One Arm Golfer

[One Arm Rick]

Any other one arm golfers out there? I lost the use of my left arm in an accident in 1993, and was an avid golfer playing to a 12 handicap. I started back playing again a few years back and really enjoying the game.  My goal is to get back in the low to mid 90's. Right now I'm shooting usually 106 -108 with some ocassional 114- 116.  The problem playing with one arm is consistency and lack of distance.. I'm in the Amateur Golf League and play off the front tees, this usually means I'm on a level field with the other guys in the groups drives. I have shot a 102 recently due to getting really hot on the last 5 holes. If any other one arm golfers out there I would like to hear from you.

[JonMA1]

When I was a kid, one our friend's Dad played golf with one arm. He'd lost his other arm just below the elbow in the war. I wasn't following the game then so I don't know who he competed against, but he had a lot of golfing trophies in the house.

On a side note, this guy was a bad ass. Nice as could be to all of us kids, but I'd seen him get into it with other adults on a few occasions and he was not someone you'd want to mess with.

Welcome to the forum @One Arm Rick, glad to hear you're back to playing.

[iacas]

We taught this fella, a single digit index golfer, in Arizona about eight years ago:

The "good" arm had three fingers, IIRC, and both of his legs were gone from near the knee. The other arm was gone from the elbow down.

Dave, feeling that the guy had a sense of humor, walked up to the guy and watched him hit a few balls and then said "I'm really sorry, but I can't teach you." The guy, confused, said "What do you mean? Why not?" Dave said "Because you're a lefty!" They had a little chuckle over that. 🙂

Anyway, the guy lost his legs and arm/fingers in an electrical accident. But still loved to play golf and was still quite good at it.

P.S. I should use this guy as an example of how you don't use your legs to "push" your weight forward. That movement comes almost entirely from your core.

[rehmwa]

A friend of mine lost the use of his left arm in a snowmobiling accident.

My wife made him an adaptive suit to contain his left arm for skydiving and he does that very well and even did an instructor tandem with another instructor (he did a fundraiser for Parkinsons after the accident and did 151 jumps in one day - he had two other fundraisors prior to the accident - 100 and 150 jumpms in a day for those years).  He continued to teach scuba for a few years.  Waterskis, and pretty much everything else he used to do.  He's an amazing person and overcame this to an amazing extent.

He plays golf pretty decently single handed - I'd say he plays around a recreational 100-110.  We had quite a few discussions about him playing right handed clubs vs left handed - right handed being what he was used to, but it being a forehand move...vs left handed where the single arm swing would be more of a natural backhanded motion.  (He still plays right handed clubs).  Expecting his first baby any day now.

I got nothing to add, he's not on this site so I can't connect you.  I'm just really proud of my friend and think he's a good example of overcoming and finding a regular, or even, exceptional life, after such a trauma.

[boogielicious]

12 hours ago, One Arm Rick said:

Any other one arm golfers out there? I lost the use of my left arm in an accident in 1993, and was an avid golfer playing to a 12 handicap. I started back playing again a few years back and really enjoying the game.  My goal is to get back in the low to mid 90's. Right now I'm shooting usually 106 -108 with some ocassional 114- 116.  The problem playing with one arm is consistency and lack of distance.. I'm in the Amateur Golf League and play off the front tees, this usually means I'm on a level field with the other guys in the groups drives. I have shot a 102 recently due to getting really hot on the last 5 holes. If any other one arm golfers out there I would like to hear from you.

Welcome to The Sand Trap! I'm sure you can get help here to improve your game like many of us have. We have a section called Member Swings, where you can post a video of your swing. We have some instructors on the site and many members who have worked on improving who can also help. As @iacas showed above, players with physical challenges can adapt with good instruction.

Hope you stick around and talk golf with us too. 

[dennyjones]

Welcome to TST.   

Many years ago I golfed with a guy that was born with one hand.   He didn't let that stop him from participating in any thing.  You got this. @boogielicious mentioned the member swing area, give it a shot.  

[dennyjones]

 

 

[DaveP043]

Welcome to TST, welcome back to golf, and good luck going forward.  I can't say I know any one-armed golfers, but father of this guy was the first head pro at my home club:

http://www.golfwrx.com/522916/think-carnousties-hard-try-winning-a-title-on-it-playing-golf-with-one-arm/

If you're close to breaking 100 again, it sounds to me like you're well on your way to the low-90s.

[One Arm Rick]

Thanks, that's encouraging

[NM Golf]

Morgan Freeman plays golf one handed, I met him at my course about 6 years ago when he was in Albuquerque filming Transcendence. He plays pretty well, his agent told us he was excited because he made his first birdie since he lost the use of his left arm.