The step took just a moment, but more than two years later, Simi Valley golfer Casey Piper is still feeling its effects.

In September of 2005, the former Simi Valley High standout Piper was a month into his first semester at College of the Canyons.

Having solved the putting difficulties that plagued him throughout his high school career, Piper was looking forward to having a great season playing for the Cougars.

During a racquetball game, Piper planted his right leg and within seconds he was on the ground writhing in pain from a serious knee injury.

Despite having no contact, Piper tore nearly every ligament and tendon in his right knee.

It's basically the same injury that Los Angeles Clippers point guard Shaun Livingston suffered recently. The only differences are that Piper only partially tore his anterior cruciate ligament and tore the quadriceps muscle next to the knee.

Piper went through three hours of reconstructive surgery at the UCLA Medical Center, which was followed with more than a year's worth of therapy.

Just before Christmas 2005, Piper was able to start hitting golf balls. He soon discovered he was unable to perform the same swing that had helped him become one of the top juniors players in the county.

"I've had to relearn my entire golf swing because I could not do what I was doing before," Piper said. "It was pretty hard.

"In the beginning it was frustrating because I knew how I could play before I got hurt."

Piper tried to play for College of the Canyons in 2006, but after taking part in a few preseason practice matches, he realized it was too soon.

"I decided I was in too much pain to play," Piper said. "After my rounds I was having to take pain medication, so I decided to redshirt."

That gave Piper the opportunity to practice with his team and the time to start the long, grueling process of retooling his swing.

Making the situation more frustrating was that Piper had revamped his swing just a few years earlier.

Between his junior and senior seasons at Simi Valley, Piper decided if he was going to take his game to another level, he needed a new swing to get there.

Working with coach Bruce Hamilton from Spanish Hills Golf Club, Piper revamped his swing with the goal of making it more consistent.

It worked, as Piper used that constant swing to finish his senior season with a trip to the CIF Individual Championship.

But all that work was wiped away with the knee injury, specifically Piper's ability to put the ball where he wanted on a regular basis.

"I didn't really lose any distance, but I'm still trying to find the accuracy I used to have," Piper said.

This season, he said, the results have been mixed. There have been days when he hits the ball well, but there are plenty of others where it's a struggle.

"Before the injury, I used to be able to swing as hard as I could and know where the ball was going," Piper said. "I used to be able to do the 'Happy Gilmore swing,' (a kind of hop, skip and swing motion), but still hit it straight."

Gary Peterson, golf coach at Canyons, said Piper has been a strong contributor this season, including shooting a 68 to help win the 20-team Rio Hondo tournament.

"Casey has come a long way," Peterson said. "He's had some shining moments and some moments of disappointment. He's a really good teammate and has been a big plus for us."

After the surgery, Piper's doctors could not assure him that he would ever completely be 100 percent.

Piper does feel he's making progress.

This season his score is averaging about 77.0 per round higher than he wants, but the numbers are coming down.

He's part of a very deep and talented COC team that also includes former Oak Park High standout Trevor James.

It's the kind of talent Piper wanted to be around when he decided to attend Canyons.

"I liked the coaches here, and I had a friend who went here and liked it, and I knew the golf team was good," Piper said of choosing COC. "I felt like I would have a chance to be part of a strong team and it's worked out that way."

While no one ever wishes for an injury like Piper suffered, he said some good has come from it.

The time away has given him a new appreciation for the game and forced him to slow down after pushing hard to improve his game for a long time.

"Every week I see progress, so I'm feeling better about things" Piper said. "Hopefully by next year I'll be back to where I want to be."