The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-01
lie Ekwn to Be Under Sxvhz FamuuyO Old Ed Beginning 7omorou>Fbn Victor Over Kokhmnmn
GOLF IS HARD TO TEACH
BY THE PRINTED PAGE
Long Articles on How to Play the Game Are Not as
Helpful as They Ought to Be-No One
Rule Applies to All.

has not much more grace Than stout
Storm Patterson. who some day Will
he warning for a place on tn, Lesley
cup teams himself. II he ha- tried
through the medium OF a book to figure
out what swing he should take up and
had read the literature on the subject
published he would undoubtedly have
come to the conclusion that he should
take up with the Hat swing. and the
chances are that he would not have been
the player that h" is to-day.
There are mani advantages to the
beginner. however. which come through
"A study of the reading matter as II
pertains to the stroke in hand, and there
may often come enlightenment to the
player who has Il good game gained
through inherent skill and with "A COM
plete ignorance OF what books say. The
question why" strikes one az being
important once In a while, and 10y read
ing the written page the answer may be
secured. But ] rather doubt whether
one could tell that he was lifting his
head UP on his shots or swaying a trifle
when the iron shots were half missed
through the medium Of an article on the
game. and these are but n few of the
countless other failures which might ne
mentioned here.
Take -four men who have never play cd
IN" game and give three of them a
DOCK on the game or twenty hooks or all
the signed articles in the world. and let
the fourth man play with "A good anna
teur or professional and not have the
latter say a word during the course OF
their rounds on the subject OF golf.
Al the end or a month or a year which
man would be the most advanced. pro-
vided II were possible to get four at
the start OF equal ability? Undoubt-
eddy the man who played with the pro
or the good amateur golfer.
Actual observation means a hundred
times more than anything written. and
a lesson by a competent professional
does more good than fifty lectures on
the subject. And II Is "A surprise 20
ind that the professionals of this land
are taking the teaching of the game
seriously and realizing as they never
nave before the absolute necessity OF
becoming well versed in the analysis
OF what IL needed for the individual,
each being recognized az presenting "A
slightly different case one from the
other. with personal whims and actions
and physical ailments and shortcom-
ings which must be humorcd and IA
vored in a tactful and reasonable man.
ner.
a golfer may sit at home and affirm,
az many do, that he sees what Is
wrong with his game after reading
an article or two on golf, but he seldom
gets the hoped for results. 1t Is the
actual lesson which brings that. And
think that few people would deny
that in the cases where some good does
come II rarely gets its start in the two
or three thousand word articles. Seven
hundred words given out "A hundred
a day is much better than seven hun
dred in one day. The men who need
golf lessons the most from the printed
sheet. II the other IL impracticable, are
not the golf bugs who can sit down and
study ont the problems involved, bui
the business men who have little time.