The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-29
I ee, FaiirWay and Green
By Charles .'Chick'' Evans, Jr. GIFT THE LETT, LILcIcI- nnHNN

All but one of the helpful tips I have had given to mo on golf have been Americana Tho one shall tell of here is the imported one. It came from Scotland and was given
 to me by fine Scot and a fine golfer, Bob McDonald the Chicago profess sional
 Bob is one of those rare golf com- | binations expert player and patient, result getting teacher. He recognizes the difference between the novice and 1 the advanced golf pupil, a gift which so few golf pros have. Thus when Bob undertook to give me a tip on playing he began at about the strang- est point of my anatomy that you could think of-my left heel!
 Bob explained that, for reasons which are beyond him to understand, the American player begins his golf at the wrong end of the body. He goes about it entirely as a matter of arms and shoulders, whereas the crucial coordination required in the golf swing has to do with the feet.
 T maintain" Mcdonald told me, that you hit a golf ball more with your feet than with anything else. Your arms and wrists and shoulders can be all out of line and still it is possible to hit the ball fairly well. But show me player who ever man aged to hit a golf ball well when his ] amateur players arms, shoulders and hands are"
 He then gave me the correct re- l lation of the feet, and particularly of the left heel, to the golf stroke. And If there has been any one thing that
 l have consistently made sure of in l important playing since, it has been
 to see to it that my left heel was l functiOning.
 The left heel must come back onto
 the ground not at the instant the
 ball is struck, but considerably be- fore that. In the down swing the hips
 start toward the left first. This original movement in the down swing i should return the left heel flat to the
 ground. Then the shoulders start to l turn, then the arms swing In anu | lastly the wrists and hands get in
 their work. The hips start around | first because they make the minimum | turn. Their total movement that is
 is much less than the path followed 1 by the shoulders and greatly less
 than the arc described by arms and hands. Moreover not until the left heel is flat on the ground and the leg Is iffened-actually locked can the right leg and the right side of the body begin to push. You un> derstand that when the right side pushes it must push against some re- | sisting force in order to crack the
 ball away. In this case the force of
 the right side must be against the re-
 sistanee of the left leg stiffened | That is what puts whip and snap l into the club head Thus, the longer
 you delay in getting your left heel l down the less acceleration you can | get into the down swing of your club. You will get the correct sense of | how the left foot is put down. at the 1 start of the down swing, if you will
 lift club to the top position of the
 back swing. Your heel is now slight l ly off the ground. Now with a stiff
 left arm chop the club down about IS | inches and stop it, repeating this l chopplng movement several times. l Each time, as you chop 1t, let your
 left heel sink back onto the ground.
 Make 1t feel as if your right shoulder
 were forcing your left heel down. It
 gives you the proper start for the
 downward swing. Be sure you stiffen
 the left leg when you come down with | the club. The stiffer the leg the
 harder you will hit the ball.
 But don't stop with hitting the l ball-go right through after it. Shoot
 your left arm right in there, as far
 as you can reach. Then watch it go.
 Copyright, John F. Dille Co)