STARTING OVER
John Rogers: Road to the 2009 North American One-Armed Golf Association Championship Semifinals
After a fire-fighting accident in July of 2007, John Rogers' life changed radically. Injuries sustained to his arm forced John to undergo the amputation of his left hand and forearm. Four months after the surgery, John was ready to get back out on the golf course.
While he wanted to start hitting the ball again, it wasn't as simple as dusting off the old clubs and heading to range. John had a challenge that most golfers will never face: Learning to swing a golf club with a prosthetic arm. After being fit for the prosthetic, John wasted no time trying it out on the golf course, but he quickly realized that he was going to need help. So John emailed GolfTEC Coach, Tony Consolino, and explained his situation. And as John said, "Even though he [Tony] had no idea what he had to work with, he did not hesitate to take on the challenge."
On November 29, 2007, John Rogers walked into his local GolfTEC Improvement Center in Altamonte Springs, FL, hoping to achieve his goal: Learn how to swing with his prosthetic arm and eventually shoot in the 90s.
Building the new swing
In his experience as a GolfTEC Coach, Tony had seen and worked with just about everything when it came to a golf swing. But teaching someone to swing with a prosthetic arm was a challenge that Tony had never taken on.
So there they were—two guys taking on a challenge that neither of them fully understood.
Beginning in late 2007, they steadily worked on building John's new golf swing. Despite the unique challenges of teaching a client to swing with a prosthetic arm, Tony stuck with the GolfTEC system.
"In realizing the situation we were dealing with, I felt it was in the best interest for both of us to stick to the fact-based information and go from there. We were going to have to trust the motion analysis to lead the way," said Tony.
When a particular challenge arose, Tony would make the necessary adjustments. John's struggle with his wrist hinge was a perfect example. Because he wasn't able to manipulate his wrist at impact—which many golfers rely on to square the clubface—Tony placed a strong emphasis on the body. By fully utilizing his body, John was able to get his hips and shoulders into the proper position. Then the squaring of the clubface fixed itself.
Tony summed up John's dedication by saying, "He practiced! He spent time changing his game everyday. John knew the challenge ahead of him. He wanted it bad enough and he took the challenge head on."
Regarding Tony's commitment as a coach, John stated, "Tony's training gave me both the confidence and the encouragement to play golf again. I think of Tony as more of a friend than an instructor. "
North American One-Armed Golfer Association (NAOAGA) Championship
Fast forward to September of 2009. John had qualified for the 2009 NAOAGA Championship—one of eight golfers competing for the title.
In the quarterfinal match, Rogers beat a former champion in dramatic fashion. Down three with three to go, Rogers mounted a relentless charge to tie the match on the final hole. He went on to clinch his comeback victory on the first playoff hole.
His comeback is even more impressive when you consider the setting. The tournament was held at the PGA National Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, FL—the ninth most difficult course on the PGA Tour in 2008. And holes 16 and 17, which Rogers won during his comeback, are part of "The Bear Trap"—one of the most challenging final stretches in golf.
In the semifinal match, Rogers found himself in the same position: down three with three to go. Again, he mounted a comeback, winning 16 and 17. But this time his opponent clinched the match with a birdie on 18.
It was a disappointing finish. But the overall experience? "It was awesome. I would have never imagined that I'd get the chance to compete at that level," recounted John.
Semifinalist in 2009—who knows what 2010 holds. And yes, in case you're wondering, John does plan to compete in the 2010 NAOAGA Championship. In fact, John and Tony are already back in the hitting bay, gearing up for next year.
So much for just wanting to learn how to swing again.
