The science behind the new rules in golf, tennis and angling
- Published
It has been seven long weeks since sport effectively closed down and, even for those recreational activities who now tantalisingly find themselves on the government’s roadmap for return, normality will remain elusive. Yes, sports like angling, golf and tennis are set to gradually reopen later this week but it follows plans which have been carefully drawn up by their respective governing bodies.
And these returning sports are necessarily bound by three common features and conditions.
The first, most obviously, is that they are all practiced outdoors and all associated club houses and indoor facilities must remain shut. The second, perhaps most importantly, has been that they can safely resume whilst maintaining a two-metre gap with people outside your household. And the third is whether the sport can be practiced whilst also avoiding any shared contact with equipment or facilities.
This is where the science most certainly has been followed and thinking just a little outside the box has been imperative.
Hence golf’s proposal to remove bunker rakes, put up signs to stop people touching flagsticks and ‘hole-liners’ to ensure that balls can be easily retrieved. Any direct competition will remain between households for now but, as the lockdown evolves, tennis has also already suggested using two sets of balls and not changing ends.
Even angling, perhaps the most naturally socially distanced sport of all, has promised to keep 15 metres apart on the riverbanks and resist any temptation to share nets or fishing tackle.