How to Play

An AdapTee Golfer makes all shot-related decisions while playing hands-free golf, and their caddie (friend, family member, caregiver, or volunteer) carries out each precise instruction through their physical movement and use of equipment.

AdapTee Golf is played using three pieces of equipment to advance the ball from tee to green: a swingless POWER2GOLF driver, a slingshot, and a pendulum putter. All equipment has guidance for how to achieve desired distances on distance sheets posted below.

SELECTING YOUR TEE

When hitting a drive you may use any length tee. Approach shots may be hit with any length tee unless your ball is in a fairway bunker or the rough. When in the rough, or a fairway bunker, players may choose not to use a tee or to use a short tee no longer than 1.5 inches long.

THE DRIVE

To load a charge into the club instruct your caddie to pull back on the top portion of the handle of the swingless club until you hear a click. Your caddie will then open the chamber and load a charge into the space each charge fits neatly into inside the clubhead. Your caddie will then press down on the gray firing mechanism that has swung out to the right, and then close the chamber such that it looks like the final image on the right

Position yourself at your course’s forwardmost available tees. Instruct your caddie to place your ball on your tee so that the ball is between an eighth and a quarter of an inch off the ground. Instruct your caddie to place the swingless clubhead so that the POWER2GOLF lettering lines up behind the ball toward your target and the club head is a half inch from the ball. Below is roughly how far the club head should be positioned from the ball.

You will then instruct your caddie using four different types of movements to align the club to hit your drive. Once your caddie has the club in the position for your shot you will say release. Your caddie will then pull back on the top button with their left thumb, and press down on the firing button with their right thumb.

The four movements to direct your caddie are as follows:

  • Closer/further away - Your caddie will slide the club closer or further away from their body.

  • Left/right - Your caddie will swivel the club face to the left or right.

  • Face up/down - Your caddie will rock the head of the club to tilt the club face up or down to generate a higher or lower launch angle.

  • Hands down/up - Your caddie will raise or lower their hands bringing the club’s grip up or down. This will shift the alignment of the lines on the face of the piston such that they are:

    • parallel to the ground creating a straight ball flight

    • leaning away from the caddie (hands up) creating a ball flight to the right, away from the caddie (a fade)

    • leaning towards the caddie (hands down) creating a ball flight to the left, towards the caddie (a draw)

THE APPROACH

This can be completed using either the swingless club (recommended for shots between 75 and 220 yards from your target) or your slingshot (recommended for 0-120 yards from your target). If you’ve chosen to use a swingless club, refer to the above section (THE DRIVE) to guide your caddie. Instruct your caddie to place a ball on your tee of choice. High tees are best for shots that require your ball to stop when it lands, shorter tees are best for shots that can take advantage of extra roll after landing. It is up to the player to instruct their caddy how the tee needs to be to set up their next shot. Players may also choose not to use a tee should conditions make this the optimal decision.

On the bottom of your distance sheet (marked HIGH TEE) will be a few options to explore in terms of what power you will instruct your caddie to set your swingless club to.

This is done by instructing your caddie to move the power dial on the back of the swingless club such that it covers half the number representing the distance you would like to hit your shot. Below are pictures of the swingless club unloaded with each yardage setting visible, and loaded while set to 150 yards. To develop a strong sense of how to set the power dial, it is recommended to spend some time at your preferred driving range to practice each shot distance.

If you’ve selected the slingshot refer to your slingshot distance sheet to instruct your caddie to aim the slingshot at your preferred angle. If your caddie stretches their arm out parallel to the ground, this is 0°, if your caddie’s arm points straight to the sky, perpendicular to the ground this is 90°. While directly behind your caddie, begin calibrating your shot, creating a straight line to your target through them. Have your caddie place the ball in the pocket and hold it by pinching the slingshot pocket between their pointer finger and thumb. Once your caddie raises the slingshot to the angle you’ve selected, you will move to be positioned face-to-face with your caddie to adjust your horizontal aim. When face to face with your caddie instruct them to pull the ball back. Say release once you see the ball pulled back to the desired position on your caddie’s body. Below is a picture of Andrew setting Josh’s 45° shot.

THE PUTT

Before your round begins find a practice green at your course and test the putting surface by hitting a 35° putt. Below is a picture of how the putter will look when set to 35° and pulled back for a putt. Take note of how close to ten feet your 35° putt stops while on a flat putting surface. The degrees and corresponding distances on your putter distance sheet (seen below) were created in dry, flat conditions with, well-maintained public course greens (moderately fast greens for a public course). How to use the pendulum putter is explained below.

The following steps will explain how to complete a putt. Have your caddie mark your ball’s placement using a ball mark, or tee, then remove your ball from the putting surface (this may be skipped when using the practice green). Instruct your caddie to place your pendulum putter so that the putter head is approximately one inch behind your ball mark. Instruct your caddie to move the back end of the putting device such that the lines on the head of the putter are directed toward the point on the green where you think your ball will turn toward the hole. Next, select which degree aligns with the distance of your putt. Refer to your putting distance sheet.

Instruct your caddie to place the center line of the protractor on your putter to partially cover the line corresponding to the angle you’ve selected. Have your caddie stabilize the putting device by placing one hand on the center section of the device. With the other hand pull back the shaft or head of the putter until the protractor arm points straight at the ground. When you like how the putting device is set, say release. Pictured below is what a 90° putt will look like when the protractor is set and the putter is pulled back.

For pace of play purposes, all putts within seven feet of the hole are considered made without putting them into the hole (these still count as a stroke for your score), and players are encouraged to proceed to the next hole. If you are maintaining a pace of 13 minutes per hole or better, players are encouraged to attempt to make all putts over three feet.