The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-11-21

Bad Habits Early PRACTICE viii
Remedy Evil if Done Persistently.
Writing on the manner of a player
who has found himself in the helpless
state of being off his game, Jerome d.
Trayers makes a few confessions in
the American Magazine. He tells OF
the 1912 national championship, bear
ing out some of the things written at
the time. He says in part:
IN never forget my own narrowing
experience last fall at Garden City in
the amateur championship. l had had
a rather fortunate spring and summer
and had been going at my best since
May in almost every tournament So
when the amateur championship came
on | had fair confidence in my ability
to make a good fight to retain my title.
And then the unexpected happened.
1t was like being shot from behind.
The day before the tournament start
ed, before the qualifying round was to
be played, my maShie went wrong.
Amy man who knows anything about
golf knows the Importance OF this
club, the big part it plays in the game.
1t is a club vital to success, and here,
without warning, l was playing 1t all
over the lot. Nearly every shot l hit
twisted and spun off at right angles
from the correct line. l tried every
way l knew to correct the fault, but
without success.
The next day the medal round
started. and I'll never forget that day il
live to be 500 years old. 1t was the
longest day have ever known. Try as
/ / would, concentrate as | would, l
/ couldn't make that mashie work. L
was out the first nine in forty-four-
/ several strokes above what l should
/ have taken. | managed to steady down
/ on the hOmeward journey and, by sink
ing some long puts, got thirty five,
giving me seventy-nine for the round.
This wasn't so bad, bat in the after
noon | got steadily worse with this
club. and finally when / came to the
last hole. short pitch with the mashie,
took seven and was thrown into a
twelve man tie for last place.
IF had missed one of those long
puts | get down | would have failed
to qualify and would have been out OF
the tournament then and there. 1t was
the closest call | ever expect to have
managed to slip through the next
morning and won my first match. But
l was still way off, and the next day
had my hardest battle on. a thirty-SiH
hole match with Francis Ouimet, who
had been playing brilliantly.
so late that afternoon | called in the
services Of Bellwood. the Garden City
professional. He watched me play {
few shots and then called the turn.
thought l had been doing n number o
things badly. but l was wrong in eacl
guess. My fault lay In the fact that a
| started my club back | bent my lief
wrist too far. breaking tbs, swing. Al
! most at the top of the swing this lief
wrist. in place of remaining firm
would break in toward my body |
was matter Of only an inch in tn
swing. but it meant fifty yards in d
rectiOn. | went out and practiced mex
morning, partially corrected the fault
which had started to become Il fiXc
habit, and managed to win.
Don't let those bad habits grow o
4 you. And don't take it for granted tina
Y you know enough to correct them III
aided. l made this mistake in regar
i to my driving. At one time this wa
one of the strongest parts of my gam,
I Then l became ambitious for eve
= more distance ard began overSwiui
- in@-that is. bringing the club too fl
back and around | added distance
but at the expense of direction, an
before | suddenly realized where
D stood this Overswinging had develOpe
a into a steady habit, and it has bothert
lie and affected my game ever sine
AS result now my hands drawn OF
of the plane of the swing, are force
up, and l am never sure just when
can master this fault. l simply waite