The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-06-16

links right now. you would sweep the
club around this way. hit that ball square
and away it would go. further than you
ever sent it before. You know that little
ridge over beyond the deep gully with
the dead sunfowers in it-well, your golf
bail viii drop right there"
at that point all business turns dull
brown and monotonous. The stricken man
arises. feels his arms. is sure that he can
peel the hide OF that tinfernalli little sphere.
He feels just right His coat is on; he is
on the car; he nears the club house; he
clubs and makes out TO the first teeing
plate. puts the ball on the tee, and
squares himself
Now there is such thing as address
ing the ball which causes much hilarity
among the spectators. It consists in put
ting the head OF the club down 10 the
ball. raising the club as if to strike. but
lowering it gently, and doing this ever
and over again, before actually striking.
The man who is sure he can swipe the
daylights out of the bail addresses the
ball once. As he does so the marvellous
change in the ball takes place. 1t begins
to dwindle. He notes his confidence 60
ing and tries TO stop it. and addresses the
ball the second time. The bali is
becoming smaller and smaller. 1t was a
pumpkin seen from his Office; here be-
fore it with its sinister surface shining
at him, it Is a walnut. Feeling that he
may miss il, he addresses IL the third
time. 1t is now the size Of a pea Sud
denly he realizes that his arms are get
ting limp, that he hasn't enough strength
left to push a hole through wet
tissue paper. and gives it up He goes
away from the ball and lines up before
tuft OF grass and whales away at that
viciously. He makes a glorious swipe.
If only the bali had been there. he would
have paralyzed it He is sosure that he
would that he walks up 70 the ball and
slams into It 1t starts of well at a good
elevation and then suddenly ducks to
the ground 200 feet away. Then he is
sorry that he ever left town. and swears
that he will never come again. but mas
much as he is out, he might as well make
an afternoon of it. So he follows up
the ball and gives it indifferenuy a
whack. To his profound astonishment
that ball lifts and sails away through
the air, higher and higher and with a
long even plunge through the air like a
hawk swooping to a higher level. It is a
grand shot, entirely unexpected and un-
intended, but inspiring. He is sure he
didn't hit the ball hard, and he didn't de-
liberate. How did he do it?
Now what he really did was TO follow
through" After a golfer hears the ex-
preston follow through he viii hang
around people who are talking about it.
He hears it said over and over again
that you cannot make a long shot unless
you follow through"
He also hears the philosophy Of follow
ing through. The men who have made
study of golf say that where the head Of
the club follows the ball in its fight 10
the clubs and arms utmost, the head
of the club and ball remain together for
a matter Of ten inches. During that time
the club which is swept swiftly imparts
10 the ball completely the clubs velocity
and always gives the BAH reverse ro-
tary motion. Then the ball has all the
velocity the club can give it. and mo-
ton which buoys it up in the air and
gives It the flight which charms the eye.
After hearing this talk for week or so
q man thinks he can follow through" all
right. He tries it and falls down. 1t
is the most difficult thing in the world
for most people TO master and some viii
never do it, although it looks easy. Most
of the players draw the club slightly to-
ward them at the moment Of contact with
the bali. In that case the ball starts of
well, but has a forward rotary motion.
which brings the bali quickly to the
ground Unless the ball is hit squarely
it viii dodge off to one side or the other
like wet watermelon seed. If it is struck
not swept, the ball will go a considerable
distance, but it will lac1> fight.
The biggest thing in the game is a men
tai confidence; the boys play it well
They are sure they can paste it. and do.
After q man is Juggling around 30 or 30
pounds OF habby fat and isn't sure Of
himself any more. he wouldn't bet ten
cents with a hole in it that he could hit
the side of a barn. And the chances are
that. except when he doesn't intend to
nit it. he couldn't.
But the hope springs eternal, and that
is why so many people keep going and
trying. So true is that matter Of power Of
confidence that the first games played by
novices are good, and practice makes
imperfect speedily
WHAT TTTTrS looks LIKE