I SUPPOSE the act of topping his drive is by far the commonest fault with an inexperienced player. Many causes tend to make this mistake of more frequent occurrence than any other blunder witnessed upon the course, but I think the primary cause, in the majority of instances, is the involuntary action of straightening the knees when making the swing before the actual stroke is played.

A golfer should guard against playing with his legs perfectly straight and as rigid as a bar of steel. On the contrary, the knees should be bent, the head kept at the same level throughout the playing of the stroke, and the swing must come from the hips alone, and not below that point. Freedom of action must be carefully cultivated, and the feet must not be allowed to alter their position. If these instructions are not carried out to the strict letter, it is more than possible that the ball may fly anywhere except in the intended direction. Too much attention cannot be paid to these matters of detail, fur it is on small but important things that the whole fabric of success is by degrees built up.

When a ball is sliced it will be generally found that the fault lies in the manner in which the arms are used, their being pulled in toward the body, for instance. These slices are generally effected from the heel of the club head, but it is a fact that they may be played equally as well (or badly) from the exact centre. It is solely the fault of the use of the arms, for the club should in every instance be allowed to follow the stroke through straight in the intended line of flight.

If the club happens to be deflected out of its correct line, the drive will be found to suffer, and the ball itself will trend to the right or to the left, as the case may be.

The right hand is naturally the stronger of the two - much more powerful in the average man than the left - and the learner is just as naturally prone to use it. But in the game of golf he must keep in front of him at all times the fact that the left hand should fill the position of guide, and it must have the predominating influence over the stroke.

That this is rather unnatural I am perfectly willing to admit. Its being unnatural is the basis of its great difficulty, but it is a difficulty that must needs be grappled with and overcome by any man who desires to play the game as it should be played.