Fig. 20 -The Proper Kind Of Swing, Viz. One That Will Sweep The Ball Away (The Line Represents The Curve Described By The Club-Head).

It is not possible for me to catalogue the various bad habits into which golfers fall. I can only warn my readers against one or two of the more common faults, and point out what appears to me to be the correct style. In addition to the defects incidentally alluded to in the course of this chapter, there are two into which young players are more than usually prone to fall, and against which I desire to warn them. One is bending the body from the waist in the act of swinging. When the club goes up they pull themselves into an erect position, and when it conies down they bend forward. The player who does that will nine times out of ten miss the ball; it is absolutely fatal to accuracy. The other is moving the position of the feet on the ground in the act of swinging. It is equally fatal to accuracy. I do not refer to raising the heel of the foot off the ground, but to an actual change in the position of one or other foot or both. These errors are the stumbling-blocks of a ■ great many young players.

There still remains to be pointed out an important difference in regard to swings. If a number of golfers be carefully observed, it will be seen that some swing the club round their heads, some round their shoulders, and others round their bodies (see Figs. 2!. 17. and 22). The majority of players adopt the second-mentioned style- - that is to say, when the top of their swing is reached, if they then paused, the club would be found to lie across their shoulders. Similarly with the others: the club would be found higher up or lower down, depending upon whether the swing was a high one or a low one. Players with differences of this kind may all be equally good golfers. But what is the effect of these differences? The circle described by the club is probably the same in each case, but in the case of the swing round the body it is a circle less perpendicular or more laid on its side than is the case in the swing round the shoulders. It therefore appears that it is more likely to pull or slice the ball than is the more perpendicular circle or swing, and the lesson to be derived from all this is to play with as upright a swing as is consistent with fair hitting. With a very upright swing, such as round the head (Fig 21), there is some danger of a twist creeping into the style, which must of course be avoided. It is not possible to have an absolutely perpendicular swing, nor, as above pointed out, is it desirable. It will be remembered that the nearer a golfer stands to the ball, and the more upright a club he uses, the more perpendicular must be his swing.

Fig. 21. - A Swing Round The Head - Too High.

Fig. 22. - A Swing Round The Body - Too Low.

In swinging the club it should not at any part of the swing touch the body. I know players who invariably touch their shoulders at the top of the swing, so much so that their club-shafts thereby become bent; but this is a very bad habit, and should be discouraged.

It is scarcely possible to contract a worse fault; the touch with the body puts the whole mechanism out of joint.

An error golfers sometimes fall into unconsciously is that of lifting the club quickly up at the end of the downward swing, and throwing the body over to the right, instead of following through. The result of this is that the ball is 'whipped up' and driven into the air. Sonic players are unable to cure themselves of the habit, and endeavour to counteract the effect by teeing the ball towards the right foot, This no doubt, helps to lessen the evil: but it is better to break oneself off the bad habit, and cultivate a follow-through.

Slicing the ball is caused in most cases by a fault of swing, the fault in this case lying in drawing the arms in towards the body, instead of following through (Fig. 23). Slicing appears to impart two motions to the ball. The face of the club at the moment of impact, is travelling forward: but it is also, owing to the drawing in of the arms, travelling across the ball from right to left, and the result of the two motions is that the ball is propelled forward with a spin upon it, and whenever the forward motion is to any extent exhausted, the spin takes effect and causes the ball to circle to the right. Pulling or hooking may be caused by turning the body round at the end of the swing, after the fashion of a man using a scythe, or by pulling round the left arm, or by turning in the nose of the club as it hits the ball. Here, again, a spin is put upon the ball, making it circle to the left. If the arms are thrown well out after the swing, neither slicing nor pulling can take place, and the ball is driven with a forward motion without side spin.

Fig. 23 - Radly Sliced.

The face of the club should not be hung over the ball. It is a fault which some players Who drive off the left leg have. They hold their hands too much to the left of their bodies, thus making the face of the club lie over the ball. No doubt if the stroke is got away the ball is kept down and not driven high, but the more usual effect is to founder the shot.

After taking up the stance, it is usual to rest the head of the club for a moment behind the ball, and then give it a preliminary waggle over the ball. The resting of the club allows a better aim to be taken for the stroke; but care must be taken that the rule in regard to improving the lie, except in the case of teed shots, is not infringed. The object of the waggle is to make sure that the club and arms are free; it is, in short, a sort of trial swing, or, as it has been aptly termed, a preliminary canter before entering upon the race. It is better to take a slow, sweeping waggle than a quick, jerky one, and it should be done with the wrists only. The waggle should be of the briefest possible duration, as it is always a mistake to hang over a stroke. At the same time, the waggle is not unnecessary, as it, steadies the player before actually making the stroke.