Challenge Tour: Matt Cooper meets the golfer with the most unusual of chipping styles

Jason Palmer shakes his head, smiles and says: “My life's been turned upside down in the last two weeks. Suddenly people are interested in me.”

But hang on, he's 15-over-par through 54 holes - in 44th and last position in the Grand Final.

Thing is, he won the Foshan Open two weeks ago, finished second in Oman last week, is guaranteed his first European Tour card in 2015, has become a worldwide news item and confirmed his status as a bit of a legend.

That's why his life has been turned upside down: Jason Palmer is probably the only professional golfer to shoot 76–76-79 and walk round with a massive smile on his face.

Jason Palmer is golf's one-armed bandit.

Unorthodox

Of course bandit is a dodgy word in golf. It implies someone pulling a fast one, but 30-year-old Palmer has done nothing like that in making his way to the top table of European golf - anything but.

The Leicester man has got there the hard way: learning the game on his local municipal, grinding it through the outer reaches of the England squad as an amateur, grinding it on the Alps Tour, then grinding it all over again on the Challenge Tour.

It's funny. When I have good weeks I hit a lot of greens and will hardly ever hit a one-armed chip. So it could be I'm sort of letting people down.

He's achieved it with a technique that doesn't conform to type. Yes, there is the one-handed chipping, his trademark move, but the rest of his game is a little unorthodox too – and it's going to stay that way.

“I'm not planning on making massive changes because my swing is very individual and my style is unique,” he said after his third round at Al Badia GC. “I don't think I can ever be robotic or orthodox. I'm used to what I do and to change it would probably be a bit stupid and detrimental at this point.

“I'll see a coach to work on little improvements because I think I'm at the stage where little improvements can make a massive difference. But I want to stick with what got me this far.”

His journey has taken 16 years, since the moment he switched his affections from tennis to golf at 14.

“As soon as I hit one good golf shot I was hooked. I knew it was the sport for me. I dropped tennis straightaway and stuck to golf.”

Knockbacks

“I was a bit up and down in the amateur game, got myself around the England squad without ever picking up a cap. I think my unorthodox approach might have impacted on my chances there, which I regret a little, but those knockbacks can provide you with a good source of motivation, wanting to prove those guys wrong.”

On the advice of his friend Neil Chaudhuri he started playing the Alps Tour in 2009 and the same man suggested he turn to the one-armed chipping when attempting to do so with two arms left him a nervous wreck.

When some heard about it, or saw it, they told him it would never work. Palmer ignored them. They were just more opinions to prove wrong, more sources of motivation.

For a while he was a legend amongst golf nerds who heard tales of his extraordinary technique and word spread when he moved to the Challenge Tour - and when he won the story went viral.

His management team and the Challenge Tour press office have been inundated with calls from all over the world so it seems inevitable that his early appearances on the main tour will be the focus of much attention and Palmer is infectiously excited for what lies ahead.

“It so nice people care about what I'm doing. I'd love it if the fans enjoy watching me. I'm just so thrilled at the chance to go out there.”

Is he ready for galleries who will – paradoxically – be urging him to miss greens in regulation? He laughs.

“It's funny. When I have good weeks I hit a lot of greens and will hardly ever hit a one-armed chip. So it could be I'm sort of letting people down.”

He has very little experience of playing in front of large galleries so although he is looking forward to a couple of weeks rest after an emotionally and physically exhausting month, he is readying himself mentally for what it is to come.

“It will be different, but I don't want to be starstruck, I want to keep playing my game. If I can average 69 or 70 for a week I'll have good results.

“Scott Henry alluded to it earlier this week - he said the main tour is much more of an arena and I think that should focus my mind more.

“I'll need to feed off the good stuff and block out other stuff because it's great hearing crowds when you do something good but the flipside is you hear the groans when you miss a putt.”

Paradox

Whilst his swing may be unorthodox, his mind game is yet another to have been positively influenced by Dr Steve Peters.

The author of The Chimp Paradox has assisted Team GB cycling, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Liverpool FC in recent years. Palmer picked up a copy of the book on a recommendation from Oli Farr and the results were almost immediate.

“It got me thinking about why the way I think, why I go off on a tangent and rant if things don't go my way. It helped a lot in China. That week I really tried to stay in the now. But it's also easier to stay calm and in control when you're making birdies!”

Watching Palmer play is fun. There's a touch of Keegan Bradley about his approach to the ball (achieved at speed though, Palmer doesn't hang around). Then there's a tug of his shirt that brings Rafa Nadal to mind. He also walks the fairways at a rare old clip, chunters to himself and when he's on song he makes lots of birdies.

Palmer's one-armed chipping might be what draws fans to check himout, but they'll soon see there's plenty to keep them watching.