Jack Tatum never expected to be faced with a mobility problem.

Tatum was as talented a defensive back as college football has ever seen. Recruited by the Ohio State Buckeyes as a running back, he moved to the defensive side in his freshman year. Tatum could cover like a corner and hit like a linebacker.

Jack Tatum

Tatum’s reputation as a big hitter took off when he got to the National Football League (NFL) as an Oakland Raider, but it all started in college when he became the focus of every offensive coordinator’s game plan.

They didn’t throw the ball much in the Big Ten during the “three yards and a cloud of dust” era, so Tatum was primarily used as another linebacker, but that didn’t stop the Buckeyes from putting him on the opposing team’s best receiver.

Known as one of the greatest all-around athletes to ever play college football, he made a name for himself shadowing and shutting down running backs.

In his three years lettering for Ohio State, the Buckeyes went 27-2 winning two Big Ten titles and one national title. He was named National Defensive Player of the Year in 1970 and was unanimously chosen as an All-American in 1969 and 1970.

During his NFL career Tatum, Oakland’s first round pick in the 1971 draft, went to three Pro Bowls and helped the Raiders win the 1976 Super Bowl. A member of the NFL Hall of Fame and listed as one of College Football’s 100 greatest players of all time, Jack Tatum has always been accustomed to being a dominant force, on and off the field.

When severe circulatory problems necessitated the amputation of his lower left leg less than a year ago, Tatum’s first concern was finding a way to return to his favorite physical activities. While he wasn’t planning a comeback on the gridiron, he desperately wanted to return to golf.

In mid-December, wearing a prosthetic foot from Freedom Innovations, Inc., Tatum received personal instruction from a group of golf professionals that included amputee golf champion Ron Harding, at the Orange Coast College Football Stadium in Mesa Verde, Calif. The event was orchestrated to give other amputees an opportunity to see how properly- designed prostheses can help golfers return to the links.

Tatum is enthusiastic about the new technology and determined to see that it enables him to resume his golf game. And while the emphasis was on his golf game that day, there was nevertheless a poetic irony at play… a football connection at work behind the scenes.

The same prosthetic foot that is returning this gritty competitor to the gentle greens of the golf course, has returned a young gentleman named Neil Parry, of San Jose State University, to the gritty confines of a football field.

Tips for the New Golfer

If you’ve always longed to join Tiger Woods out there on the greens, but don’t know a driver from a putter, consider these get-started tips:

• Grab a club and get swinging! The best way to learn about golf is to go to a golf practice facility and give it a try. If you have a friend who plays, ask him or her to go with you.

• Call your local YMCA or golf course to see if any instructional programs for amputees are being offered in your area. If not, indicate your interest in seeing such a program developed, and enlist your friends and neighbors to drum up more students. Many PGA and LPGA golf professionals provide instruction for golfers with physical limitations. Rehabilitation and recreational instructional programs, as well as national golf organizations, can provide information and often host tournaments that include golfers with disabilities.

• Watch golf on TV and concentrate on the body movements of the players. Try to imitate what they’re doing.

• Read golf magazines… you’ll be surprised by what you might pick up!

• Ask if local parks or golf courses have adapted golf equipment that can be rented or borrowed. Better to try the game using borrowed equipment than to fit yourself out completely before you know for certain that you like the game!

Time to Tee Off

Sometimes, what you need to get back in the game isn’t an attitude adjustment… it’s equipment! Take a look at some of the clever products available to help amputees and those with other physical challenges get back in the swing:

Joe’s Original BACKTEE
Designed specifically for use on any club, Joe’s Original BACKTEE provides the golfer with a great deal of flexibility. What the BACKTEE does best is “tee the ball up” without requiring any bending or stooping – a great help for those with stiffness or balance issues. The device helps eliminate the physical ‘wear and tear’ on major joints and muscle groups.

Sometimes, that ounce of prevention is actually worth more than a pound of cure! For more information, call (319) 268-0939 or visit www.uprightgolf.com.

TotinG New Clubs
Here they are: the first casted set of golf clubs to be hit from the seated position. The set consists of a driver, fairway wood, 3, 5, 7 and wedge, and can be custom ordered to match your swing. For more information, call (877) HIT-HARD or visit www.totinbonezgolf.com.

Get A Grip
The Amputee Golf Grip is designed for people missing their left hand. It can be positioned anywhere on the club grip and uses the sound hand’s gripping pressure to lock the device in place, preventing slippage and improving control.

The Golf Pro is designed primarily for persons missing their right hand. It slips over the shaft of the club and then “jams” in place on the grip when pulled up. Plastic sizing rings can be enlarged to custom fit the user’s clubs. Uniform grip sizes on the clubs are recommended.
Both products duplicate the wrist action required for a smooth, controlled swing. Both functional and reliable, they’ll help you improve your drive distances and polish your game. For more info, call (800) 279-1865 or visit www.oandp.com /products/trs/sports-recreation/ golf.asp.


Getting Back in the Swing?

The following is a short list of organizations that can provide a wealth of information about getting started in golf, polishing your game or retrofitting your equipment.

Association of Disabled American Golfers (Colorado)
Tel: (303) 738-1675
email: adag@usga.org
www.adag.org

Challenge Golf Program (Ohio)
Tel: (216) 784-1271

Eastern Amputee Golf Assoc.
Tel: (888) 868-0992
email: info@eaga.org

Fore Hope, Inc. (Ohio)
Tel: (614) 459-4673
email: Mindy@ForeHope.org

Ladies Professional Golf Assoc.
www.lpga.com

National Amputee Golf Assoc.
Tel: (800) 633-6242
email: info@amputee-golf.org

PGA of America
www.pgaonline.com

Physically Challenged Golfers Association, Inc. (Connecticut)
Tel: (860) 676-2035
email: pcga@townusa.com

Physically Limited Golfers Association (Minnesota)
Tel: (218) 722-4439
The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
Tel: (800) 900-8086
www.ncpad.org

United States Blind Golfers Association (Florida)
Tel: (904) 893-4511

United States Golf Association
Tel: (908) 234-2300
www.usga.org

Twist & Shout No More
The primary cause of bad shots is loose fingers or regripping at the top of the backswing. The PowerGlove attachment locks your club in proper position throughout the swing, reducing clubface twisting at impact when hitting out of the sand or from the deep rough. For more information, call (800) 836-3760 or visit www.powerglove.com.

Have A Seat
The Static Chair is perfect for practicing at the Driving Range. Easy to wheel, simply lift a lever on the right or left side of the seat, and you can turn the seat around for use by someone standing up... great support for someone who can stand, but has trouble with balance. For more information, call (530) 268-6813 or visit www.usagpi.com.