The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-19

long, hard practice and habit he
had succeeded where others could
not follow. Form rarely goes into
details-only to essentials. Ted
Ray can sway his body and get
away with wooden-club play. But
his mashis play 10 never certain,
nor often of high standard.
Form should be the shortest road
to the easiest way. II should be
the harbor to which the wrecked
golfer, on his game. can return.
Its main result should be cor
rect balance At the top of the
swing through proper pivotinR and
distribution of weight, with a
working arrangement among the
hands, arms and body on the down
swing that brings the club head In
at the right moment.
George Duncan and Jim Barnes
are not alike in their play. yet
both have fine form.
Both understand the art of cor
rect pivoting, of balance, of weight
distribution and of timing.
The Essentials.
A golfer might use any one OF
three or four grips. He uses any
one Of three stances-square. open
or closed
None of these is an essential.
But to get anywhere he must
have these adjuncts to his play:
1. A fairly straight left arm,
only slightly bent. not too rigid.
2. Have the left shoulder and the
left knee pivot together. with the
IL. II .N-
swing between the right foot and
the inside of the ball Of the left
foot.
3. The right elbow in close touch
with the body, or at least not too
far away.
4. The head as an anchor to the
swing, held in one place.
S. The ability to walt on the
stroke and not hit too quickly on
the way through.
s. Swing the club head back with
the left hand in control on the side
of the ball, not lifting 1t on the
outside of the ball with the right.
Here we have At least six impor-
tant factors of correct form. They
form the working basis for q sound
game IL carried out.
Form. also, to . certain extent,
means ease Of effort. Where there
10 rigidity or laborsd swinging
there can be very little form.
Duncan and vardon are the two
greatest stylists, two greatest mas
tiers Of form we have ever seen, be-
cause they work with greater ease
and greater simplicity.
There 10 no trick Of motion on
the part Of either. Nothing 10
wasted. Neither ever gives any
sign of hard hitting. and there Is
no appearance of OVERRIDING.
When you see a golfer Of excep-
tional form at play the FIRST
thought always is, How easy It
looksv'
Cecil Leitch, for example, 10 q
great golfer. but she isn't q stylist.
The downward dip of left knee 10
an exaggerated motion. II almost
any other golfer tried IL he or she
would come to grief.
Form, in its main parts, Is some
thing to be copied. But no one
would care to copy Rays sway or
Miss Leitch's left knee Dip For the
simple reason that 1t would take
six or seven times - long to get
anywhere a., 1t would by following
the body movement and the knee
action of Duncan, Vardon or
Barnes among others.
The man who lifts his head
hasn't good form, for he commits
one of the cardinal sins At the
most important part OF the stroke.
His form may be perfect up to this
point, but there 1t stops. Yet this
In m
der the head Of form.
There may be several varieties of
good putting form, but no sound
variety that also includes moving
the body or head before hitting the
bali. Form should be a fairly fixed
standard the. average player can
study from. Once again. it IL the
shortest road TO the easiest way to
do thing right.