Thomas Kincaid's diary: extract 2

An extract from the diary of golf enthusiast and Edinburgh medical student Thomas Kincaid.

Transcription

'Jan 20 the way of playing at the golve.

'this posture all the time both in bringing back the club and forward, that is, you most nither raise your body straighter in bringing back the club nor incline it further in bringing down the club, but ye most bring back the club by turning yourself about to the right hand, and that as it were upon a center, without moveing your body out of the place of it, but only in chainging the position of it in thrawing it about or turning it about upon that center, so then ye most cast the weight of your body off the on[e] leg on the other in the time you are bringing about the club: neither most you in the least turn down your left shoulder and up your right in bringing back the club, thinking therby to give the club a larger swinge, and so incresse its force or to raise the ball: for it is a verie unsettled motion that throw of the body whereby you turn down the left shoulder and up the right, so that therby you will verie often misse the ball, and almost never hitt it exactly.

  1. your armes most move but verie little, all the motion most be performed with the turning of your body about. The armes serve only to guid the club and to second and carie on that motion imprest upon it by turning of your body therefore ye most never begin to bring about the club with the motion of the armes first, but their motion most be only towards the end of the stroak.'

More diary extracts:
extract 1 | extract 3 | extract 4 | extract 5 | extract 6 | extract 7 | extract 8 | extract 9 | extract 10 | extract 11 | extract 12

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