The Washington times., 1922-10-29
GOLF STANCE
is DISCUSSED
BY HUTCHINSON

BY YHUTCHlSON
Player Should Settle Well Back
On Heels, Says Former
Holder Of British Tide.
BY JOCK HUTCHINSON.
II ECENTLY / was taken TO
n. task for a statement made
- about the stance and foot
work In golf. My critic left HIM
self wide open for q comeback and
I want TO take q little space here
to set him as well as others right
on the matter.
made this statement: 'In
playing golf, it D. quite necessary
for the beginner to settle well back
on his heels in addressing the ball
and in starting the back swing. No
golfer can hope TO get very far In
golf who does not settle himself
this way"
Now comes along a critic who
writes me suggesting that ] had
-
this statement. He suggests that
the player should be well forward
on the ball of his foot. or, in other
words. that he should grip the
ground with his toes. H
No greater mistake can be made
than In telling the beginner that
this Ia the way he should stand
to the ball. The folly Of falling
forward on ones toes - known to
every golfer who plays . good
game.
Settle Back to Heels.
do not wish to bs misunder-
stood when I saw that one should
"settie well back on the heels"
BY this I do not mean he should
try to balance himself on the
heels, with the toes NOT touching
the ground at all. I want Il made
clear that the whole OF the foot
must be used. with q preference
given to the heels.
The common sense I'm this 10
apparent. II one IL wen back on
the heels Il is a simple matter to
stantly on the hall Of the foot,
which gives a leverage obtainabls
In no other way. ~
For instance I win POINT out
foot-work examples in other sports.
No hard hitter In the prize ring
could settle himself to hit o hard
blow while dancing around on his
toes. One of the hardest hitters
in the game was Jack johnson, the
colored fighter, who was known to
move about In the ring In q flat-
footed way. He came up on his
toes when he needed to put addi-
tional strength in the blow, a. II
served to give him more leverage.
John L. Sullivan was q hard hit
ter and pictures Of him in action
show that he was well set on the
soles of his feet and not on his toes.
Causes Trembling.
Babe Ruth does not stand at the
bat perched on the balls Of his fe1e-
or on his toes. When he slams ixto
the ball he uses the beverages to.
get power, otherwise he would not
be able to hit one home run, let alone
fifty or sixty during a season.
The expert dancing teacher In not
one who teaches pupil TO jump
around on the toes II he Is trying to
learn the modern day dances. While
on the toes. one gets into a strained
position. It is necessary to use the
sary risc to the toes. II one win
observe the best dancers he win zee
that this Is correct. Dancing hat.
footed is, of course. &bsurd, Just alb
surd and ridiculous as dancing about
on the toes. .... .
Now viii 60 back TO the game a
golf. In addressing the ball. one
must be well set--or well planted, In
other words. II one gets into the
habit Of falling forward. Il IL fatal
to success. II one is on the toes or
leaning forward on the balls Of the
feet. the tendency to fall over 'is
great. This spoils many q good
drive. II the player win try hitting
a bali while perched on the toes the
idea of how easy Il 10 to fan win be
clearly demonstrated. .e
Ready for Shock.
II one Is setted well back on the
heels, mostly with only q part OF
the weight on the ball of the foot, he
Is settled for any shock that might
come. There 10 little temptation to
fall forward and lose balance. II one
Is on the toes It is quite impossible
to keep the body still. There would
be q perceptible trembling, perhaps
not noticeable to the eye at q glance,
but there Is, nevertheless, enough to
cause one out Of ten shots to 60
wrong. -.
One of the most delicate shots in
the game Is the putt. To make
successful putt one must be well set
on his feet. / have suggested that
the best putting stance ds where the
weight IL thrown mostly on the left
foot. The weight must be on the
whole OF the foot and not the ball
OF II, because II would cause
slight trembling Of the body. and
even the worst golfer in the land
would soon find out without having
his attention called tot II that this
was not good for putting.
II this is true In putting II 10 also
true In the drive. where one must
be set just as firmly for hard blow.
Let the Body Relax.
I want to call attention to the fiat.
footed players who never come up
on the toes at all. No success can
come out Of their way of playins.
IL would be Just as much Of folly
to play flatfooted as II would be 70
play on the toes altogether. E
sl