Watching The Golf Channel the other night i saw a piece on an amazing golfer, not only an amazing golfer but an amazing person. Manual de los Santos is a three handicap golfer that plays on one leg. Rich Lerner of The Golf Channel describes him like this, “I saw a lesson in positive thinking. Manuel del los Santos is one of the best physically challenged golfer in the world, a one-time draft choice of the Toronto Blue Jays who lost his left leg in a motorcycle accident when he was 18. A product of the baseball hotbed of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, Manuel was given a copy of the movie, “Legend of Baggar Vance.” Inspired, he went to the driving range the next day. He’d never played golf. On his fourth shot, he hit it 220 yards. Today he plays to a 3 handicap. I watched him hit balls on the Old Course range and he striped one after the next 260-270 yards, his grip, his plane and his fundamentals absolutely textbook. Swing expert Robert Baker looked on and said the manner in which he clears his hips is extraordinary. Manuel says with a smile, “Golf is my second leg.”
The balance this kid has is amazing. His swing is better than ninety-five percent of us and his attitude is nothing but positive. We all could take a lesson from him on both golf and life.
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