Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-28

SCOTT EXPLAINS POSITION OF BODY r.
IN MAKING A PERFECT GOLF STROpp
Motion of Shoulders Highly Important in Swinging !.
Ball-Player Must Time Stroke Accurately to cat y
Proper Direction and Force in Driving
BY JOHN ALBERT SCOTT

TINE reason for the careful placing-Uf
i the hands. as fully described, must
now be apparent; II is to bring the wrist
action into effect at the right moment
and in the right direction. IL will also
be seen why no conscious relaxing of the
grip must take place. as any distinct
letting go with the hands at the top OF
the swing will destroy the tension so
necessary to start the club travelling on
Its journey to the ball. II the grip is
relaxed, that is consciously loosened, then
there must be an effort to re-grip and an
effort TO start the club. The hands will
subconsoiously do their work IL properly
adjusted in the first place and then al
lowed to work naturally. 1t is only in di-
rection that they must be kept severely
under control. If this one point is kept
in mind that they must be controlled and
kept IN the right track going to the top
of the swing and back to the ball in the
down swing, the other, the muscular ac-
tion of the hands, will automatically ad-
just itself.
II is just as the carpenter wields his
hammer he concentrates on hitting the
nail after taking hold of the hammer. He,
aims" at the nail, swings the hammer
up and then swings at the nail, and never
thinks whether his hand is tight or loose,
he simply tries to hit the nail and the
tension of the hand is purely automatic.
When swinging at the ball with the
hands and swinging under the head, keep
the point spoken of as "the ball and
socket" joint the point at the spine, mid
way between the shoulders) in mind. Do
not allow that part of the body to move.
1 have said that, with the exception
of the hands, don't try to get any other
part of the body into the stroke, that is,
Nr.v -. a1,x
body or legs into it. In fact, they must
not be allowed to anticipate their nat
ural order of action. II the right
shoulder is permitted to exert any in
fluence on the beginning of the down
stroke, or to come In too soon (by far
one of the most common faults, spoken
of as dropping the right shoulder), il will
push the ball and socket" out of posi-
tion, and with it will go the head and
the left shoulder, both being pushed to
the left; the pushing of the head to the
left will instinctively cause you to lift
it, you will then look up, and the stroke
will be failure.
II the right shoulder comes into action
too soon, the balance of the body Is dis
turbed, there is an instructive, subcon-
scious effort to regain the balance, the
hands will be thrown out of line, and
the clubhead will be dragged into the
ball, back of the hands, and the hands
will fail to perform one of their principal
functions, that of holding the clubhead
true to its track and directing the pow
erful snap of the wrists which is caused
by the clubhead travelling in it's orbit
some 40 inches greater than the course
taken by the hands, catching up with
and passing them when about Is inches
from the ball.
The long sweep of the clubhead must
be under control at all times; it is the
hands which keep this control, therefore,
nothing must be allowed to divert them
from their course. Everything must be
subordinated to the work of the hands,
must be made true assistants to them,
end each must maintain its proper place
and do it's work at the proper time. This
is timing the stroke" and the stroke
will be timed If the player does not try
to force it, in a word, press.