Akshaye Khanna shares notes on his new passion, which involves a sitting ball, the most difficult thing to hit
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 22, 2019)

Akshaye Khanna is not just a phenomenally talented actor but, by his own admission, has been a good sportsman all his life. He grew up playing badminton and asserts that he was a “really good player”. But then, he went away to boarding school where there were only squash courts. “So, I switched to squash and have not gone back to badminton since,” he informs. Now, since the last two-three months, he has taken up golf.

Of course, in this case the going has not been that easy. Golf was one of those rare things which have intimidated Akshaye. He attempted to play it twice before—once when in South Africa, and on another occasion, when he had some time off from shooting— but after a couple of days, he quit, frustrated that he was unable to connect with the ball. “It was frightening. When you are used to playing different sports at certain level, trying another which is so difficult, can be bad for ego. Which is why I gave up so easily in the past, but this time I will give it my best shot,” he promises.

He is still being coached and admits that while he’s loving it, it’s sometimes unnerving when among the five-eight fellow golfers on the drive, he spots a 10-year-old kid who is just threeand-a-half feet tall but can hit the ball 100-metres more than him. “I am beginning to understand that this sport is not about strength, there’s no power in this equation. It’s pure technique which allows the kid to go double the length,” Akshaye points out. He adds that another fascinating thing about golf is that here you are hitting the ball which is stationary. “In squash, tennis, football and cricket, the ball is moving, and while common sense says that is more difficult, the opposite is actually true. The ball that is just sitting there is the toughest to hit. It’s all about practice, practice and more practice,” he avers.

A golf course also involves a lot more walking than a treadmill, right? Akshaye smiles and says he has yet to go on a course because he’s stilllearning the game. “Every sport demands different levels of fitness. But those who believe that golf is a leisurely game for someone who is not all that fit, the truth is very different. It’s an intense workout,” Akshaye informs.

Does he see himself playing golf professionally some day, you wonder, and pat comes the answer, “No way! It takes one anywhere between six months to a year depending on how good you are, to just go out and play it. I’m still discovering the sport, but yes, I can sees myself playing it till the time I die,” he signs off with a smile.