Take it from 3-time Grand Slam winner Ash Barty, on their faces, golf and tennis aren’t very similar.
“[They’re] very different. In fact, probably polar opposites,” Barty told GOLF.com’s Claire Rogers. “Tennis happens very quickly, golf, but a lot of time to think about it. You’re in control of my shots, which in tennis you don’t get.”
But that doesn’t mean the former World No. 1 doesn’t use the skills she used in her more than decade long career on the golf course. She actually compared shaping a golf shot and the swing required for it, to hitting a topspin or backspin return in tennis.
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“If I’m trying to draw it or to fade it, I’m thinking more, How would I do that to a tennis ball and how does that change with my hands?” Barty said. “I’m thinking with tennis, when you’re trying to hit topspin on the ball, it’s your right hand comes over. So for me, when I’m hitting a draw, I’m kind of thinking that my right hand is going to come over naturally. That’s going to bring the club a little bit more in-to-out.”
Barty retired from competitive tennis in March, while still holding the top ranking in the world, so she has plenty of time to focus on her golf game and change the those tennis terms to golf terms in her mind.
She also spoke to why so many other athletes, and tennis players like U.S. Open finalist Casper Ruud, are drawn to golf.
Golf becomes a bit of meditation for me,” Barty said. “It’s time to think your nature. You’re connected to the land. I mean, you’re on the grass. It’s it’s beautiful. And I think you don’t need anyone else. You can kind of just go out there and all the people you can kind of play by yourself.
“And golf can be a very therapeutic tempo. You just get moving. And I think it’s that’s why it’s a sport you can play for life for sure.”
Check out the entire video above.