Chapter 15. Women's Golf

Country club and golf club operations are being adjusted and changed to take care of a new field of activity -women's golf. The increase in women's golf has been so great that in a short time the number of lady players will equal the men. Everything should be done to encourage women to play golf, because from health, social and recreational standpoints, golf is of greater importance and value to the woman than it is to the man.

There is nothing new or special to suggest to women golfers-in order to produce a good golf shot they are bound by the same three requirements that any good golfer must develop. There must be

1. Footwork, for balance and poise
2. Body action, for power and a graceful swing
3. Hand action, for club position and control

There is no short cut or special treatment for the ladies. To coordinate the above three operations into one smooth flowing action the same double 4 routine must be learned, practiced and followed.

However, some instructors have made a very detrimental suggestion to women golfers, and the main purpose of this chapter is to combat its harmful effects. I am referring in particular to the idea that because the average woman's hands are not so powerful, they should adopt and use the so-called baseball grip, or full four-finger position of both hands on the club.

Earlier in this book a special chapter was devoted entirely to hand action. Later in the book, in discussing hooks and slices, the matter of hand action was again thoroughly discussed and reviewed. I do not intend to review hand action again, but I want to stress one point -if one's hands are weak, then they must rigidly adhere to the basic requirements of correct grip and hand placement on the club.

Any tension whatsoever in the back part of either hand on a golf club is detrimental not only to the positioning of the club on the backswing, but also to the proper raising of the club on the backswing. A baseball grip or a full finger grip is therefore harmful to a player with weak hands. The only truly effective grip in golf is the overlapping grip, and it has become universal in golf not because Harry Vardon popularized it, but because it is the most effective way to handle a golf club.

If a player's hands are so weak that the overlapping grip does not provide sufficient control, then only two things can be done:

1. first be certain that the clubs being used are not too heavy-your PGA professional can immediately deter mine and advise you in this latter regard
2. then practice until sufficient strength is developed in your hands