Building a prosthetic golf attachment for an amputee

I like to play with metal in the garage and my latest project involves using a lathe, mill, and my TIG. My old man lost his arm as a teenager but it hasn't stopped him from taking up various hobbies. His latest, and probably the one he is most crazy about, is golf.

He already golfs in the Mid-80s, but has always wanted to try a prosthetic attachment for golfing. There are a few companies that make them but the most popular one is $800!! I decided I would use it as a learning opportunity and a chance to play around with my tools.

I took some 1" CRS rod and turned a few spring caps and welded those together. These caps were tapped with 1/2x20TPI to match the threading on his prosthetic. I then took some 1" ID pipe and placed some tapered slugs in each end which fit the taper on the golf club. The pipe was then fitted with a 1/2x20 TPI lug to attach the the spring.

Here is the finished project of the initial build. I'm already starting on number two since receiving some feedback. The black coating is Plasti-cote spray.

Attachment 5927
Attachment 5928
Attachment 5929

and my Rev 2.0, which is going to use an eccentric cam locking mechanism. I'll be welding this up tonight with some mounts for the CAM and a lug attachment for connectivity to the artificial wrist (aka spring).

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/1306/camlock.jpg

Nice work! Incorporate a few improvements that you and your Dad came up with, fabricate it out of stainless for that nice high-tech look and start selling them :^) That's one heck of a good golf average for anybody, I play rarely and I'm tickled when I break 100. It will be interesting to see how the device improves your Dad's average. My Dad was a lifetime golfer and used to like to tell the story of a game he once played with some folks. Not sure what point the other golfer was making but he played the game using just one hand. Something about the one hand/arm being the key to the game or something I'd guess, and he beat my Dad.

When you've got a lathe, mill, saw and a TIG the fabricating world is your oyster. I guess I could toss a Plasma Cutter in there but I still haven't been able to justify one of those to myself.

Keep us posted on your progress and you're Dad's score...

Very cool, Simon...its great that you could use your toys and know-how to help your Dad have some more fun.

Let us know how it works out!