How to get right blend of action in swing

October 17, 1984

Every time I play golf at one of the courses where I am a member, I see an inexpert golfer here or there lunging or lurching instead of swinging. He or she is simply using too much body and too little arms and hands.

If urged to stand still and just to swing the arms and the club, he or she will often freeze and use too little body action. There is an answer to this predicament. And here it is:

Practice swinging the arms, hands, and clubshaft back past the right leg (if right-handed) with no body movement at all. Then as the hands pass the leg, turn the body. Simply turn round so that your back is to the target. Stay completely relaxed, as if you were turning round to wave to a friend. Let the arms swing back and up and the left wrist cock quite naturally.

Now swing the arms down ''on an inside track,'' allowing your body to move to the left, still in quite a relaxed fashion. You may find your left hip leads the action automatically. If so, good. Let it.

As to the follow-through, let the body respond to the swing-through of the arms.