Andy Murray has decided to turn his attention to new hobbies after finishing his tennis career, with golf taking center stage. The British tennis star revealed after the Olympics in Paris that he wanted to retire and explore other interests. Following in the footsteps of other famous athletes who have taken up golf after their professional careers, Murray is excited about this new chapter.
Although he doesn’t have much experience in golf, he admitted feeling nervous after his first training session. The seasoned Brit will need some time to develop his skills and get a feel for the game. Golf, with its unique techniques and strategies, will be a different challenge compared to the fast-paced world of tennis.
It will be interesting to see how he adapts and what kind of progress he makes in the golfing world.
“I was pretty nervous,” Murray said, as quoted by the Independent.
“I couldn’t really feel my arms and legs and I didn’t really hit any balls on the range beforehand.”
Murray has decided to train with his countryman Bob MacIntyre, who is doing a fantastic job in the golf world this season. When it comes to golf, Murray chose MacIntyre as his mentor. His first lessons, of course, were quite hard, but being a former professional athlete, there’s no doubt he’ll quickly figure out how golf works.
He drew a parallel between tennis and golf, realizing that there are key differences between the two sports. While playing golf, it seems like the Brit is thinking a lot about everything involved in the game. Andy pointed out that he struggles to execute some basic shots, even calling himself “useless” when it comes to golf.
It’s clear that he is tough on himself, but with a hint of humor, he wants to share how everything looks from his perspective.
“It’s a different sort of nerves [to Wimbledon],” Murray said.
“Different sort of nerves because you are comfortable in the sort of tennis environment. I’m not thinking I’m going to walk out on the tennis court and forget how to hit the ball.
You just, you want to perform well. Whereas here, you’re sort of nervous about – there’s people standing like five metres away from where I’m driving, and I’m like, I’m useless at this game.”
37-year-old Andy Murray has fond memories of watching golf with his parents as a child. Although he developed a deep love for tennis that shaped his career, he never forgot about golf and often dreamed of returning to the sport. Now, as he embarks on this new journey, he is excited to revive that passion.
In addition to golf, Murray frequently visits the gym to stay in shape. Even though he has retired from tennis, he doesn’t want to abandon the active lifestyle he has maintained for so long. During his training sessions with Bob MacIntyre, it was clear that Bob often offered advice on what Andy should focus on while on the golf course.
Andy Murray mentioned that he believes it could take him a couple of years to reach a scratch handicap in golf. He acknowledged that since he is able to practice more than the average person, he has an advantage. Having played a bit when he was younger, he feels confident that with the right lessons and focused practice, he has a good chance of achieving that goal within a couple of years.
Bob MacIntyre on Andy Murray
Bob MacIntyre shared his thoughts on Andy Murray’s golf skills, saying that he was impressed with how well Murray played, especially since he hasn’t had much time to practice lately. Although Murray played some golf when he was younger, his busy tennis career kept him away from the sport. MacIntyre mentioned that Murray has been putting in a lot of effort in his practice sessions leading up to their time together.
Bob MacIntyre and Andy Murray© Sport Saga/ Youtube Channel
Since Murray is already an athlete, MacIntyre thinks he will adapt quickly to golf. He stressed that Murray recently changed his clubs, which shows he’s serious about improving. Looking ahead, MacIntyre is determined to help Murray train hard in the coming months, and he thinks that with dedication, Murray could easily reach a scratch handicap soon.
Given his background in sports, many believe he will adapt quickly to this new challenge. Murray is fully aware of the dedication it takes to improve his golf game, and he plans to train hard in the coming months.
We will see if some of his tennis colleagues will follow the same path, and potentially have a duel with him on the golf course. That would be interesting.