Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-07
WHY ARE BEST PUTTERs
USUALLY WEAK DRIVERS?
Golfer, Answers Pertinent
Question.
Travers and Graves Among Five Best
Putters Golf Has Produccd-Iiil-
ton Gives Own Theory In Interest
ing Article on Game.

y discussion that Is likely to prove
interesting 10 golfers on both sides oi
H. Hilton in the British goliing nnEo-
zine OF which he is editor the former
h ,,,ia o. both british ana Amer, ia,
tho good putter is generally MI indifcr-
cnt driver.
Al FIRST blush the premise tina, good
put,ers are Of Indifferent SKIN With Tia"
wood may not seem true. but Hilton
anticipates this objection and names
the I'VE men he considers the best put
tcrs the game has produced, and then
points out that not one of the hv" was
IN the topmost rank as AN exponent
OF play with the wooden clubs
To Americans. ililton's selection Of
the 1--WE leading puttcrs OF the world
VIII be interesting. even though II Is
iio selects three amateurs and two
professionals. and two Of the i've are
Amcricans. "A striking tribute - the
progress Of the game in the United
states. Tho members OF tic great
quintet are John l.. Low, the only one
OF tho 1--WE who vas never a champion.
but who WAS runner up for the British
amateur title IN 1907 and semi nua =
list twice before that: Jerome -. TRAY
me United states Walter !. Travis.
three times boiler 81 the same titlc
and British amateur champion IA 1901 Z:
Willie Park. British open champion TIA
1915. 1857 aud 1883 and Jack White.
vino Non the iritisi; open IL. 1901. THAT
Hilton should place two Americans on
such u small ana select list. shows that
on tho putting green's Travcrs and
Travis have few equals in the estima-
ton OF one Of the worlds greatest
OF The Skin with the wooden club
displayed by his i've great put,ers
Hutton has this To say:
Expinins Plnyrr's wcnknerx.
But Notwithstanding tn" success 81
Walter Travis on what is generals as
sumcd to be a drivers course ISauh-
wich) we AFRO probably correct IN say
Ing that the critics on the other side
have less respect for his wooden club
playing than they have for his play In
any other department Of his game:
ana they viii tell you that his great
measure Of success * all the more re-
marRabi". IN that his wooden club
play Ia weak In comparison with that
Of the majority OF the most serious
rivals ne has 10 meet.
The other American amateur whom
we nave mentioned In our list Of cN-
cepiionaily hne ,putters- Jerome TRAY
crs--inRy he said TO he almost notorious
for the Inequalities to be found in his
play with wooden clubs; Will. John
Low. Willie Park and Jack White are
even creator fame Than has been &C
corded 10 thc'n had they during their
various careers. evidenced hut an av-
when playing the long game"
iiaXinR asked his question and given
MS il!ustratton., Hilton gives his own
/" be poor driver. He says:
some considerable time ago We per
sonaiiy came 10 the conclusion that
while the secret of good wooden ciub
play Is the successful blending OF In.
Work aDportion.d to the TWO hands ami
that both hands must play an iinpor-
tant part In the task appointed on
tho other hand. in the art Of putting n
more or less equal distribution OF the.
work between III" two hands IL not in
any way essential, and IL is better that
one hald preferably the lower handJ
should take command and that the ON
er hand should he quite subscrvicnt TO
~. In Other words, putting Is n one.
handed phase OF the game, and il the
greater portion of the labor is accom-
left hand should be utilized merely to
STEADY ana balance the club In saw
ing this ~" 81" not wish 10 infer that a
man cannot be good puttcr merely be
cause n" distributes The work more or
Tess equally between the two hands.
our contention being that IN a parf Of
'nc gam" IN which such "a small amount
ni force has to he applied Is a perti
marry difficult matter 10 distribute the
lctl hnnd and on" hand VIII uncon-
sciously take command and quite unset
me machinery OF The original plan.
Ana We AZ" inclined 10 maintain that
thls theory may 20 a long way to OK :
pla!h Why so many wild and inaccu-
rae n,Ncrs are such successful and
accurate prttcrs. They are naturally.
=, inclined TO apportion to the under hand
an undue proportion of the work and
this icads 10 inaccuracy in the long
game, but 10 accuracy on the putting
green"
me question advanced by Hilton is
u mover one mat has not been discussed
10 any appr"Ciablc extent and i,
OPENS up fresh field 10 those golfers
VINO enjoS discussions Of the why's AM.
Wnerel"rsS OF III" royal and ancient
game, which seems to hc devc!ouIur p
rev mysteries with each succcedine
Perhaps when he has exhausted HE
present topic Hilton will ask rha co.
verse or his question and INQUIRE I'M q
me reasons why fine drivers usually