Evening star., 1932-08-28
HAVE been studying again sor

r HAVE been studying again some
sets of motion pictures Of various
stars and while doing so 1t occur
red to me that it was doubtful if
the average golfer was aware of the very
great Importance Of the placing Of his
left foot in addressing the ball. For
here is another of those places where
a tiny error can produce a major mis-
take elsewhere while itself remaining
unsupported.
A few years ago there was a young
professional who was playing very ex-
cellent golf and having a good BIT OF
success in Winter tournaments. To
most observers he appeared to have
f1awless swing with every club, and it
was freely predicted that he would con-
tinue an uninterrupted progress to the
top of the heap But even while the
young pro was still going at top speed,
winning tournament after tournament
there was one man, one OF our fore
most instructors, who pointed out a
flaw, or at least a potential f1aW, In
that swing and predicted that the young
man would soon begin to have some
trouble with it.
MOTION pictures revealed, so the
lVl instructor said, that the young
pro was not hitting through the
ball for a sufficient distance to allow
him enough margin to take care OF
the slightest error in timing. His left
arm was folding up only the tiniest
bit of an instant after impact. The
instructor said that as he grew older
the tendency would be for the arm to
fold up a little sooner-before impact
and that his game would suffer until
he could school himself to hit through
the ball.
This was a very interesting thought
when first heard it from the instruc-
tor himself I watched the young pro
very carefully and I could see that
the danger was really there. But study
ing the pictures over and over again
and then watching the man play, it
seems perfectly plain to me that the
position of his left foot could very
easily be the cause of his trouble.
In this case the left foot is placed SO
that the toe points straight to the front
of the player, at right angle to the
line of play. The turn of the body
during the backswing is ample and the
left arm is admirably straight. But ms
the hands return. in the act OF hitting,
to their approximate location at ad-
dress the hips have found themselves
thwarted in their turn by the position
of the left foot, which has SO placed
the muscles and joints OF the legs that
a further movement is not possible
without great strain. The left hip thus
blocked in turn blocks the arms, so that
the swing can be completed only by
relaxing the left elbow. So long as
this occurs any distance after the ball
has been struck everything Is lovely.
But whenever it happens the least bit
before, the shot must be ruined.
THE players with the best left arms
l. those who hit through for several
inches past the ball and allow
themselves ample margin-are the
most consistent performers. 1t will be
found that these men all turn the left
toe outward-that is, toward the hole
to some degree. In every case, at m
pact the left hip has turned back away
from the line of play, where 1t offers no
obstruction to the arms.
In determining the placing of the
left foot, remember that the body must
turn comfortably both ways. So it
must not be placed to offer an obstruc-
tion to motion in either direction. But
the turn backward is more slowly done
and therefore can overcome some re-
sistance, while the turn forward, being
very rapid and to degree instructive,
should be given encouragement.
Are you interested in improving your
pitch shots to the green? Bobby Jones
leafiet. pitch Shot Technique" will be
mailed to all readers who request 1t on
receipt Of a stamped self-addressed en-
velope. Merely address Bobby Jones,
care The Star.
(Copyrizht, 1922