The Washington times., 1916-05-28
Sometimes FoozIers Say They
Never Practice, Explaining
Their Poor Form.
By HARRY VARDON,
The Worlds Most Famous Golfer.

II IL a rather curious fact that the
value Of practice Is realised far less by
the moderate golfer than by the crack
player. Often you will hear an invet-
crate foozler say to a champion:
IF l could play like you. / wouldn't
practice as you do; I'd prefer a match
every time"
What is more. the long handicap man
Is not easily to be persuaded into go
ing out for an hour to a quiet corner or
the course and studying in solitude the
questions OF cause and effect. Always
must he have a rival That Ia one or
the reasons that be retains a long ham
dicap One Is so keen In a match or
medal round that It is impossible to
do all the thinking-or, at any rate, the
kind OF thinking-that leads to effi-
cheney.
No matter what the grade Of the golf
er. practice Is valuable to him. Never
can he be so good a player that 1t Is
sonally, have made II a rule to prac,
tice "on my own at frequent intervals
all my life, and / am certain that every
successful golfer has done the same.
there is infinitely more devotion to this
subject among advanced players than
there Ia where the less accomplished
performers are concerned. That Ia pre-
eiseiy why the former are advanced.
The trouble Is to make the less accom-
plished appreciate the importance OF q
lonely hour on the links.
FOR beginner. or foozler OF long
standing, nothing could be better than
an hours practice every day for a
competitive rounds. l know that II is a
lot to ask OF a-psseon who is longing to
prove his progress and prowess by con-
quering somebody. but 1t is the surest
means OF economizing on the links In
time and money that was ever con-
ceived. 1t Is the only way to learn the
things that the professional has taught.
The player who goes straight out
and expects to put the hints into opera
ton as though he had only to hear
them In order to master them Is not
likely to profit greatly by his lessons.
BY the time that he reaches the fourth
hole he forgets nearly everything in his
anxiety to do something better than
his opponent. In my early days as a
! professional. l devoted practically a
year to practice. That was when I was
| at Ripin. in Yorkshire-my first engage
, twenty. Perhaps l was lucky In the
| fact that there were so few players IN
| those days that the opportunity OF a
match rarely presented itself. and so
there was nothing to do but practice
gamekeeper's gun and 60 rabbit shoot
ing while he tried to do holes in any
thing from to 4o
Learned Golf Then.
| In any case. II was during that year
that learned most OF my golf. includ-
ing the overlapping grip. the low-nying
back-spin shot with an iron club, and
| the other ideas that were useful in a
later period. Until ! went to Ripon /
had made very little study of the game.
j had played II, as most people do, for
the fun OF the thing. and engaged al
most entirely In matches and competi-
! lions. l can say with perfect truth
that ] never had a lesson from any
| body There was nobody to give me
onel. but | was very much better
golfer when left Ripon. after a year
than when | went there. Such was the
| result of practice, and its effects 1 re-
member with gratitude.
What | would recommend the aspir.
| Ing golfer to do Is to go out at the
| start with a brassie and an iron. we
will assume that he is going to de-
vote an hour to the business in hand
Let him proceed to a remote part OF the
| course, where he will not be Hurried
by passing couples. and play, tee-shots
| with his brassie for fifteen minutes
then iron shots from the turf for tirteer
minutes. and repeat the process. He
| Will find II convenient to have a dozer
balls and caddie to make the tee
| for the brassie drives and collect the
ball when they have been dispatched
but this is matter for personal con.
sideration.
The main point is that this system OF
| practicing without having to bother
about an opponents shot cultivates the
gift OF concentration, and enables the