Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-20
GOLF GOSSIP
aRY @I.n

/
We have referred many times in
this column to the weakness which
seems to be characteristic of the game
az played by professionals, so 1t is
pleasant reading for Us in the British
papers that our representatives
abroad this year (both amateur and
professionally have won the admira-
tion of the British for their consistent
putting. For many years we were re-
garded as a golfing nation of hard
hitters who strove for great length
with wooden clubs regardless of the
finer points of the game. Then Mr..
Travis went over and won chiefly
through his brilliant putting; then
the iron play of Trayers and Evans
gained flattering comments for them,
and now this year, Heinrich Schmidt
gave fine example to his fellow
countrymen among the professionals,
on the green. An example they so
ably followed that ii is safe to say
we are in a fair way to be regarded
as nation of fine opponents of the
short game. 1t is curious the way
things go in "streaks." Perhaps all
round excellence may be the next re
rutation we may win for ourselves.
/ trust so indeed, for this Is more to
be desired than any other.
To return to the professionals at
Hoylake: In recent article, Golf II
Illustrated described the habit of our
men of hitting the ball with a de-
scending club, so that at its start the
hall is slightly pinched against the
ground. The writer goes on to say:
''The American habit of slightly pinch
ing their puts caused Ben Savers to
remark that Bob Ferguson. one Of the
finest opponents of the art Of laying
them dead" also did the same thing.
He recalled the fact, which we were
able to confirm, that after Bob Fer.
guson had putted. whether with iron
or wood, there was always a little
nick of turf on the bottom of his club
face
This is just the point in which so
many people fail on the green. They
do not hit the ball below the center
and the natural result Is that If the
shot is the least bit too hard the ball
runs across the cup, often leaving a
difficult put to be holed. No player
who tops his puts can ever hope for
the delightful sensation, so often a
surprise, of "gobbling" putt. This
blissful event only occurs when the
ball has certain amount of back
spin, which. when it hits the back OF
the cup, causes it to bounce back a
trifie instead of bounding forward the
way topped shot with its forward
spin is almost certain to do. The
principle is exactly the same as in.
approaching.
If the shot is topped, it runs SO
much farther than intended, whereas
a properly played mashie shot may
be hit twice as hard yet have so much
back spin that it rolls only q few
feet In fact it is recognized that the
less run you want on a long mashie
shot, the harder you must hit the ball
II you doubt it take mashie and a
niblick and drop two balls about 40
yards from green. Play your mashie
first and we will suppose you have
made an excellent approach. Now
take the niblick. How are you going
to put the second ball as near to the
flag as you did the other with the
mashie? why" you say, "of course
shall have to hit it harder with d
mashie for niblick gets so short a
distance no run to it" And yet you
hit the ball harder than with the 9TH
er club. Why then the shorter dis
lancer" 1t is simple enough. Because
the blade of niblick gets SO far I'M
der the ball and tmparts 80 much
greater back-spin. Apply the same
principle to putting and you will un-
derstand why some puts "gobble"
and others do not. Also why some
which seem to be travelling quite
quickly, and you think are going
away past the cup, suddenly slow UP
when near it and if they do not go
down at least come to rest within q
few inches of the hole.