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Pedal-Powered Golf Club

For paraplegics and others
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While modern prosthetics technologies are improving, it is still rather difficult for someone who has lost an arm or two to play a good game of golf. So here is an alternative, based on the fact that, as of this writing, I haven't enountered enough of the Rules Of The Game to know whether or not such a thing is prohibited. :)

This is a fairly large contraption, about the size of a pedal-powered 4-wheel pedicab (link). Alongside the vehicle is a special axle. This special axle is not connected to the drive train when the vehicle is moving, but can be connected at other times (while the brakes are set and the drive train is disconnected from the wheels).

Note the vehicle can of course be as fully equipped as a typical golf cart, with respect to be able to carry golf-club bags, spare golf balls, etc.

The special axle rotates a gadget for gripping a golf club. The user can insert and clamp any club. When mounting the club, we want it to be oriented so it hangs straight down from the special axle, with the head positioned to hit the ball perfectly. Note we need to be able to change the height of the club-head off the ground, to deal with a ball sitting on a tee.

Now for the important part. After setting the correct club height off the ground, we rotate the special axle slightly, so that the head of the club will clear the golf ball as we maneuver the pedicab. The vehicle-and-club combination must be carefully aligned so that when the special axle drives the club, the club can hit the ball in the correct direction.

When aligned, the club is in FRONT of the ball. When the user rotates the special axle, the golf club can swing through almost the full 360 degrees of a circle, before hitting the ball--and this is where the fun comes in.

Some people will be satisfied just to use their leg muscles to directly force the special axle to rotate, and thereby impart a large force to the ball. Others will want to add some extra intermediate hardware, between the pedals and the special axle.

This extra hardware could consist of gearing, a ratchet mechanism, and a powerful torsion spring. When the ratchet is engaged, pedal-power is stored and accumulated in the torsion spring. When the ratchet is released, a truly enormous stored force causes the special axle to rotate....

From the tee-off location at Hole One, the ball may end up on the green of Hole Three.... It depends on what was being aimed at, of course!

Vernon, Mar 04 2013

Pedicab manufacturers http://www.rswart.org/fourwhel.htm
As sort-of mentioned in the main text. [Vernon, Mar 04 2013]

[link]






       I would prefer a flywheel and clutch.
pocmloc, Mar 04 2013
  

       Sweet. (+)
A relative of my wife lost his left arm twenty-some years ago now, (I've been working with my hands my whole life and he could shatter my grip if he chose to), he kicks ass on the golf course. We play scrub baseball at family reunions and he does this; catch-ball/ deflect-ball/ mitt-flick/ ball-now-already-waiting in position for re-throw maneuver that, I swear, may be faster than any two-arm catch/release thing I've ever seen.
  

       He's like one of my heroes'n'stuff y'know.   
      
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