One of the greatest golfers ever lays down a set of rules that any player may follow to an improved game.

Begginning golfers must learn sooner or later that the game is made up of feels or sensations. It’s only through feeling that certain things are correct that a novice will be able to grasp the significance of what I’m writing about.

What I intend to put over in this article is an idea of how I feel as I get ready to hit and when I swing. This could be used as a guide for playing the game, one especially helpful to golfers new to the game. Certain parts of it should also be of aid to the more advanced player.

The grip

As I place my left hand on the club preparatory to taking the grip, I grasp the handle fairly lightly. The pressure on all the fingers is about the same, but I push on the shaft with my left thumb, which is placed over and slightly on the right side of the grip. My left hand rests more on the top of the club than on the left side. 

I feel that if I would swing the club with only my left hand, I would hit the ball with the back of that hand facing the target. 

I use an overlapping grip and advise most strong people to do the same. I place my right hand on the club so that my left thumb fits snugly into the groove of my right palm. The little finger of my right hand laces over the forefinger of my left hand. My right thumb is on top of the shaft, favouring the left side. 

Should I open my hands after I take my grip, the palms would be directly opposite each other. The palm of the right hand would face the target. This gives me a feeling that my hands are in one piece; meaning being in direct opposition to each other, the result is a neutral feeling with neither more powerful than the other. 

As I look down after taking the grip and placing the clubhead on the ground, I see only the first knuckle of my left hand. The pressure on all fingers is about the same, except slightly greater for the two thumbs and the right forefinger. The latter finger controls the swing, and I can feel its pressure on the shaft more than any of the other fingers, including the thumbs. 

The stance

The stance I use for driving is slightly closed, with the right foot withdrawn about an inch more than the left from the intended line of flight.

To provide a firmer base for my swing, I turn my right heel out somewhat. That puts it at almost a 90-degree angle to the intended line of the ball’s flight. I can feel pressure on the instep of my right foot. This gives me a steadier feeling at the top of my backswing. (More on my backswing in a moment.)

My feet are about shoulder width apart for a driver, but not perpendicular to my shoulders. A line drawn from the outer tip of my right shoulder straight down would touch the ground inside my right heel. A similar line from the outer tip of my left shoulder would touch near the centre of my left heel. 

My knees are slightly flexed at address to keep my body loose and pliable and ready to give the ball a resounding smack. A little more weight is placed on the left foot than the right. 

Both of my elbows are slightly “broken” to accentuate an easy feeling in my arms. 

The backswing

An important thing to keep in mind as you get ready to swing is that at no time should your motion completely stop. When you freeze over the ball, you have a difficult time getting started again smoothly. 

The forward press is an essential part of this theory. However, in my case since my weight is slightly forward at address, you might call it a reverse press. I merely shift some weight to the right foot, then forward again. This gives me a fluid feeling and helps set my feet for the swing. 

Before doing this, I like to flip the club back from the ball. This helps give me the feeling of a secure grip on the club. 

At the start of the swing, I make a conscious effort to move smoothly, keeping the clubhead low and almost dragging it along the ground. I’m careful not to let my hands get ahead of the clubhead as I swing back, however. 

Early in the swing, I’m conscious of co-ordinating arm, shoulder and body movements into a one-piece action. In other words, there is no independent moving or twisting of the forearms in the backswing. 

As I swing back, my chin plays an important part – odd as that may seem. If I keep my chin from moving up or down, my backswing will remain on the same plane. And if I do not move it laterally away from the target, I will not sway.

By tucking my right elbow in close to my side at the start, I keep the path of the clubhead inside the shot at all times. This helps make my swing compact, and there is a feeling that everything, especially my shoulders and hips, turn on the backswing. Beginning golfers should concentrate on keeping the left arm straight throughout the swing. I believe this reduces the margin of error. 

A natural turn away from the ball will bring the clubhead back inside the proposed line of flight. With my wrists loose, I make no conscious effort to break them at any particular time. They will probably start to break (or cock) when they are about halfway into the backswing. However, a beginner should be content with only a medium wrist break. This helps in keeping the swing under control. 

Upon reaching the top of the backswing, I make sure that my grip remains secure. It’s at this point that many novices let go of the club  to obtain a bigger swing. Trust me, that doesn’t work. 

The downswing 

Before I start back to the ball from the top of the backswing, I have a definite feeling that I make a slight pause. I wouldn’t exactly say that it’s a conscious pause, merely a gathering of my forces for the swing at the ball. The golfer who does this will not be tempted to hurry his downswing, thus destroying rhythm. 

Starting down, I am conscious of unwinding the muscles on my left side, which were coiled on the backswing. I feel that I’m inside the shot, and that my swing is compact with no extraneous movements. My left arm is straight and my right elbow moves back to my right side as quickly as possible. 

The thing to avoid at all costs is letting the right hand take over at this point. This would result in wasting power by uncocking the wrists too soon. To combat this, I make sure I retain a firm grip with my left hand. 

Photographs show that I do not straighten my wrists until near impact. However, I must honestly admit that I do not consciously wait for any certain moment to uncock my wrists. The action is simply too fast to be thought about. Like much in the downswing, it just happens.

As I reflect, the feeling that I get near and at impact is that my hands are ahead of the ball. My left hand guides the club, but the right hand supplies the power of the hit. 

I get a feeling of pushing off from the inside of my right foot as I strike the ball. My weight shifts naturally to the left, but remember that this is the result of a proper pivot – not the cause. 

During all of this time, it’s imperative that the head be kept steady. This might seem a foolishly simple thing to think about, but it isn’t. A steady head assures a steady swing, one that does not raise or lower from the normal plane. 

The follow-through

As my follow-through begins, I feel that everything has gone through the ball. It’s as if I have left absolutely nothing behind. My right arm straightens out shortly after impact, and the back of my left hand faces the direction of the shot until the force of my swing brings my hands out and up. They should finish above my head. 

It’s most important not to let the wrists break, or the hands turn over too quickly after impact, or you lose power. Try to swing so that the clubhead follows the ball for as long as possible.

As the swing ends, you should still be in balance. All of your weight should be on the outside of your left foot – you can feel the pressure there – and you should finish up on the right toe. That’s how I try to swing every time.

Images from Golf Digest