As it is one of the laws of dynamics that the forward swing will be in the same arc as the backward swing, the backward swing is, in a way, a sort of preliminary canter.

1. In swinging the club back it should be carried along the ground as far as possible so that, with the forward swing, the club shall travel the same distance along the line of flight, the arms going out as far as they will reach.

2. With the turning of the body, the left heel should begin to lift, not artificially but as the natural result of the turning.

3. With this turning, the club is brought up over the right shoulder, never around it, until at the end of the backward swing the club head is close to the left hip, the nose pointing downward; the left shoulder well down; the right shoulder well up; the left elbow close to the body; the right elbow well out and level with the right shoulder; the weight of the body upon the right foot balanced by the toes of the left foot; the right shoulder, the head, the left shoulder, and the left leg being in an almost vertical plane.

4. At the end of the backward swing, and before the forward swing begins, there is necessarily a moment when the club is not moving but never a pause long enough to take aim. This pause must be in rhythm with both the backward and forward swings - shorter when the backward swing is quick; longer, when the backward swing is slow. With a quick backward swing this pause should be almost imperceptible, and the error to guard against is beginning the forward swing before the backward swing is finished, as it breaks the rhythm between the two swings and gives a jerk to the club.

Suggestions about Backward Swing

With the backward swing the movement should be deliberate. "Slow back," however, does not mean that the swing should be so slow that the air is not made to circulate or so deliberate that the forward swing begins with a jerk, but only that the club should not be swung up over the shoulder before it has time to sweep out along the ground.

If one will keep in mind that the club is to be swung and not lifted, the backward swing will be more apt to be in rhythm with the body movement.

Golfers who appreciate what the harmony between the backward and forward swing means, generally have a quick backward swing in order to have enough speed at the beginning of the forward swing for the club to be swinging with its greatest velocity at the moment of concussion with the ball. To get this limit of velocity at the moment of concussion is "timing the swing."