low as 2, Ken may have gone further still had he not also been mad about football. He played this in and around the Kent League for clubs like Ramsgate and Herne Bay, starting as a fleet-of-foot left-winger, before moving into midfield and finishing as a wise old sweeper at the age of 37.
In his career, Ken worked as a manager for a computer company, before retiring 15 years ago.
One day, not long after turning 60, Ken developed a very sore back and even walking the dog was proving difficult. A bulging disc needed treatment. Problems with an epidural led to surgery in which he suffered a spinal stroke.
“I never thought I’d play golf again and I didn’t want to play golf again. But then I learned about the Paragolfer and it sort of rejuvenated my thinking,” says Ken. “I then had so much encouragement, this proved all-important.”
Ken is particularly grateful to Cai Menai-Davis of The Shire London who runs a charity called The Golf Trust, which focuses on getting individuals with disabilities and others out onto the golf course. Cai introduced Ken to a powered mobility device and he has remained in touch, also helping other golfers that Ken knows.
Ken says: “Life is good. I’m not one of these people who dwells on the past, I want to get on with it. And a part of that is getting out, playing golf, mixing with my friends.
The 67-year-old adds: “With the ParaMotion I have, I’m held in by my knees and also a strap across the chest. This means I have rotational problems in the swing, I can’t turn like another person would. Luckily, I’ve got well-educated hands where I can get back into the ball, I can just turn my right hand over and get a little bit of grip on it, and get a little bit of draw. I probably hit the ball about 180 yards off the tee where I play in the summer, which is fabulous.
“It’s essentially a re-education from how I used to play. But I never thought I would be reaching a lower handicap like this. I mean that’s unbelievable, so I’m really pleased. A lot of people are hitting the ball past me, but I can catch up around the greens because my short game is still quite good. So that’s where the money game is. I’m quite happy with that. People don’t feel sorry me when I take their money, that’s for sure, and a lot of my friends will know all about that.”
Ken says he still relishes the competition in golf, and after being introduced to EDGA President Tony Bennett via a friend he soon made his debut at the EDGA Tour London Club event in 2024. “Like any golfer I like to play well and test myself under a bit of pressure. I like to go out there and try my best. If that’s not good enough, well that’s not good enough. But it’s fantastic to get out on the golf course, it’s good for your wellbeing as well. I get great satisfaction going to bed at night and thinking about the round I played, it sends me off to ‘la-la land’ in a good state.
“I’m sure a lot of people would like to know that if you’re paralysed, you can still go out and play golf, which is a tremendous asset in life. Life isn’t over as a golfer if you have access to a paragolfer. Whether you play one-handed or with two, you can still get so much out of this sport.”
Ken adds: “So anybody out there who wants to come and play golf, there’s EDGA, there is The Golf Trust, there are all sorts of people who are willing to help you and advise you about how you can actually go about playing golf.”
We were speaking with Ken after he had been working hard at his first England Golf Disability Squad coaching session at Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire, where he says he really enjoyed the learning, including the fitness and strength sessions. “I had thought that part of the learning might not be for me but I actually found it inspiring.”
Ken adds: “I will always keep trying. If you give up, well, you give up. But when you’ve got something to look forward to, the going out on a lovely golf course, you want to keep going.
“Golf has given me an immense satisfaction and a feeling of achievement. Sometimes desperation, the high moments, low moments, just fantastic to actually get out there and play, especially with friends. It’s great.”
Never giving up. Ken revealed at the end of our chat that in his time he had won nine club scratch championships, but didn’t think he would get to win another now in a powered chair. Or will he?
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