Get Into the Swing of Things

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by Bill Dupes

“The reason they call it ‘golf' is that all the other four-leter words were used up.”
- Leslie Nielsen

There are more opportunities and resources than ever before to get involved in one of America's favorite sports. If you played golf before you had a disability, you can play again. If you've never played golf but would like to, you can play regardless of the type of disability that you might have. You can even play from a wheelchair or a golf cart.

How Do I Get Started?

If you don't know where to begin, you can start by contacting the organizations listed at the end of this article. As large as it is, this list of resources is by no means complete. You can find many additional Web sites that include information on where to get instruction, adapted golf equipment and resources.

The National Amputee Golfers Association (NAGA) is one of the largest and most active of all of the disabled sports groups. NAGA offers a program called First Swing, where instructors travel at no charge to clinics around the country and teach amputees how to get back in the game.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has developed a resource center for individuals with disabilities, which serves as a national clearinghouse of information for those with disabilities who want to learn and play golf. Since 1992, the USGA has made grants totaling more than $1.1 million to support adaptive golf programs. The USGA Resource Center is working with the Professional Golf Association (PGA) and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) to create a nationwide database of instructors qualified to train individuals with disabilities.

What Kind of Assistive Devices Can I Use?

Many assistive devices are available to help golfers with disabilities play the game. Such equipment includes custom golf clubs, mobility devices, gripping aids, automated ball teeing devices, and ball retrieval aids. Many of these devices are also useful to able-bodied players by reducing the amount of repetitive bending or stooping. Your prosthetist may also be able to make a custom device to help you hold a club, such as a metal sleeve that slides into place over the shaft of a golf club to provide a firm grip or a threaded socket that a modified club handle can screw into. There are also “low-tech” options for do-it-yourselfers:

Built-up Handle – Wrap athletic tape around the grip on the golf club to the desired width. This will help a person with decreased hand function or grasp to hold on to the club better.

Customized Handle – Measure the length and circumference of the golf club's grip. Select a piece of splinting material that will cover the grip. Heat the splinting material in warm water. Wrap the splinting material around the grip and grip it tightly. Maintain your grip and hold it under cool water to allow the mold to harden and conform to your grip.

Shortened Club – Remove the golf club's grip by cutting it off. Using a hacksaw, trim the shaft to the desired height. Apply two strips of athletic tape (the length of the club's grip) lengthwise to the shaft of the club where it was cut off. Reapply the grip to the shortened club. Then wrap tape around the base of the grip where it meets the shaft and continue taping upward.

It's a Zen Thing

Golf is a comparatively unique sport. It's competitive, but it can also be relaxing at the same time. You can compete with yourself, the person standing next to you, or the course itself. It's one of the few sports that allow you to step back and take a mental deep breath as you focus on the task at hand. There's much more to golf than simply whacking the ball, chasing after it and keeping score. Once you get into it, you will find that the game also represents the strengthening or creation of friendships as well as the spirit of competition, challenge, and a sense of accomplishment, no matter what your level of play.

“The game of golf begins in your mind, more than athletic ability, more than technique, more than practice or anything else. The mind-set you bring to the game determines not only the enjoyment you desire from golf but also the level of proficiency you will achieve.”
- Jim Flick

© Copyrighted by the Amputee Coalition. Local reproduction for use by Amputee Coalition constituents is permitted as long as this copyright information is included. Organizations or individuals wishing to reprint this article in other publications, including other World Wide Web sites must contact the Amputee Coalition for permission to do so.