A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20780, 15 July 1937, Page 5

A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE

STRAIGHT LEFT ARM VALUE TO THE SWING A fundamental principle in golf is the necessity for a straight left arm. This arm exercises a dominating Influence over the whole swing, if it is properly used. It Is the guiding feature in the back swing and ensures the full arc of the club right through to the end of the swing. It leads the club on the downward journey and preserves straightness of the arms at the moment when the ball is struck, and for as long afterwards as is naturally possible before the clubhead turns upwards towards a complete finish. There is just one warning to add in this connection —a very necessary one, since the meaning of the straight left arm has often been misunderstood. People have occasionally been led, in their efforts to preserve this straightness, to tighten the arm to such an extent that the elbow joint becomes “locked.” The result of this rigidity is fatal to the fluency of the swing and leads us to suspect that straightness and stiffness are virtues which can be carried to excess and easily become deadly sins. Strength In Hips Having dealt with the function of the arms, how can the body aid and abet the swing? The great strength of the body, so far as golf is concerned, lies in the hips. This strength, properly applied, will accelerate the pace of the clubhead as it approaches the ball and cause it to swing through at express speed. The power of the hips is applied by means of pivoting and transferring the weight, but this does not necessarily mean a very visibly outward movement one way or another in the nature of a sway. I believe it to be a vital point that rhythm is only

preserved, if there is continuous movement as a whole, be it ever so slight. Tire body must be alive throughout, although under severe control; for if any part is allowed for an instant to remain dead or inactive, then part of the machinery is Inevitably clogged. The Stance The width of the feet depends a great deal on the individual’s build. A longlegged player will naturally straddle a bit further than a short-legged one. In case, find the proper width by placing the feet 14in apart at the heels, and make an Imaginary swing without a club, to find the narrowest width at which the weight can accommodate the swing without swaying, relaxing the right side so the bulk of weight is on the left at the impact and after. If the feet are too far apart, it will be impossible to transfer the weight from right to left properly.