Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-13
GOOD GOLF WHILE PRACTICING
OFTEN MEANS BAD GOLF LATER
Many Players Find It to Be the Case and Are
Wary of Record Breaking Before
Journeys Start

the question naturally arises whether
we can prevent such occurrences.
feel that not only Is it possible. but
in the years to come quite probable
that this will come to pass: We will
study our game not only in connec-
ton with the making of shots. but
also our today's golf in connection
with tomorrows
1t has been said on numberless occa-
sions of Jerome Travers that he only
plays in his matches to be little bet
ter than his opponent, to take an So
If his opponent is Sc. and SO on. His
history in match play would seem to
hold true, partly at any rate. with this
theory. which is only an offshoot of
the other matter which we are pre-
senting. In some such manner and
measure will golfers who take part
in tournaments of prominence study
their game.
Some golfers are doing this very
thing now. An instance to show that
this is not visionary theory: Before
the recent open championship I was
talking with a professional. either Carl
Anderson or Tom Kerrigan, who had
Michael Brady. I asked him how
Brady was going and he said. Fine"
What score?" asked. "Seventy-eight.'
was the reply. l said that IS was MOTH
ing extra. and then Carl said. NO.
maybe not, but Mike could have been
missed shots; he was playing too
good golf. SO he said, and was afraid
that if he made a II or ~ that score
would be gone from him forever" In
the championship proper Brady made
II in his second round, which put him
in the running for first place. 1t would
be difficult to convince the former Mas
sachusetts open champion that it was
not partly due to the fact that he had
done some scheming in his preliminary
10 fIaf pro hoc ,lx.,o ,-c
eased up in his practice play before
many of the other big tournaments in
which he has been a constant, and it
has. 1 think. helped.
The answer, secret or whatever it is.
therefore. may find one solution in the
intentional lack Of concentration which
will bring about a shot of uneven
worth. but, because of the previous
knowledge of the player of his evident
purpose. will not work a lasting harm.
On such days is the time to expert
ment with certain shots. to be sure and
be up to the hole, with the possibility
of being we'll over. The golfer can feel
his top form, but he can preserve it if
he will.
As to Intentional Miss.
1t sounds queer, a bit foolish, per-
haps, to speak Of the intentional miss
But is it? Every one will admit that so
far we have found no stated or effica-
cious remedy for a golfer which will
keep him at the top of his game;
physical ina bility, mental and eye strain
and all the rest of it combine to make
all odds in favor of a letup every few
days. 1t may be impossible to prevent
the letup, but the time of letup may be
better determined than it has been.
planning the shots surefies the judg-
ment, and a golfer of class becomes at
times we'll regulated piece of golfing
machinery.
Those whose joints get rusty or too
loose never win championship titles
Only the men and women who are
keyed up to the play at the right time
come through. l know of several play
ers who, 1 feel reasonably sure, would
have done exceptionally well in anna
teur championships if they had not
played a number of rounds before the
regular event, where a sum Of money
was laid on the outcome of the matches,
and the efforts made used up all the
reserve strength of play and brought
them on to their game a bit sooner
than was best In this connection I
think that the four-ball matches which
are played before the championship
proper are very likely the unrealized
means by which most of this tension
and chance for too good golf has been
eliminated. The tendency of not holing
Jul III manly cases ana the
tions which one knows are always lib
eral help in this direction.
Match play for week, as is the case
in the amateur, does not come especial
ly under our topic: it is the three-day
tournaments and the one and two day
medal play meetings which call for
deep thinking and scheming, and the
can benefit more perhaps
than the amateur. Several of the pro-
fessionals in the field at Baltusrol went
on record as saying that they would
much prefer to play on the first day
and have rest of a day, provided they
were playing very well, but few who
had been teaching for the most part
and had few rounds wished to have an
other practice round on the Tuesday
and play on the Wednesday, keyed up
to real necessity. In this way they eX-
There is a difference between playing
too much golf and too good golf. 1t
would not be said truly of Nichols that
he had played too much golf. for he
others in the tournament: he simply
played superfinely at the wrong time.
J. H. Taylor tells us that we play best
when we have the vacant mind. which
means, however, when We are not wor
ried by. anything. IT,. therefore. one
finds himself before the proper time
playing with undue precision. particu-
arly when medal play is the feature,
he should study his game, his mental
attitude toward it and experiment every
now and then in the course of a round,
foregoing the glow which might come
from an especially brilliant round.
Practice rounds are never mentioned
when the real affair is on. Try varia-
lions on your shots when the mood is
On for killing round. This might well
take the form of a resolution which
when carried out would send the ball
past the hole on both the approach and
the putt. That seldom happens. you
know.