Once you have mastered the full swing you can conscientiously say that you know golf. The full swing is the sum total of the game. You will have your off days - that concerns mental condition mainly - but the feel of the full swing once acquired is never forgotten.

We can compare golf with other sports in this respect. Suppose that some time in the past you have learned the fine points of swimming or skating but have not engaged in these sports recently. Then you suddenly take them up again. At first you are a trifle rusty, but it is not long before you are back into your old form again.

It is the same way with golf. The full swing, once you have it right, will always stay by you. Even though you drop the game entirely for a time, you will never have to begin all over when you start in again. All that is needed is a little brushing up.

Fig. 48

Wrong. Head has moved off centre and thrown whole body out of balance

In order to acquire this permanent foundation, it is quite essential that you get the full swing right in the first place. The road to perfection is often a long hard one. Yet when once the goal is reached the correct full swing will strike you as being astonishingly simple, much more simple in fact than the wrong way. And your form at the full swing depends mainly upon what it happens to be at the quarter, half, and three-quarter swings.

If your minor shots are right, the chances are that your full swing will be perfect. The top of the full swing is simply a continuation of these. If the segments of the circle are without faults, so will the complete circle be above reproach. That is why I constantly repeat the necessity of perfecting the minor shots before tackling the full swing.

Of utmost importance is balance - absolute body balance every inch of the way from the address to the top of the swing. If this is correct at the top, the club will sweep down and hit the ball square. But if you go off balance at any stage while the club is travelling to the top - at quarter, half, or three-quarter - the chances are that you will be off balance at the top and also to a greater extent than you are farther down. A fault that is comparatively slight at the quarter or half stage becomes greatly exaggerated by the time it reaches the full.

Fig. 49

Correct. Head is dead centre as at address and in perfect balance

I48

Fig. 50

Turning the heel too far at top of swing. This throws one off balance

Let us go through the movement of the full swing from the address to the top. At the address, we will take for granted that your balance is perfect. Right shoulder is down, stomach is in, head is held rigidly in the centre, eyes are on the ball, hands are gripping club without any effort. All is natural and easy.

You now proceed to make a half turn to the right, keeping the forward bend of the body constant. Due to the pivoting, the left knee bends inward, the wrists twist naturally. By the time you reach the top, the right elbow is fairly well against the body the hands are well away from the head, the left arm is almost although not quite straight.

Fig. 51

The correct distance to turn heel at top of swing

There are quite a few possible faults that may crop up during this proceeding that will throw the body off balance and spoil the whole shot. All may go well until the half swing stage is reached and then perhaps the body sways off balance to the left. This is known as "waisting," a very common fault.

I wish to emphasize particularly the necessity of keeping the head still throughout the swing. It should remain in the same identical position as in the address. A common tendency is that of inclining it to the left. You may hardly consider this enough to throw the whole body off balance. But it will. A man can sometimes allow his eyes to wander from the ball and still hit it. But very seldom can he connect with it if his head is not held rigid all the time from the address until the time of impact (Figs. 48-49).

This is one of the basic things about golf that people do not hear enough about. "Keep your eye on the ball" has a familiar ring to every golfer's ears. And, of course, it is very important. Some time ago a prominent golfer was blindfolded after being allowed to see the position of the ball. Thereupon he proceeded to drive a superb shot. He couldn't keep his eye on the ball, but he had to keep his head still. If you wish to play good golf, remember these four words: "Keep your head still."