Swing,Don't Hit
by MacDonald Smith
Think of swinging the club If you want Smoothness and Control
This article first published in The American Golfer, 1930
I Have often been asked what I consider the main reason for any control I might have over the club. To me the answer is simple. As I see it, the golf stroke is a swing and not a hit - and I think along these lines.
I believe that most of the trouble in golf comes from the idea of hitting. When you think of the word "hit" you almost immediately tighten up. You loose most of your smoothness and rythm. Hit means tension - tightening of the muscles. The word "swing" means just the opposite. You know when you swing that you can't tighten up.
Just watch the average golfer or the pretty good golfer take a practice swing. He looks like a champion. You see, there is no ball to hit, so he lets the swing take care of itself. But when you put a ball in front of him, he almost immediately forgets about swinging and starts in to hit. And nearly always he hits too soon.
You have to time a "hit" in golf. But the swing will almost time itself. I think that is rather easy to see. Just remember the power you feel in a practice swing, where you start the clubhead in motion and let it have its way. A large part of this must be mental. No one can think of hitting and then keep swinging. The thought of hitting, as i have said before, kills the idea of just swing the clubhead.
You will find also in swinging that you get much freedom from your hands, wrists, arms and body. They then have a chance to worknaturally and easily without any sudden kinks entering the stroke. I believe in letting the left shoulder come well around towards the right side, and, from the top of the stroke, I swing with both arms, especially the left, which is in charge at the start of the downward movement. I feel that I am swinging the club with my left hand, wrist and arm from the top. The right will always get there in time - usually ahead of time.
In this swinging motion, the weight moves more easily from left to right, than from right to left, just as the hands arms and clubhea travel. I think the basis for control after the swing starts is hitting against the left leg. So I make sure that my left heel is back and mu left side is in place. If the leg isn't ready to catch and hold the swing at the moment of impact, it is almost impossible to have any power left or to have any control. the clubhead will then fly off the right line, either cutting or smothering the ball. I just swing against the left side; this also helps to keep my head in place and to prevent my looking up.
I am quite sure, if all those now playing would only go in for the idea of swinging the club, they would make much greater progress. Let them swing from a good body turn where they can stroke from the nside of the line - inside out. But as long as most of them think only of the hit, they are going to have trouble. They are going to keep on lunging and tightening up, hitting tooquickly, getting the body in too soon.
It seems to be human nature to hit rather than to swing. Most games are hitting games. Yet the golf stroke is such that it demands smoothness and one can get this smoothnessonly from swinging the clubhead in a free, easy way. You'll get all the distance you need.