|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources |
|
|
|
Remembrance of Swings Past
| Article
# : |
15941 |
|
|
Section : |
BOOK WORLD
|
| Issue
Date : |
7 / 1989 |
3,417 Words |
| Author
: |
Bradley S. Klein
Bradley S. Klein is Research Associate at Harvard University's
Center for International Affairs, where he is completing a
book entitled Social Theory and Strategic Studies. He is also
a free-lance sportswriter and the monthly golf course
architecture columnist for Golf Week. |
PERFECT LIES
A Century of Great Golf Stories
Edited, with an introduction by William Hallberg
New York: Doubleday, 1989
397 pp. $18.95
Golf gnaws at the mind. There are those pristine moments when the swing is simply perfect, when with no effort the ball just jumps off the clubface on a beeline for the green. You're standing there, fidgeting slightly, preparing to begin the swing, and then in little over a second it's over--the follow-through completed, the body in perfect balance, and the ball hurtling skyward on the loveliest line of flight. It's the most inspiring sight in all of sports, and it makes all those painful hours on the practice tee worthwhile.
But there are other times when an all-out effort is required and when nothing you do suffices. An alien neurosis occupies the body. You have no idea how to grip the club or how to begin the swing. Everything is contrived, all equanimity lost. One thousand lessons acquired through vast expenditure of time and money are all gone to waste. A hopelessly complex internal discourse threatens to overwhelm the brain. You try to block the rush of remembered swing keys, as they are called, little slogans to be played and replayed as you prepare to strike your next shot. "The v formed by the proper placement of the right thumb and forefinger upon the grip should point directly to the right shoulder." "At the top of the swing, the club should be pointing at the intended target." "As you begin the downswing, keep the right elbow tucked tight to the body." Private clues, threatening to break out beyond control
... (1999 of 19868 Characters)
Read Full Article
|
|
