Show an TN THE midst of the recent good all round robin struggle struggle for or mastery among 15 ot of the worlds best golfers we began thinking again ot of the part that the mental side or mental attitude plays in this baffling game ot of golf the 15 contestants in this tourney were all fine golfers on the physical side de most blest 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 an main a in answer Is ones mental attitude for the day or for the tournament his ability to concentrate al along ong the right lines this ot of course Is an old story but how does one locate this phantom willo will hlll o th ewis I 1 had been watching jimmy demaret winner of seven big tournaments one ot of the main favorites at fresh meadow I 1 had seen him smile and laugh and appear carefree coming up to the ball then suddenly focus perfectly on the next stroke so I 1 tallied talked to demaret the texas tarantula of the ancient green demarets angle 1 1 I I drew a fine break in the art of C concentration when I 1 was a young kid demaret said there were nine in our family there was always a turmoil around I 1 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 1 had to force myself to think of what I 1 was reading or working over in spite of these outside distractions so I 1 had to develop the habit of quick 4 concentration from an early age when all lasting habits are usually formesi for medI mean the ones that t usually stick with you heres a funny angle I 1 am supposed to be tree free from any nervous trouble yet I 1 am one of the most nervous men you ever knew I 1 mean until a tournament starts im even nervous in practice but when n the tournament gets under way I 1 t turn back to my kid days forget everything else all the outside distractions I 1 think of only one shot at a time and I 1 think of a round after the fashion of one shot at a time what to think about abou t bobby jones once told me I 1 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 hurried next the full body or the needed body turn and last cocking his left wrist at the top of the swing 1 I also think of about three things before playing a shot the texan said first I 1 want to be sure I 1 have a firm comfortable and correct grip next I 1 want to feel that I 1 have an easy comfortable stance last I 1 also want to be sure I 1 dont hurry burry my and that I 1 also take lake the needed amount of body turn golf demaret said is a game you play largely with your hands wrists and forearms they swing the club head the body should work together with the hands but in most cases the body works against the hands the average gover goffer lets the shoulders and body or maybe the feet and legs tie up the hands now the average golfer has a hard bard time concentrating because he tries to think of too on many things it cant be done he merely gets a blurred picture of what he is trying to accomplish I 1 believe it in I 1 making soil golf as simple as possible what should the average golfer try to think about I 1 asked comfort and ease he or she should try to think first to in terms of being comfortable and easy and not to get all tightened up after this lie he should think about letting the hands bands and forearms swing the club head he locking his feet and legs or stiffening his body he should have a picture of hands of live hands taking that club bead back as smoothly as possible letting his body turn naturally and from the th top of the swing he should be in no hurry to start any downswing down swing speed where so much trouble comes from hustling or hurrying the downswing which will usually take care ol of itself it if you just learn to leave it alone golf a left handed banded game nor a right handed game it Is a game in which both hands bands swing the club head it nearly as difficult as most players make it it if they would only think of the few necessary things one must so do let yourself Yo ursell go watch any of these 15 players in this field they all give you the impression they are using their hands bands more than anything else and they are they are not thinking about hall half as many things to todo do ai as the average golfer does never mind too many details they just tie you up keep as relaxed as you 1 can when you begin to tighten up step away andrake and take your stance again and dont think of 0 anything but the swing itself of using the hancsin bands hand sin in thi the prope manner |