How to hit a stationary ball – Swing primer
This timeless swing incorporates fundamentals of Balance, rhythm, address position, lining up, waggle, and forward press. Used by many PGA professional and good amateurs, the instructional heritage of this swing can be traced back to the work of Jack Coogan PGA and Mick Stafford PGA.
Swing implies an action that is smooth and regular, the movement to and fro of a pendulum. This smooth rhythmical movement is what every player must try to acquire. The clubhead is going to do the actual hitting of the ball and it is to be propelled by a twisting action of the body.
In order to accomplish this action the player must first address the ball with a sound grip and good posture. A line across the toes of both feet is nearly parallel to the line of play and the position of the ball is nearer the front foot than the back.
Ready to swing.
Start your backswing with a forward press. This is nothing but a slight walking motion toward the target. A relaxing action performed by moving your right knee and hands forward, as the clubhead remains behind the ball. The next move is to start the clubhead back from the ball. This is done with a slight tightening of the wrists, largely the left hand and forearm doing the work.
You don’t go straight back but throughout the backswing the player should try to imagine that the clubhead is travelling around the inside rim of a wheel, of which the body forms the axis. This was a pet idea that Jack Coogan used to keep his swing in a consistent groove.
Before going too far into the swing the player will begin to feel that they must do something with their left shoulder, hip and left leg as they are all making their presence felt. The left hip turns outward, left shoulder comes round and the left knee bends in from the shin to the ball. The left arm remains extended and retains its relationship to the shoulder line throughout the swing.
The commencement of the downward swing must be smooth and rhythmical. Transferring weight from your right foot to the left advances the left arm down to the ball. It is the shift in weight alone that does this; the left arm is not dropped or pulled down. The pace at which the clubhead is travelling must be gradually increased.
The right hand is usually latent in swinging back and starting down. The left hand and forearm have done the work. As the clubhead comes toward impact the right hand moves in to take an equal share in the work and it is not until the clubhead is 18 inches from the ball that the actual force is applied. There should be a sense of the right hand chasing the left through imapct.
As pointed out this timeless swing has many desirable Elements, Balance, rhythm, address position, lining up, waggle, and forward press. The best players always survey the intended line of flight from behind the ball, and in a precise manner step up to the ball and played the shot. I encourage you to continue with his example.