You will find from experience that you cannot keep your head in one spot if you stiffen your muscles in any way. Keep your mind on keeping your head in one spot, as I have described, and you will correct a hundred errors into which you would otherwise drift. It will make you loosen up unconsciously.

It is worthy of notice that I have never seen : diy first-class player or even a good player who did not observe this fundamental principle, and there are endless methods of swinging at a ball. In answer to my question as to what particular thing he kept his mind on most during his matches, that he kept repeating to himself as he walked up to the ball at each shot, "keep your head still," "keep your head still."

This convinced me that it was the most important thing to be observed, and I can say that my improvement was more rapid after I began to master this one item than as a result of all other details put together. Now when I make a poor shot I put my entire attention on the next stroke to keeping my head still, and I find it gives the desired result.

You cannot play "hard" and observe this fundamental rule. When you stand with your legs spread rigidly apart and the muscles braced for the effort of your stroke, you will find at the very first attempt to draw your club back from the ball that unless you relax the muscles your head will move. Stand in front of your mirror, or, if out-doors, stand so. That your shadow is cast toward the ball in front of you, and you will find that the muscles all over the body, with the exception of those which hold the head in position, must be relaxed or you keep the head still when you are making your stroke. Allow this fact to sink into your mind and absorb it thoroughly, and then you will find that many of your faults will disappear.

From the foregoing it is obvious that it will be next to impossible to introduce a jerk or a sudden violent effort into any part of the swing without disturbing the balance or moving the head. You cannot jerk the club away from the ball and keep the head still; you cannot swing back too far, or too short, or any way other than is natural to your particular physique. No two persons have the same frame or type of muscles or equal physical development, and it is useless to try to give any rule for these details. Work them out for yourself, but the keeping of the head in one position is the base upon which you must start, because that is the only way you can see the ball clearly.