Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-21


golfer has to do everything for himself,
and when Fate il so perverse as TO make
him do everything badly he is surely the
most unhappy being in the realm Of
sport. For his anguish is long drawn-out
TO the point of being torturous II takes
over two hours to play round Of the
links and when he Is really stale the
shot all that while He goes on strug-
Cling desperately, feeling like an innocent
being led 10 the slaughter and yet hoping
that his power will be suddenly restored
to him. 1t seldom Is in that way, and at
the end of the day his cup of misery Is
full to overfiowing.
am sometimes asked TO suggest a
cure for staleness. II would be more
profitable, perhaps, 10 discuss the pre-
vention than the cure; so far as the
latter Is concerned, the only advice that
one can offer Is complete abstinence from
the game for week or so. Bathing,
Notwithstanding, shootiag-anything is
better for tho golfer than golf when he IL
in the thToes OF this complaint.
The first essential il that he shall come
back fresh TO the game; then II he takes
a lesson 10 make sure that his grip and
stance are correct. thore Is no reason
why he should fail TO resume his old
standard of ability. II happens often
that these periods OF incapacity on the
links are caused by the player falling
into the way OF holding the club wrong
or standing TO the ball incorrectly; with
a glut of golf his concentration weakens,
and unconsclously he alters his grip OF
stance sufficiently to spoil the shot. il
| 10 easy to fall into a bad habit unless one
| has the mind ixed wholly on the task In
hand. and the worst OF overindulgence In
eolf is that It blunts the power of con.
centration. in the early spring of last
I I Rla NinO n well and
| Il was only when, on examining my grip,
1 realized that / had changed the dis
position OF my left thumb on the shaft
OF the club that ! struck happy patch
again.
staleness is a frequent after-effect Of
| a golfing holiday. To draw up a sched-
ule for a rerson who is going away &c
| live the life OF the links with nothing
else on his mind IL. perhaps, O. dreary
manner OF showing goodwill, but II h
| he wise he will arrange his program with
| some regard for the limits of human
nature,
The ideal Eolfing holiday 10, l suppose
that In which four friends constitute {
| party and agree that each days pla,
shall consist Of two singles In the morn
| ing and either q foursome or four-bal
| match IN the afternoon, program o.
that kind is not calculated 10 provoke
anv OF the sufferings that are born o
excess, and il ought 70 be sufiiclent 10
anybody who has the chance OF deVouni
two or three weeks 10 the pastime,
For the busy man who can spare onl
a weeks holiday. II is probably useies
10 prescribe moderation Seeing that h
has 40 many interests as TO be prevente
from devoting much time 70 the game,
will not matter greatly even though h
does contract staienessi the chances ar
that Il will disappear before he had an
other opportunity Of applying himself
recreation. For people who play more Q
less regularly. and In whose annual va
cation golf nils the bill, three rounds
day are bad
Il is a very long while since ! piaye
more than two rounds In a day. ! hav
refused on many occasions 10 so out Il
a third. There Is apt TO arise In one {
those third rounds a stage when the play
or grows weary OF the very sight OF HI
clubs. Iis concentration has broke
down: he has had a surfsit Of the gam
Consideration for his partner or opponeI
eompsls him 20 fnish the Is holas. and I
the end. the element OF staieness ID noul
iehlna within him.