The first time Grant Waite met with Jodi Ewart Shadoff, it rained. He filmed two swings, and they talked about her back pain. Ewart Shadoff, who had missed the cut in eight of her last 10 events, feared her career might be cut short. Waite offered a few swing change suggestions to ease the pain and said he’d see her soon at the LPGA stop in Arkansas.
The first hole at Pinnacle Country Club is on the shorter side, and Waite, a former winner on the PGA Tour, watched Ewart Shadoff knock it to 6 feet from about 70 yards. What happened next made a strong impression.
“She walked on the green she just kind of really stopped breathing,” said Waite. “I could tell by her body language how stressed she was. Not only the situation of where she stood the money list, but playing golf at the moment. I said I’ve never had more of an urge to walk on the green and give a player a hug and say everything is going to be OK; I can help you.”
Grant Waite makes a tee shot on the third hole during the second round of the Toshiba Classic at the Newport Beach Country Club on October 8, 2016 in Newport Beach, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
Ewart Shadoff finished seventh the next week at ShopRite, helping to secure her status for 2022. And then, roughly one year after they started, the 34-year-old Englishwoman won in her 246th start on the LPGA.
“He has walked in my shoes,” said Ewart Shadoff of working with Waite. “He knows what it feels like. He knows what it feels like on the golf course. What’s cool about working with Grant is, he knows how I think. He knows the emotion that it takes to win.”
After competing on the PGA Tour for 13 years, Waite, the 1993 Kemper Open champion, switched gears to teaching. His roster of Tour clients included Charles Howell, Aaron Baddeley, Trevor Immelman and Mike Weir.
The Kiwi then stopped coaching to join the PGA Tour Champions, that is until two surgeries to repair a torn rotator cuff resumed his teaching career. In addition to several PGA Tour hopefuls, Waite’s current roster of LPGA clients represents a wide variety of players in various stages of their careers.
Patty Tavatanakit talks with her caddie on the ninth tee during the first round of the Gainnbridge LPGA at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club on February 25, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
That list no longer includes Patty Tavatanakit, however, who recently told Waite that she wanted to go her own way. He first began working with the talented Thai player ahead of the 2021 season, and she broke through with the Chevron Championship title and Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award. The pair have worked together on and off this season.
In addition to Ewart Shadoff, Waite’s list of clients includes promising players gearing up for Q-Series and a major champion back from maternity leave. Here’s how he’s helping each of them:
Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/2F3DZpN