ARMS IN THE SWING

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 124, 27 May 1937, Page 25

ARMS IN THE SWING

PART OF HIPS & SHOULDERS

The first thing to must consider, is that we can only swing the club as fast as the hands will alloy/ us to, says Lawson Little., This is: because the hands are the only contact we have with the plub; therefore, it must be swung through the, medium... of the hands. If we attempted to swing harder than the hands will let us, we lose" control of the club and the shot is a failure. The extra'power for the stroke comes from the big chest and back muscles, as well as the hips. The power coming from the,hips is

appropriately described as coming from a "wrench of the hips" by Bobby Jones. The hips are wound up to the right during the back-swing and when the down-swing is started, the hips usually lead as the first movement.

As the clubhead nears the ball, the left hip is turned away from the ball to the left. This speeds up the clubhead and gets the body out of the way so that the, hands and arms can bring the clubhead'.back into a good hitting position^'' • Here the arms and hands come into;play. As the hips, turn, the shoulders: are also turned away from the balii;,This gives the. amis power, and.lastly;-, just before impact, the wrists uncock and the club is speeded up even more. . ..'.-.;" .'■.'.:.• ■'•"■.- First, there is the unwinding of the hips, and this is followed,; almost in-stantly,-./by..-, the. turn.of; the shoulders. But the/turri.of tKe hips;aria shoulders movesVthe arms rapidly back- towards the baili and while' this is taking place the arms have the chance to accelerate the club with their own power. This action is a pulling down of the left arm and a pushing down of the right. COCKED VVBISTS. : As, the clubhead nears the ball, the wrists- corneinto play. They have been "cocked" for about the last quarter of the back-swing and for about threequarters of the,.- down-swing. A firm grip should be maintained with the left hand, because t . this hand guides the elubhead. When the wrists "uncock," the clubhead should reach" its maximum speed, at the moment the head of the club reaches the ball. The power Jri the golf swing comes from the .combination of a number of forces working together as.described above. When these force's are working in accord with each other, we say that we have good timing. .''-.. If the hips are permitted to make a wide, free turn on the back arid forward swing, the arms will be able to follow the proper path upwards and downwards, to say nothing;;of using the'power vested in them. \j With the hips turning properly-away from the ball on the down-swing, and the arms bringing the club:bn-t'o the ball, there is nothing left .'tfr:.;"d6 but deliver a smashing blow to the ball; by "uncocking" the wrists'with'full force.