The Soul of Golf

t should be put on the right foot at the top of the swing. It is very hard indeed to trace the origin of the idea that the left han

go very fully into this matter, for one would think that it is sufficiently obvious that the right hand and arm are the dominant factors in producing the golf stroke. It is

er in the matter, what the leading

mportant, but by implication he does assert so right throughout The Complete Golfer.

the thumb and first finger of the left hand that have most of the gripping work to do. Again, the palm of the right hand presses hard against the thumb of the left. In the upward swing t

the top of the swing the grip of the right has opened up until it

n con

of the club to swing well and freely back. But the grip of the thumb and first finger of the right hand, as well as

y: "As the club head is swung back again towards the ball, the palm of the right hand and the thumb of the left gradually come together again. Both the relaxing and the retightening are done with the most perfect graduation, so that there shall be no jerk to take the club off the straight line. The easing begins when the hands are about shoulder high and the club shaft is perpen

n golf in which the right hand is called upon to do most of the work, and that it may be encouraged to do so the hold with the left hand should be slightly relaxed

on wishes to express the idea that, generally spe

e right hand is called upon to do most of the work," I may say that Vardon does not, in the whole of The Complete Golfer, explicitly describe any one stroke wherein he shows that the lef

page 55 of How t

ghtly as if one were afraid of losing it. The right hand should hold the club a little more loosely. The left hand should hold firmly all the way through

nd definitely that "the left hand should hold firmly all the way through." It is somewhat difficult to reconcile these directions, and it is obvious that if the right is going to "

n." Let me pause here for a moment to ask how it is possible for "arms, wrists, body" all to be "in their highest state of tension," if the right hand is to "open a little at the top of the swing to allow the

f tension." Therefore, we must take it that James Braid's advice at page 55 of How to Play Golf is over-ridden by his advice at page 57 of Ad

ing machinery is wound up to the highest point." It is impossible to get away from that. We are told that at the beg

t well. I repeat it for the third time: "Every muscle and joint in the human golfing machinery is wound up t

Taylor on Golf. At p

t be allowed on any account to over-power the left. The idea is that the latter arm must exercise a predominant influence in every stroke that may be playe

influence in every stroke that may be played," and although he says explicitly that his own grip with both hands is very fir

at Golfers, says in dealin

ng very little until the hands are opposite the right leg, when it be

lds very firmly with both hands, that he does not carry out this dangerous teaching.

on shots. He consulted a professional, who endeavoured to cure him by telling him when playing his stroke to

rely a professional golfer who plays for England and suffers from

? Let me quote Taylor again. At

ner is just as naturally prone to use it. But in the game of golf he must keep in front of him at all times the fact

s the basis of its great difficulty, but it is a difficulty that must needs be grapp

in to this idea himself

hand should not be slack as one is so often told." This is valuable corroboration, for it must be remembered that Vardon

Badminton Library contributed by Mr. Horace G

rather than in the palm, with that hand. In the left hand it should be held well home in the palm, and it is not to stir from this position througho

r. Hutchinso

rise from the ground, and is reaching the horizontal with its head pointing to the player's left, it should be a

tes the power of the swing, and that the chief function of the right hand is as a guide in direction," but notwithstanding the fact that "the chief function of the right h

TE

Y VA

ter than in Plate VI., showing the

w out James Braid's idea of everything at this point being in supreme tensio

himself both by his play and his writing. In the face of this weight of authority it may seem rash to venture to state plainly and explicitly that as a matter of practical golf

redominance of the right be the dominant idea in one's mind, but the

it is an absolutely natural proceeding. The trouble with the fetich of the left is that not only is it a perfectly unnatural proceeding, but it is also, on that account, something extra for the golfer to cumber his mind with during his swing. If he plays his stroke naturally and without any thought of the mismade maxims of unpractical persons, he will inevit

mplete Golfer. Here, at p

rs of golf, and various books of instruction, inform us that we should grasp the club firmly with the left hand and o

very case he will declare that he holds it, nearly, if not quite, as tightly with the right hand as with the left. Personally, I grip quite as firmly with the right hand as with the other one. When the other way is adopted-the left hand being tight an

of the power of the left hand and arm, they do not themselves carry it out in practice. Taylor says that his grip with both hands is very firm, yet he should hesitate before reco

and left hands, and I am confident that in nearly every case he will declare that he holds it, nearly, if not quite, as tightly with the right hand as with the left," present the case exactly. Any man who plays golf properly will find it impossible to tell you how he distribute

o exercise. I say advisedly "try" to exercise, because it never can exercise the power which it is supposed to have. It stands to reason, therefore, that any attempt whatever to ma

rip the club as hard as one can with both hands-in fact, he says as plainly as it is possible for anyone to say anything, that during the whole of the downward swing the muscles are in a state of supreme tension, an

matter splendi

ight and the right hand simply watching it, as it were-there is an irresistible tendency for the latter to tighten up suddenly at

g the upward and downward swing. As Vardon truly says, any attempt to apportion the respective power of the grip of the left and right during the golf swing must inevitably result in disaster, for there will unquestionably be, as he well rem

e left. It stands to reason that if Vardon does ease up with his right at the top of the swing, he must during his downward stroke restore the balance of power. It seems perfe

ched the ball again, he removes from his swing the danger of the sudden tightening-up which he shows will threaten the swing of anyone who attempts to let the left hand have the predominant grip. It seems to me perfectly clear

ary golfer-there is only one way to apportion the force of the left and right in the grip, and that is not to think about it at all when one is doing it, but to grip very firmly with both hands,

founded on another fallacy, namely, the fallacy of the present overlapping grip. Now this sounds like rank heresy, and I may as well say at once that I am not

no importance that most of the matter which is published about golf is entirely misleading, for that is not so. This misleading matter is followed by an enormous army of golfers who are not able to think out the matter for themselves, but there are a very great number of golfers

apping grip does to a very great extent, but this grip was tried by Vardon, and it very soon became almost universal. However, I think we are justified in asking if this grip is undoubtedly the best that it is possible for us to get. Before t

on Golf, speaking of

first joints of the fingers, providing this is done, being just in sight. Nothing more or nothing less. This is the grip generally accepted as being orthodox, and the one generally favoured by the majority of those who decide to foll

covered that this does not detrimentally affect his play, so I presume that may be taken as a satisfactory proof that the orthodox way may sometimes be departed from. Then, after Mr. Ball, I might m

e overlapping grip, which

roken away from the best traditions of golf, and taking best and best of those who have adopted the modern grip and those who have maintained the old grip, there is practically "nothing in it." Looking at the grip of men like Mr. H. H. Hilton, Mr. John Ball, and Mr. Edward Blackwell, it would, I think, to-day, require

thereof is obtained from his right hand and arm. Now that being so, let us say for the sake of argument that he desires to improve his play by bringing the action of his wrists into greater harmony by adopting the overlapping grip. Surely one is confronted with this questio

and the hand which is operated by the stronger arm, and having got this grip, proceed to overlap with the left, always a

the present overlapping grip. The fact is that we are inclined to take a much too complimentary and optimistic view of our exploits. Golf has now come to such a pass that it is played almost perfectly by a few of the best players, so that we have come to consider a five by a leading player as a serious lapse; but we must not judge the great body of golfers by the perfect players. These men would probably play very well under any conditions which cou

rs the great game of golf was played, and was well and truly played by men who never dreamed of putting part of one hand beneath the other-who would have scouted the overlapping grip and the levering of the right hand off the shaft as sacril

eterred from our speculation, from peering into the future. Of course, the essence of the overlapping grip is that it reduces the conflict of the wrists, and so conduces to greater accuracy and to less interference with the rhythm of the swing. It stands to reason that in the old days of the

nant partners in the production of the golf stroke, although there are many of the old school who sti

ull grip, and not as it is at present, pushed off the shaft so that the grip of the dominant hand is practically reduced to that of the thumb and the first and second fingers. If this point is conceded the right hand obtains the full benefit of its

the present overlapping grip, but it unquestionably carries the main idea of the overlapping grip to i

s subject, so I shall give them some additional food for thought. Some time ago, a golfer who was capable of removing Mr. John Ball from the Amateur Championship Comp

apping grip, with the exception that I allowed my thumb to remain out and to rest on the back of my right hand in a line with the knuckle of the little finger. I was astonished to find how closely it seemed to bring the wrists together. The injured golfer would probably have the ideal golf

h the grip which is most in vogue, and with much striving after an exaggerated swing. It is not wise for us to think that there is nothing to discover or to improve on in the grip. The

on the power of the left by Mr. Horace Hutc

rather than in the palm, with that hand. In the left hand it should be held well home in the palm, and it is not to stir from this position througho

ve a position for producing a drive as one could possibly imagine, for the right elbow is considerably above the player's head and is pointing skyward. It would be an impossibility from such a position to obtain either adequate guidance or power from the ri

ng his elbow well down and as much as possible in the plane of force indicated by the swing and the shaft of the golf club. These photographs are very interesting. Mr. Horace Hutchinson says that the golf club "should be held well home in the [left] palm, and it is not to stir from this position throughout the swing," yet at the top of Mr. Horace Hutchin

and purposes, a right-handed stroke. This photograph was taken in action and at the rate of about one twelve-hundred-and-fiftieth of a second, so that there cannot be much doubt as to

Hilton in Mr. John L. Low's book Concerning Golf, subscribes to the idea of attempting

hand comes in on the down swing to add force to the shot, and all parts of the player's anatomy cohering together, the impetus will carry his shoulders round, a

distance, and we are distinctly advised by Mr. Hilton to play our stroke in a manner which Harry Vardon has clearly laid down as almost certain to lead to irretrievable disaster, for starting

he speaks of the right hand as coming in to add force to the shot, whereas, in fact, the main portion of the force is provided by the right,

f the left. It is another one of those pernicious fallacies which absolutely strike at the root of the game of the great body of golfers, and it

from a letter received by me from the professional of an Am

per use of the right arm, but they must go, and I am glad to see you voiced sentiments