Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-02-04
GOLF GOSSIP

Would it be an advantage If the
people in America followed the exam
pie of their British cousins and short
ened their clubs?
Perhaps before going further on that
give some explanation of why the
British players as whole use short
er clubs proportionately to their
height than we do. When J. H. Tay.
Tor first won the British open cham
pionship in 1894 he was the only great
exponent Of the upright swing as OPP
posed to. the orthodox flat sweep
known as the st. Andrews style Since
that time one has, seen the average
swing growing more and more toward
the upright, and it must be some sat
isfaction to Taylor. after his style has
been not altogether kindly criticized.
1t may be due to his great exhibit
ton of golf which would of course win
followers for him, and Vardon's per
feet grace, though he too did not fol-
low the ST. Andrews swing entirely,
or it may be an outcome of the end
less variety of golf courses with their
different kinds of hazards. ST An
drews, you know. is practically free
from cross bankers, and the long, low,
raking shot from a flat, sweeping
swing is ideal on the famous old
course. Perhaps the newer links call
ed for more pitching and consequently
the higher ball produced by more
or less upright swing. do not know.
This is merely supposition on my
part.
Whatever the reason, the fact re-
mains that, generally speaking, the
modern style is more upright than
that Of IS or 20 years ago am re-
ferring to British golf at present With
an upright style one stands more over
the ball, closer to it as it were, and
consequently it is not necessary to
have so long a club as with the flat
swing when the arms are kept we'll
out. from the body in the long sweep
on the ground ere the clubs head
leaves it. This may be the reason
therefore that the idea of shorter
clubs found such favor in Great Brit
ain, where the upright style is now
the general one. {
In America, however. this is not the
case. Our players go back much more
slowly with a flatter style than is
usual in England. This is specially
noticeable in iron club shots, which
we play far too flat { It may be be-
cause our hard sun-baked courses;
make us dread hitting the ground, or
1t may be that as nation we have
not as yet mastered the proper taking
of turf with iron clubs. But this
point I shall have to leave for an.
other article. Whatever the cause we
are-not nearly so upright in style
a conclusion came to some time ago.
] noticed a curious thing which con-
firms me in this opinion When Var
don was talking about Chick" Ev.
ans, and the golf he saw him play
this year, he said Mr. Evans had I'm
proved his game greatly" since he last
saw him. "He is much more upright
In his style" Does Vardon then IA
vor this tendency to foresake the old
flat swing?
On this point shall make no COM
ment. Many people who have used a
certain style for years will ruin their
game forever if they attempt to adopt
one radically different Also, as I
mentioned in regard to grips, what
may be best for one may be entirely
unsuitable for another. If you have got
a good professional, he will know best
WHICH style will suit you best, so abide
by what he advises and do not go off
attempting to interfere with set
swing, because you will only lose the
one without getting the other. | speak
feelingly because I went through it,
as | have mentioned in these columns
before. In my case it was through no
fault OF my own, but due to. young
professional who knew only one way
of playing the game and tried to make
me adopt it. AS | was all off my own
style and little less sure of myself
than now, | gave in and tried to learn
his way. The result was five years
weary striving with the best prOfes-
SIGNALS l could find, to get back to
my old swing again. which was the
style that suited me best
Do not cut off your drivers if your
swing is flat. If you find you are get
ting better results, either keep to that
or get the club cut as you choose,
but remember always that until you
can execute shots as EardOn can with
any kind of club you need not ex-
pect to play like him even if you
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