Pau Gasol didn’t start playing golf until his late 30s, but the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer quickly became a low handicapper.
However, his strengths on course may surprise you.
The two-time NBA champion attended the latest episode of WAVES Subpar podcast and gave a scouting report on his play. The 7-foot Gasol has a good short game, but needs to improve off the tee and with his approach game.
“I’ve always had good hand-eye coordination, good hands, good feel and good touch,” Gasol told co-hosts Drew Stoltz and Colt Knost. “I think when it comes to the shorter shots, the feel shots and the putting, it’s all about focus, rhythm, routine and confidence. So you visualize things and you feel them. I feel like there are fewer moving parts, which for a 7-foot-1 guy is a challenge when it comes to longer clubs.”
“And then I’m a competitor. I like to scramble and get myself out of tough situations. I like to get up and down, and I’m getting kind of used to that, even though I’d like to get used to just hitting the greens in regulation and making birdies more often.”
Gasol is working on building a “more consistent” swing with his longer clubs to use his size to generate more power. But Gasol has run into a common problem: He prefers playing to practicing.
“I got to spend more time taking classes and doing practices and less time playing, and that’s what I really enjoy,” Gasol said. “And when you get to a certain handicap, you feel a little bit comfortable with that handicap because you have a buffer. So that competitive side is kind of a double-edged sword where you enjoy winning matches, but you would like to win them at a lower handicap without having to take strokes. That’s what every competitor wants.”
Watch the video below to hear more from Gasol.
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