Anytime someone smashes the ball down the center of the fairway, it’s an impressive feat. Although we sometimes become numb to it as a result of watching pros and their seemingly effortless ability to swat the ball right down the chute, when we try to replicate the task ourselves, we’re reminded just how hard this game really is. With this degree of difficulty in mind, what Juan Postigo Arce is able to do is all the more impressive.
Arce has a better swing than most. His takeaway features a nice wide arc, his position at the top is right on plane and his lower body sequencing on the downswing is downright dreamy. Add it all up and the result is one of those aforementioned balls smashed right down the center of the fairway.
Oh, and one other thing — Arce does this all on one leg.
According to a profile from the EDGA (European Disabled Golfers Association) website, Arce was born without a much of his right leg and initially used a prosthetic to aid his golf game. He eventually ditched the prosthetic and reinvented his swing with the help of his instructor Santiago Carriles. By the age of 14, he was a 30 handicap. Three years later, he’d worked his handicap down to a 4.
“Accept yourself as who you are,” Arce said. “If you have one leg, you will only ever have one leg, so be happy with it.”
Now Arce competes in many EDGA-sanctioned competitions and has become one of the best disabled golfers in the world.
“In golf, we can play against and with everyone; it is one of only a few games where our disability doesn’t count,” Arce told EDGAgolf.com. “We play the same courses with the same conditions.”
Pretty inspiring stuff. Here are a few more of Arce’s swings for you to gawk at.
