Show fy SQ CE I IN TN N THE TIlE midst of the recent Goodall Good Good- I all aU round robin struggle for mastery mastery mas tery among 15 of the worlds world's worlds best best I I golfers we began thinking again of the part that the mental side or or 1 mental attitude plays in this battling baffling game of golf I The 15 contestants In this tourney were all fine golfers on the physical side Most lost of them can hit the ball balla a long long bug way and keep It straight most of them are fine Iron players keen pitchers and at least leasta a few are consistent putters The main answer nr Is ones one's mental attitude attitude atti attl tude for the day or for tor the tournament ment meat his his ability to concentrate along the right lines This of course is an old story But how does one locate this phantom phan tom torn wisp will I had been watching Jimmy Dem Dem- aret arct winner of seven big tournaments ments one of the main favorites at Fresh Meadow I had seen him smile and laugh and appear carefree carefree care free coming up to the ball then ball then suddenly sud denly focus perfectly on the next stroke So I talked to Demaret the Texas Tarantula of ot the ancient green Demarets Demaret's Angle I 1 drew a tine fine break in the art of ot concentration when I was a young kid Demaret said There were nine in our family There was al always al ways a turmoil around I had to learn how to study and concentrate with a football game or some other game going on all around me There was always a din and a racket I had to force myself to think of what I was reading or working over In spite of these outside distractions So I 1 had to develop the habit of quick concentration from an early age when all lasting habits are arc usually usually ally formed I I mean the ones that usually stick sUck with you Heres a funny angle I am supposed sup posed to be free from any nervous trouble Yet I am one of the most nervous men you ever knew I mean until a tournament starts Im I'm even nervous in practice But when the tournament gets under way I turnback turnback turn turnback back to my kid days forget everything everything every every- thing else all the outside lions I think of only one shot at a time and I think of a round after the fashion of one shot at a time What to Think About Bobby Jones once told me I Isaid Isaid Isaid said to Demaret that he thought of at least three things before playing any shot What were they Jimmy asked First the pace of his to be sure it wasn't hurried Next the full body or the needed body turn and last cocking his left wrist at the top of the swing I also think of about three things before playing a shot the Texan said First I want to be sure I Ibave have e a firm comfortable and correct cor cor- Teet grip Next I want to feel that I have an easy comfortable stance Last I also want to be sure I dont don't hurry burry my and that I also take the needed amount of body turn Golf Demaret said is a game you play largely with your hands wrists and forearms They swing I Ithe the The body should work I together with the hands but in most cases the body works against the hands The average golfer lets the shoulders and body or or oi maybe the feet and legs tie up the hands Now the average golfer goUer has a ahard abard ahard hard bard time concentrating because he tries to think of too many things It cant can't be done lie He merely gets reta a blurred picture of what he Is trying to accomplish I believe In making golf as simple as possible What should the average golfer try to think about I asked Comfort and Ease lie or she should try to think first in terms of being comfortable and easy and not to get all tightened tightened tightened tight tight- ened up After this he should think about letting the hands and forearms forearms forearms fore fore- arms swing the lie He shouldn't start locking his feet and legs or stiffening his body He lie should have a picture of hands of live hands taking that back as smoothly as possible letting his body turn naturally and from the top of the swing he should be bein bein bein in no hurry to start any swing down-swing speed That's where so much trouble trou ble comes from hustling from hustling or hurryIng hurryIng hurry hurry- Ing tog the downswing which will usually ally take care of Itself If you just learn to leave it alone Golf Isn't a left handed game no not nor nora nota a right-handed right game Came It Is a game in which both hands swing the club- club head It Isn't nearly as difficult as most players make It If they would only think of the few necessary things one must do Let Yourself Go GoWatch GoWatch GoWatch Watch any of these 15 players in this field They all give you the impression they are using their hands more than anything else And they are They are not thinking about half as many things to do as the average golfer does Never mind too many details They Just tie you up Keep as relaxed as a. you can When you begin to tighten up step away and take your stance again And dont don't think of anything but the swing itself Itsel of using the hands Inthe in inthe inthe the proper manner |