Reggie Bush Q&A: The football star explains how he became a single-digit handicap

On the gridiron, Reggie Bush was famous for carrying the rock. Now the Southern California native carries a 6.8 index.

***

GOLF: For you, what is one physical skill that has translated well from football to golf?

Reggie Bush: Being able to flip my hips. Turning my hips and hitting through the ball with that explosion that you have to have in football, that short-distance explosion, helps you on the golf course. I believe a lot of football players have built-in attributes that are perfect for golf. You’ve got speed, strength, mental focus and the short-distance explosion.

G: Is there anything from football that doesn’t help?

RB: The muscles. [Laughs.] They hold you back a bit.

G: On your journey toward becoming a single-digit handicap, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

News

RB: If I had to pick one, wow — I think the most important thing I’ve learned is that the clubface is king. If it’s not straight, that ball can go a lot of different directions. I try to focus on my clubface and pay a lot of attention to my impact position. When you have a high swing speed like me, your dispersion can get out of hand if you don’t focus on the clubface being neutral at impact.

G: Is there a favorite club in your bag?

RB: I just put a Srixon [ZX5 LS MKII] driver in there, and it’s quickly become a favorite.

G: Besides your Srixons, what else do you make sure to bring with you to the golf course?

RB: My speaker. I always have my Bushnell Wingman speaker with me.

Bushnell Wingman Mini GPS Speaker

$99.99

The Wingman Mini is a compact speaker that allows you to listen to your favorite tunes and get audible distances around the course. Ideal for both walkers and riders! LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC AND GET AUDIBLE GPS DISTANCES The Wingman Mini features outstanding sound quality. Just connect to your music source, and the Bushnell Golf App for an experience unlike anything else on the course. HIT THE BUTTON FOR AUDIBLE FRONT, CENTER, BACK OF GREEN CALL-OUTS Get audible distance readings, from 38,000+ courses worldwide, through the Wingman Mini by simply pressing the “B” button. AUDIBLE 1ST TEE INTRODUCTIONS & CUSTOM SOUND BITES Get these by simply pressing the “B” button on the side of the unit. INTEGRATED BITE MAGNETIC CART MOUNT Wingman Mini features Bushnell’s franchise feature BITE magnetic mount that allows you to easily mount the Wingman Mini right on the cart bar. CARABINER CLIP Easily attach the Wingman Mini to your golf bag. TWS TECHNOLOGY This technology allows you to play two Wingman Mini speakers with the same audio simultaneously. NEW BUSHNELL GOLF APP The Bushnell Golf app provides additional product benefits, information and data to further help improve your game, as well as access to easily be able to update your GPS device (for 2021 GPS products and beyond). BUILT TO LAST The Wingman Mini is IPX7 fully waterproof.   HEIGHT: 4″ WIDTH: 3.23″ DEPTH: 1.57″ WEIGHT: 6.0oz WATER PROOF: YES, IPX7 POWER SOURCE: Rechargeable Lithium Ion BLUETOOTH: Yes

Buy Now

View Product

G: How has your gridiron competitiveness translated to golf?

RB: I think for retired athletes like me, golf is the logical next move. We’re still in our prime years as athletes. I’m 37 years old and I feel great, despite some nagging knee injuries from my football playing days. I can’t walk a full 18 holes, but, other than that, I can do everything. Golf has given me the platform to use my athleticism and continue competing.

G: What is it about golf that draws in so many athletes from other sports?

RB: What draws me in is the camaraderie. I play with a lot of guys now who I used to play with or compete against [in the NFL]. The camaraderie you get on the football field is priceless. You can’t pay your way into it. Golf gives us some of that back. We’re all athletes, and we all kind of speak the same language.

This interview was originally published in the March 2023 edition of GOLF Magazine.

Golf.com Photographer