Shivani Karthikeyan '22 Recruiting Profile

Hi 

My story in golf is unique from how I fell into the sport and how I have progressed . It has turned out to be a double edged  sword ! Let me explain. I was an accomplished tennis player till the age of 13 and was happily dreaming of a career in tennis along with an good academic record . I then got injured and in the period of convalescence I  picked up the golf club , got my first handicap certificate of stroke index 45 , four months shy of my 14th birthday  . I have come  down to scratch few days after my 18th birthday !

I have played National , Regional  and County  competitions winning 15 regional competitions , one world championship qualifier and one international           competition ( mixed team event ). In the team event I won the Paul Casey trophy for the lowest cumulative gross score.

My strength is my work ethic and dedication, proven by the exponential improvement in golf . Although I fell into golf by accident , it has become an integral part of my life and I am hooked to it . I work with a swing coach , putting coach , personal trainer and also work on mental conditioning ( Neuropeak Pro) . In fact I have done a dissertation for my final year in school as an extended project qualification on “Neuro-Physiological  response of athletes in competitions” with the help of Neuro Peak Pro and using myself as a case study .  I have had a pretty good 2021 season after a difficult year in 2020 due to the pandemic in general and coach and swing changes .

I have worked very hard at my physical conditioning , improving my swing speed and my driver averaged 266 yards total Off the tee this season . I have done biomechanical work with eminent biomechanists Mark Bull and JJ Rivet. As a team we always search for avenues to speed up the process of improvement, as I am a late starter to golf . Ball striking and Short game are generally my strength .

That brings me onto  my weakness , I have a very short body of work to show as regards to national competitions as I have been competing in them only for 2 years , hence my opportunities to produce good scores and win competitions is diminished just by law of averages . I am competing for college places with girls  who have been playing for many years. My competition scoring average is currently 77.6 , which is a fair reflection given the short time I have been playing competitive golf .

I am lucky to have a very good family around me and the the support I get is tremendous . I have an dedicated practice studio where I work with a Trackman. My family are keen on doing their best to help me achieve my potential .

I would like to get into a college program that challenges me , for that I need a coach who can pick me on my potential which is hopefully evident rather than just on scores that I have already produced . I think I would get better with more exposure to competitions and the right environment to practice and play.

Being an academic scholar , I  have a good academic track record that proven by my GPA and SAT scores . I have an vested interest in economics and would like to take up an economics based degree as my college education. I thank you for reading my story patiently and hopefully you  can give me an opportunity to prove myself . To end I would like say if given an opportunity I would leave no stone unturned in my efforts to fulfil my potential.