Instead of confining themselves to an endeavor to propel the ball forward merely, they feel they must get under the ball and hit upward. The club is "lofted" to lift the ball. All the clubs are built with that very object.

If a beginner was taught that thoroughly instead of a lot of confusing and complicated directions for swinging, etc., he would have a correct mental conception of what he is trying to accomplish. He would find his own correct angles for swinging at his ball, and would be working on a correct understanding of the stroke.

Incidentally he would not take two handfuls of sand for a tee. He would also find when he addressed his ball that instead of the club head being about two inches below his ball he would have the ball directly in front of the face of the club. This gives an easier angle to see the ball and helps the player to hold his head still, because if a ball is teed a couple of inches in the air, and the club is on the ground when he starts, he must make a correction somewhere or he will not connect with the ball, but go under it.

These corrections all tend to disturb the balance and make it difficult to see the ball clearly.

Don't try to get farther back after you have started your swing and attempt to see under the center of the ball; fix your attention solely on propelling it forward. If you do not keep your head rigidly in one spot you will not see anything but a blurred image and you will find it very difficult to hit anything accurately.

A very important factor in accuracy is what is known as the "snap of the wrist" and therefore I shall endeavor to bring out its purpose more clearly. The "snap of the wrist" is made to maintain the position of the face of the club at right angles to the desired line of flight of the ball along line a, as shown in the diagram.

It is much more important that the face of the club is at exact right angles to that line when the ball leaves it than when it is first struck on the tee, as far as direction goes. The fact that most players do hit their ball at right angles and yet get a slice is evidence that what I say is so.

Many players face their clubs in while addressing in order to overcome the slice and to avoid foundering their ball or smothering it; they have to gouge at the ball or turn the face of the club up as they come to it in order to hit the ball clean. It is astonishing how many experienced players do this. It comes from a misconception of what happens to the club during the back swing.