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Show V J CfiAVrLAND 1 TN THE midst of the recent Good- all round-robin struggle for mastery mas-tery among 15 of the world's best golfers we began thinking again of the part that the mental side or mental attitude plays in this baffling game of golf. The 15 contestants in this tourney were all fine golfers on the physical side. Most of them can hit the ball a long, long way and keep it straight, most of them are fine iron players, keen pitchers, and at least a few are consistent putters. The main answer is one's mental atti- J tude for the day or for the tournament tourna-ment his ability to concentrate along the right lines. This, of course, is an old story. But how does one locate this phantom phan-tom will-o'-the-wisp? I had been watching Jimmy Dem-aret, Dem-aret, winner of seven big tournaments, tourna-ments, one of the main favorites at Fresh Meadow. I had seen him smile and laugh and appear carefree care-free coming up to the ball then suddenly sud-denly focus perfectly on the next stroke. So I talked to Demaret, the Texas Tarantula of the ancient green. Demaret's Angle "I drew a fine break in the art of concentration when I was a young kid,"- Demaret said. "There were nine in our family. There was 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 had to develop the habit of quick concentration from an early age, when all lasting habits are usually usu-ally formed I mean the ones that usually stick with you. "Here's 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. I'm even nervous in practice. But when the tournament gets under way I turn back to my kid days, forget everything every-thing else, all the outside distractions. distrac-tions. 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 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 backswing 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 have a firm, comfortable and correct cor-rect grip. Next, I want to feel that I have an easy, comfortable stance. Last, I also want to be sure I don't hurry my backswing 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 the clubhead. The body should work together with the hands, but in most cases the body works against the hands. The average golfer lets the shoulders and body, or maybe the feet and legs, tie up the hands. "Now, the average golfer has a hard time concentrating because he tries to think of too many uungs. It can't be done. He merely gets 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 "He or she should try to think first in terms of being comfortable and easy, and not to get all tightened tight-ened up. After this, he should think about letting the hands and forearms fore-arms swing the clubhead. He shouldn't start locking his feet and legs, or stiffening his body. He should have a picture of hands, of live hands, taking that clubhead back as smoothly as possible, letting his body turn naturally, and from the top of the swing he should be in no hurry to start any down-swing speed. That's where so much trouble trou-ble comes from hustling or hurrying hurry-ing the downswing, which will usually usu-ally take care of itself if you just learn to leave it alone. "Golf isn't a left-handed game nor a right-handed game. It is a game in which both hands swing the clubhead. club-head. It isn't nearly as difHcult as most players make it, if they would ; only think of the few necessary things one must do. 1 Let Yourself Go "Watch any of these 15 players in this field. They all give you the impression they are using their bands more than anything else. And " tney are. They are not thinking about half as many things to do as the t average golfer does. Never mmd ' too many details. They just tie you L up Keep as relaxed as you can. 3 When you begin to tighten up. step away and take your stance again, t And don't think of anything but the I swing itself, of using the hands in the proper manner. |
