The Washington herald., 1913-05-04
GOLF PLAYERS DRIVE
HARDER NOWADAYS
H. H. Hilton, ex-American and ex-
British Champion, Says Skilled Fol-
lowers Of Game Use More Force.
HAVE CONFIDENCE ON TEE SHOTS

II. II. Hilton, ex-British and ex-Ameri-
can amateur champion, considers that
one reason why golfers in general drive
so much farther than they used to do
Is that players of all degrees of skill try
to hit the ball considerably harder than
was the case twenty or thirty years ago.
Indeed, even in the golf of the past
twelve or fifteen years he detects an in
crease of physical force in the execution
of the shots.
What are the causes of this all-arOund
tendency toward herculean hitting? The
man who is in the thrces of an attack
which makes him slice at more or less
acute angles, or who is suffering the
agonies of one of those periods when his
arms feefso restricted that he cannot
follow through properly, may be inclined
to doubt the assertion that all ranks Of
golfers hit the ball harder than in former
times, but there is little doubt about its
correctness
Picturing in the minds eye the scenes
on the course during a club medal day
a dozen years ago, and viewing the tee
shots on similar occasion at the pres
ent time, the point stands proved.
1t is customary to praise or condemn
according to the point OF view the flying
and running powers of the rubbercored
Ddil, LOT what w. j. lTdNlS, Oh 1drOeH
City, described after he had won the
amateur championship at Sandwich. in
1904. as the worst feature of British
golf-the debauchery of long driving"
Whatever may be the dement's of this
particular form of intemperance, 1t has
come to stay, and while 1t enables the
crack players to spoil the lengths of the
holes by hitting the tee shots uncon-
sciously far. it brings gladness TO the
heart of the average golfer.
Probably the first-class player does not
obtain very much longer carry than he
got with the sutta percha ball There is
a difference, but il is not enormous
On hard ground he may obtain d very
much more protracted run. but one great
reason why driving in general is con-
siderably longer than II used TO be is, in
the opinion of r. r. Howard, of the Lon
don Mirror, that the moderate golfer sets
about the task of accomplishing his tee
shot with far greater confidence than
ever thrilled his breast in the days Of
the guilty
The faith born in this knowledge fills
the moderate player with presumption
and resolution; he sets about the task
with light heart; determines to make a
mighty shot; and. as a consequence OF
his trust not only invests the stroke
with greater power than he dared to be-
stow upon the guilty but makes fewer
fooZles
Twelve years ago the principle of
sweeping the ball off the tee was much
more prevalent than it Is today. II was
strongly advocated by instructors. and 1t
remains a very good idea-in moderation.
At the present time the sweeping action
is an excellent thing, and IL is found in
the methods of most good players. But
il is intermingled with a great deal Of
downright hard hitting.
in former period the average golfer
felt that the swing must be right at all
costs, because the slightest fooZle meant
that the guilty would fly a mere mat
ter OF fifty or sixty yards and cost him
just about full stroke.
So he concentrated his attention upon
this sweeping action, and was so intent
upon il that he did not hit hard. So long
as he could get the ball away cleaniy. he
resolved that all would be well.
Nowadays he has far less fear of suf-
fering grave loss of length for a mishlt