Erich Kliem Golf

Hi all who might see this 😉😂 - I won’t be posting on here anymore - it’s just getting too much all the different pages can hardly keep up with one! Will be posting on my “standard page” though and on my Instagram page - I’m not deleting this page though - if you’ve landed here browse through to see what I’m all about…..👋🏌️‍♂️🏌️‍♀️🙌

If you thought I’ve gained a lot of knowledge lately, wait another 2 weeks!! Tomorrow I have to undergo vitrectomy surgery that will hopefully close a stage 3 macular hole that has formed at the back of my left eye, to restore normal sight - so that I can keep seeing my and my legally blind client’s golf ball, perhaps there is a reason that I must experience this irony 😂 - the fun part? A gas bubble inserted must do the job, so I have to be “nose down” for 50 minutes of every waking hour of week 1 since gas rises ! 🤔😂 - that’s about the duration of a webinar you do the math….. !! A nice and long massage table lent by friends will help a lot! There are many worse things, speaking of which, sorry my good friend that I am missing the great day, you know I will be there in spirit and I am sending the team! 👋😂 Congratulations by the way to our freshly crowned club champions and everyone that competed in our crazy 100th championship, more on that soon, I will have some time on my hands 🙌

We keep getting up when we hit the ground !

Like many others in the Western Cape, we were hit hard by last weekend’s terrifying storm, but as usual it won’t get us down! #keepgettingupwhenihittheground #flightscopefamily #stellenboschgolfclub #stellenboschcoachingfun #tryagainfailagainfailbetter

I echo everything written about this champion and hard worker - as the saying goes - some people make you happy when they arrive while some make you happy when they leave - Rooster (also Kanga to many) is the epitome of the former.

A most fitting weekend to post this introduction to something special…..

This is a very fitting weekend to post part 1 of my long overdue posts about something very close to my heart. This is because the last ISPS Handa Vision Cup was held at the iconic TPC Sawgrass in September 2022, home of The Players Championship taking place as I write this. I am such a fortunate and grateful coach in so many ways, one of which is that I work at the club where the number 1 ranked visually impaired golfer in South Africa, Prof Garrett Slattery, is a member. Legally blind golfers, comprised of 3 categories according to the severity of their impairment, are dependent on guides to be able to play, and these two truly experience a very special relationship in golf. We have had the privilege of having been on seven international campaigns to all corners of the globe. The World Blind Golf Championship, alternates with the Vision Cup, a Ryder Cup style event which pits a Rest-of-the-World team against a North American team, every two years. Garrett was Captain and Vice-Captain of the RoW team for the last two events. He is also a Professor at Stellenbosch University’s Actuarial Science department, serves on the board of directors of the International Blind Golf Association (IBGA), and has won too many national and international blind golf titles to list them all here! During these events, I have witnessed so many bitter-sweet, heart-breaking, but also heart-warming stories. These stories are what I want to share with you in the run up to the next ISPS Handa Vision Cup which will be held in Vienna toward the end of July this year. In March last year, our association, the South African Blind Golf Association (SABGA) hosted a very successful World Championship at Milnerton Golf Club, more about this soon as well as about the other visually impaired golfers I have the privilege of coaching including a legally blind couple as well as a 12 year old talented youngster. Now if only I could watch some of the golf (not cable theft this time, but sea cable damage) 😂 #blindgolf #blindgolfer #erichkliemgolf #stellenboschgolfclub #golfisforeveryone #bittersweetstories #touchinglivesthroughthegameofgolf

No this is not something from the medieval era - these are the the latest additions to my arsenal equipped to show anyone their unique movements in the simplest manner, let them realise where power and speed is created, that the swing should be one unrestricted movement, and to feel a free release. They are products, from left the Velociraptor, the Jetstick, and the Speedbomber. I am looking forward to what I will be learning and seeing, in conjunction with the Motion Plate made possible by partners , as well as which presents integrated training programs involving Mach3 products. Watch this space for a lot of action coming up!

Meet young Gideon Fourie….

Meet one of my junior academy clients, @paulroos_gym scholar and @stellenboschgolfclub junior member, Gideon Fourie. This friendly and dedicated youngster started his journey with me a little over a year ago as a 14 year old 11 handicapper. As with any client who “buys-in” and trusts me, and most importantly, is dedicated to the process, I see fast upwards curves in performance once the grip setting process and body action match-ups have been completed. Gideon was a great example of this in action - I first started seeing him squaring the clubface very consistently after the grip setting (Gideon is an “under-category” player meaning his arm wants to naturally fold inwards on the way back, and his elbow wants to go first in the downswing - better not fight that by matching the right hand position exactly - the next client may be the other way around - elbow back first and down last which requires a different hand position!) - then I use the incredible @mikeadamsgolf and @edel_golf grip analyzer to set the left hand to perfectly match his fast rate of hip action (vital so as not to discourage this natural and good action - anyone’s swing should be as dynamic as possible its not a series of still standing swing positions). Then I am so fortunate (and very grateful) to have access to the @swingcatalyst 3D motion plate - thanks to @flightscopeafrica - with which I can match up his ideal pressure shift and use of ground forces. I can even see what might injure him over time by seeing how he times the forces - something I am researching and seeing with some top players, even a former world top 30 ranked player who has been plagued with injuries for a long time. This can be very beneficial for the next generation more on that in my next post. After all this we can spend more time actually playing the game! The result? Gideon is now a scratch golfer and was selected straight into the @paul_roos_golf 1st team. He also won his first event last Saturday at the Swellendam Junior Open. Thanks for your trust and dedication Gideon and I cannot wait to carry on with this great journey! #moderngolfcoaching