Rafael Nadal represents a reference figure in world sport, even more recognized after his great success at the Australian Open . Rightly considered one of the best in history, to speak of Rafa is to make him a truly gifted with the ability to succeed in numerous disciplines. Beyond tennis, Nadal was also at the time an outstanding footballer in lower categories, but it is in golf where he has talent and tangible possibilities to compete in one of the professional circuits.
Nadal currently has a handicap that would give him the opportunity to make the leap and start the process to become a professional if his obligations to tennis allow it. The handicap measures the level of golfers and the shots that count towards establishing their own par for the course. Rafa , in a hypothetical duel that could only take place in ProAm competitions -professionals and amateurs-, would not have shots ahead of the professionals who stand out in the best tournaments on the planet, although these, precisely because of their transition to professionalism, would not they have a handicap as such.
Despite the fact that he has stated on several occasions that the transition to professionalism in golf at the end of his career as a tennis player is far from his mind, with a handicap of -1.2 (plus 1.2 in golf jargon) like the one that He wore last August in the Balearic Championship and maintains today, Nadal could face a jump for which he has qualities and with which he would make history, added to the highest level of all time in tennis.
Spain closed the year 2021 with a total of 284,954 federated players, 283,363 of them amateurs and 1,591 professionals, and the average handicap of these lists would be 26, a number notably lower in level than that of Rafa, who instead of receiving shots from the course to soften the par, he is the one who must ‘give them away’ thanks to his plus handicap. To get an idea of what it means to have a -1.2 handicap like that of the Balearic tennis player, Nadal is trained according to this denomination to make 27 strokes less than the average of the federated Spanish competitors. A real barbarity.
a regular golfer
Rafa does not have an overly orthodox swing , especially when it comes to long shots, but his effectiveness is clear from the results. Meanwhile, in the short game, what is really decisive in golf is, according to those who know him, extremely accurate and precise. This compilation, together with a proven and praised capacity for resilience and concentration at a professional level and which have brought him numerous successes in his tennis career, make Nadal an outstanding golfer who, with the necessary will and time – age would not be a problem– could compete with professionals without being out of tune.
Golf is for Nadal , beyond another attraction as a competitor to satisfy his ability to improve, a differential element to disconnect from the extreme hustle and bustle that the ATP circuit entails, even more so for a figure like his. Rafa is a regular at the Son Servera course near his native Manacor, as well as at the Pula Resort Golf , directed by Romeo Sala and where Nadal shows off his qualities in an unbeatable environment.
Nadal, tennis player, golfer and goalscorer
In addition to golf and, of course, tennis, Nadal also has characteristics that make him stand out in the beautiful game. The brand-new champion of the Australian Open , as well as of 20 other Grand Slam tournaments, was an outstanding footballer in lower categories, until he had to opt for the racket and begin to build a legendary sports career that has taken him 17 years after his first title at Roland Garros, to the historical top.
Rafa ‘s uncle and tennis coach for many years, Toni Nadal, reeled off Nadal’s qualities in football, assuring that he was a “scorer”. « When I played football I did very well. It was an interior that reached the position of center forward. He even became his team’s top scorer !”
