The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-19

| IN ltseH win the irons he IL an up
right swineer pure and simple. His arms
are held much stfler at the moment OF
| impact with a jigger than when the shot
! Is made with n midrOn
! Mr.. Oulmet has patterned his iron shot
play very much after the manner OF his
drive. That Is to say there IL no marked
degree of difference in stance or swing
except for the distance which the club
head IL carried back. | attribute this to
the fact that he has made "A conscious
effort to be az uniform as possible. and |
believe also that some II not the greater
part Of his success has been due to this
fact. There are countless golfers who
change their style with each club. Some
do this unwilingly, but seem to think
that they are under the restrictions OF
the length and the shape OF the various
implements. Such is by no means tho
case with Ouimet. for his whole game
from the drive down to the short mashie
pitch Is built upon one basic idea
l was much interested when following
the amateur champion last month at Elk
wanok to discover whether tHere was any
definite amount OF turf. approximately
speaking which he thought Il was neccs-
sary 10 take in the playing OF his iron
shots. am glad 10 say that he was and
Is under no fetish idea that II Is abso-
lutely essential to dig up real estate In
order to get bona fide shot When n
golfer has a short and stocky swing IL Is
generally necessary for him to force some
, resistance In order To- Tot long bnll, hut
when "A player has a smooth swing.
sweeping stroke and the bah Is sitting up
nicely he may. like Mr. Ouimct. decide
TO play II clean, or else take minimum
Of turf. On his cleck shots the amateur
champion IL still prone to take full
swing. but az these come so seldom We
may forgive him for his lapse from the
orthodox belief
4 contrast nm tho tutfiut. aida ia worry
entert aiming. for both Traycre and Oulmct
are splendid putters. To my mind thorc
Is little comparison so fer as the STYLES
go. Travers easily taking the prize. hut
at the same time il must be remembered
that Ouimct has set @ new stvie altog, ther
for followers OF tho game to initiate. Up 20
las; year Mt Garden city there probably
was not one golfer In a thousand who
putted IN the manner similar 20 Ouim,ts
style. IL was his own Individual EFFORT.
and yet il must be admitted that from
every standpoint except that OF looks,
perhaps, 1t has sound features. But al
though this method presents 70 the eye
ease. grace. feeling OF security that
tho bail will travel toward the hole and
that II will be hit spuaroly. although We
admit these facts We stili find that - Is
an individual putt which cannot DO ac-
CURED without the hardest sort Of work
and which can bring a sea OF troubles
W Al' bo'StFF'A "a A' - JNHN - WV W.
of
Perhaps "A bit OF detail may help IN
showing how the champion puts He
says: In my putting | take "A stance well
over tho ball In fact my head is directly
over the ball and the latter is about mid
way between the two heels the stance
being fairly open. ! have tried putting
of the eft foot, but have found that
there was "A tendency TO stab the ball
Taking the club back my wrists do not
come into play at all mote this aston
shng faCD, the backward motion start
ing from the left shoulder and coming
back from the right. Ike pendulum
II In the right hand which imparts the
blow. and | endeavor TO get distinct
follow through with the face Of the club
head at absolutely right angles TO the
hole. do not attempt TO hold rigid
position. but allow my body to 20 for
ward slightly toward the hole The club
head at the finish OF the stroke is be-
tween three and four inches above the
ground, n result which cannot be merl-
toriOusly gained by a Stabhlng stroke"
How different from the way In which
Jerome Travers views matters ana plays.
Travers In his book on the game In
sists that putting Is a test OF nerve and
confidence. He is 10 all intents and
purposes correct, for there are very few
persons who would disagree. Travers's
style in putting, standing with the feet
cosc together. the right foot IN front,
performing the stroke with only the
hands, wrists and arms with the head
still as a rock resembles Odimct I'm this
one very particular matter, that he too
takes a pendulum swing with a straight
follow through
But would like TO proffer the suggcs-
ton that Ia the Ouimet method OF putting
there is less need OF this eXacting nerve
and confidence, l have watched tho
amateur champion many times in his
eighteen hole ma tches and discovered that
As soon as he got into the body swing. SO
10 speak. Just as soon AZ his arms were
working freely and In unison. he
putted like one possessed This has hap
pened time and again. 1t is as prominent
when the match being played !s a friendly
affair az when n championship depends
upon the good work on the green.
This will be evident. am sure, to
those who saw Oulmet in his play at the
amateur championship at Manchester. In
the carly part Of several of his rounds he
was putting badly for him, the bail Just
sliding by the hole.
Just as soon as my putt gets back l
will get out In front" said Ouirnet and
he was right In his surmisc. believe that
his style Of putting gets Its best results
more from physical perfection than from
"A control over nerves.
This would be a delightful thought 10
hundreds of golfers, but the trouble is
that there are few who can successfully
Initiate the champion in his style. | have
seen many who have tried. but never one
who has had any success Mr. Travcrss
method, therefore, appeals 10 the golfer rs
being tho one nearest perfection and he
who would win at golf must, of course
control his nerves and possess confidence
not only on the putting green hut with
each succeeding shot.