We will consider that we are dealing with a person who has played some golf enough to be reasonably sure of hitting the ball each time. We will assume that he has gained a fair idea of what he has to do in order to hit the ball correctly. His problem is to get the “feel” of the action he has had described for him.

The first move is to the practice tee with a sack full of balls. Many will never take even this first step, but for the one who does, the next is this—before hitting even one shot, let him stop and think what it is he wants to do. Obviously it is to hit the ball and hit it straight. Nothing else matters for the moment.

Now let him visualize what he must do to bring about this result. Let him see clearly what must be the nature of the contact between club and ball. If he thinks hard enough, he will conjure up a vision of the club-head moving precisely along the line the ball is intended to take, with its face exactly perpendicular to that line, and making contact in the exact center of the face. He will see that if these conditions are met the ball must fly straight.

Slow Motion Practice

Now, let him stick a tee in the ground, over which and through which, without a ball, as illustrated below, he can swing his club.

Then slowly, at first, almost in slow motion, let him, by trial and re-trial, find out what movements he will have to make to bring about the conditions he desires. Remembering what he has learned of theory he will very soon learn the reasons for the hip-turn for saving the wrist-cock, for the shift to the left, etc. By concentrating on the end which these complicated actions are designed to achieve, some order is bound to come out of the confusion in his brain and he will be on the road to better golf.

A golfer is no different from any other human in that he wants a reason for doing as he is told. What better demonstration can he have than to find out for himself that he cannot hit the ball straight if he holds his weight back on his right foot, or hits with his hands from the top of the swing? Finding out for himself that he must drop his swing inside before he can hit out is the finest lesson he could have.