BUDDING INVENTOR SWINGS INTO GOLF

Jedri, the foot pump creator, has a new dream!

We can all remember being very impressed by the little farm boy who invented the foot pump. This enabled rural people to wash their hands when piped water was not available. The regular washing of hands is vital in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now Jedri has invented something to enable one to practise golf at home. Originally he and his father wanted to encourage children to go outside and play games. Too many hours are spent watching TV or gaming indoors. Playing any sport outside would be preferable.

But practising golf in a suburban yard is not great. Lack of space and the proximity of many windows are inhibiting. There are driving ranges, but in the lockdown driving ranges and golf courses have been closed. And visits to driving ranges do not come cheap.

This 13-year-old kid in the Free State has managed to solve the problem. Jedri, who had been enjoying experimenting with his father’s golf clubs, found having to fetch the balls in the bushes a nuisance. So he has invented a brilliant device to enable people to practise without this hassle. It has other advantages too.

Now, thanks to this device, grown-ups as well as children who enjoy golf, can practise in their back yards to their heart’s content.

As the attorney who has patented the device for him pro bono has said, “The golf tool shows a great understanding at a young age of the laws of physics, which many people struggle to master till later in their lives – if ever.”

Jedri and his father have received many accolades from grateful parents whose children love Jedri’s invention and use it often.

It did not happen overnight though. Jedri spent a lot of time experimenting. He first fastened a ball to some rope which was attached to a peg in the ground. But the force of his swing always dislodged the peg.

Eventually, he hit upon the idea of using a piece of elastic, a strap and another golf ball which acted as a counter-weight. This worked perfectly as the two balls balanced each other.

With this ingenious device, the golfer can see if he is hitting the ball where he wants it to go. Lining up the shot and following through is also a lot easier.

This teenager has benefitted greatly from being a boarder at the Bultfontein Secondary School. Here the teachers encourage entrepreneurial and business skills, and Jedri has learnt a lot. The packaging of his invention for sale is a good example, as is the clever name. In Afrikaans ‘drie’ means ‘three’, and by combining this and his name, a brilliant term was devised for his invention.

And so the “J3 Golf Practice Device” came into being.

Now a child with golfing talent can practise at home to his heart’s content and Jedri has created a lot of new golfers. It develops hand-eye coordination, and it keeps the kid busy outside. And when Dad gets home, he can use it to unwind.

Jedri and his father have thought hard about how to help children who would love to play golf but who cannot afford it. Clubs cost a lot. They would love to be able to get kind adults to donate clubs which could be passed on to interested children. Perhaps golf pros could coordinate the donation of clubs to interested kids and help establish a J3 Foundation Project like this country-wide?

Well done to this enterprising and creative young man. Let’s get the golfing community behind his invention and his dream to help other young golfers.

>>> You can see Jedri’s device demonstrated on his facebook page: J3 <<<

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