There is a notable difference between wise effort on the one hand and violent energy on the other. The first represents head work, the second usually lack thereof. This is essentially true of golf. In golf we find a game of effort, and whether this means wise or wasted effort depends upon the player. When you see an accomplished golfer drive a ball you will be likely to say that there is a complete absence of effort of any kind. Yet the fact remains that practically every ounce of strength in his body is behind that shot. Therein lies the secret of good golf; the ability to expend effort without being conscious of the fact. The good player seldom realizes the great power he is putting into a stroke.

The greater part of this strength comes from the thighs, back, and shoulders. The wrists, hands, and arms appear to do most of the work, yet as a matter of fact they represent but a small part of the real power. These are simply the propelling power. Practically all muscles in the body have certain allotted work to perform in the golf stroke. And if each set is to function properly there must be a just distribution of work. This means proper bodily balance from beginning to end of the golf swing.

All the muscles of the body should work in perfect harmony. And perfect body balance is the direct result of muscles that are in harmony. Suppose your balance is correct at the address and remains so during the greater part of the back swing. This means that the muscles are functioning as they should.

Then suppose that things suddenly occur which throw you off balance; your left leg may crumple up so that you are left nothing to stand on or perhaps your head drops toward the left shoulder. The result is that your body is now made up of a number of sets of muscles in active conflict with each other. The power of the muscles has become neutralized and the result is wasted effort (Fig. 66).

The beginner struggling in the throes of the problem of just what constitutes proper bodily balance may perhaps accuse the muscles of being ignorant of the work they are supposed to perform. Doubtless they are in cases where a goodly number of golf faults have become a habit. However, education and practice will set them right; in which case it will be a question of educating these muscles from the unnatural to that which is the perfectly natural.

Even a man who does not know golf can recognize the proper balance of the body when he sees it. In this connection I once had an interesting experience with Moretti, the sculptor. Moretti wished to make a statue of a golfer, but not knowing the slightest thing about the game he came to me for some information as to just how a golfer looks in action.

There happened to be a golf beginner standing close by with a club in his hand, and this man was asked to go through the swing. He did as requested, and finished his back swing with his body considerably off balance. Mor-etti shook his head; he instinctively knew that this wasn't right. Then he turned to me and asked me to go through the swing. I did so, and as I swung to the right he impetuously jumped forward and grabbed me saying:

"Hold that. It is superb."

Muscles may be just as much in conflict when relaxed as when tense. Indeed during the greater part of the golf swing they should be relaxed. There is only one time when their full strength is called for and that is in hitting the ball. There are many possibilities for wasted energy during the course of the swing.

Take, for example, the death grip which many beginners take on the club; this is wholly wasted effort. Indeed, some golfers expend such a great amount of energy on the back swing that by the time the club reaches the ball, the over-taxed muscles have little strength left to offer. As a matter of fact, the back swing should be a period of relaxation. It is simply winding up the body. This may be compared to winding up a piece of string, the down swing representing the release.

Fig. 66

Showing a number of golfing faults. Several different sets of muscles in the body are in active conflict with each other

Likewise, irrespective of whether muscles are tense or relaxed, they are working just the same. And this brings us to the very common fault of mistiming. Let us suppose that you are addressing the ball, ready for a full golf swing. Just stop and imagine that the prospective swing is a wheel; with the usual rim, spokes, and hub. The club head represents the rim, the shaft is a spoke, and the hub your body. The action of both the back and forward swing should be that of a spinning wheel (Figs. 67-68).

Clearly enough the rim of this wheel has to travel faster than does the hub. But even though the hub does travel more slowly it has to spin around with it. The two must spin around with it. The two must spin in harmony. And exactly this same principle applies to golf. Suppose, for example, that by the time the club is half-way back, the left heel still remains solidly upon the ground.

Fig. 67

A demonstration of the common fault of mistiming. The hub and rim of the wheel fail to travel together

This means that the muscles are not functioning as they should and a conflict between them has started. A harmonious spin of the rim and hub would bring the heel off the ground.

In the same way, if at this stage of the swing, the shoulders have not followed the rim to the right, this also means mistiming. The body has an important part to play in the golf stroke and it should not be allowed to lag behind the arms. This is a rather common tendency, due to the fact that the arms are the faster moving parts. On the other hand, the right shoulder should not beat the arms around. The hub and the rim should work in constant unison from the address to the finish of the swing.

Fig. 68

Correct timing. The hub and rim spin in harmony