Getting a helping hand

TRURO - Sometimes even the best need a helpful tip.
That's what blind golfer Brian MacLeod got from local pro Heather Cameron a year ago. It went on to help him win eight of the nine tournaments he entered in 2009.
"Sometimes you just need somebody to take a look at your swing and see what you're doing," said the 50-year-old Salmon River resident, who has been runner up at the past three blind golf world championships. "Sometimes you don't realize what you're doing because your swing is so fast.
"Picking up something little can make a big difference."
Cameron noticed MacLeod was slightly off on his alignment on some shots, forcing him to swing slightly in or outside to hit the ball.
She set up a plastic bag six inches in front of the ball and told MacLeod to make sure he hit it after making contact.
"It enabled him to swing down to the target and hit the target," Cameron said. "He wasn't swinging inside or outside to
compensate."
MacLeod said he appreciates Cameron's help and said he's now reaping the benefits.
"It was a really good tip that helped me all year," MacLeod said. "At the end of the year I was hitting the ball a lot better."
He must have been.
MacLeod started the season by winning the Leader Dogs Classic in Phoenix, Ariz., before finishing third (just three strokes off the lead) at the British Open in
Scotland.
MacLeod then won the Canadian Blind Golf Championship in Comox, B.C., the Pacific Coast Championship in Kelowna, B.C., the North American Match Play Championship in Ohio, the provincial title, the California Blind Golf Classic and most recently the Western Australian Golf Championship and Australian Open.
"I'm pretty happy," MacLeod said of his season. "I played more consistent overall and I was hitting the ball a lot better."
MacLeod said the innovation helped him become more comfortable with his swing, allowing him to relax and concentrate on the task at hand.
"It took a little while but I worked at it and became really comfortable," he said. "Confidence makes all the difference in the world because when you're nervous that's when bad things happen."
MacLeod plans to keep swinging all winter using a net set up in his garage in the hopes he'll be in top form to start next season, giving him a jump start to the next world tournament in England in August.
"I'm hoping I can pick up right where I left off," he said. "I'm really looking forward to next year because it's only going to get better. I really want to play well leading up to it and work towards the worlds."
MacLeod is hoping to meet with Cameron again to get a couple extra tips.
Cameron said she's happy to help MacLeod, but said MacLeod's enthusiasm for golf is the biggest reason why he excels.
"A lot of Brian's success comes from the fact that he loves the sport and he's obviously a competitor," she said.
"He wants to do it the right way and he plays hard."

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