The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-05-21
Individual Here Has Most L.
cense to Use Whatever Style
Happens to Suit Him.
BY HARRY VARDON,
The Worlds Most Famous Golfer.

which, more than any other, lends It.
self to experimentation and the exploit
tation of pet theories.
Except for the observance OF n few
well-deflned principles. which can be
discussed later, / would not attempt to
lay down any law IN regard to the best
means of getting the ball into the hole.
'There7is no way quite so good as that
which suits the ipdividuai concerned on
the day when his hand. eye and brain
are working In perfect unison.
1 do not mean to suggest by this that
putting is n gamble pure and simple. 1t
calls for a great deal of judgment and ac-
curacy of touch. and Il rewards assiduous
practice. But as regards the manner in
which you stand and the style I'm which
you hold the club and tho sort OF put
ter that you use ESQ long as they are
not downright ridiculous) 1 am con-
fairly free rein. The all-inportant mat
ter Is to light upon n method that gives
you the feeling that you are going to
succeed, and then to practice, II.
doubt whether any two people have
precisely the same touch. which is q
matter Of supreme moment in putting.
1t represents the communication OF the
temperament and the. nervous system in
their most sensitive form TO the act OF
striking q ball. Touch In OF less account
where the longer shots are concerned
because Of the necessity OF firm hit
ting.
In putting. II is delicacy In striking
and happy merging OF caution into
boldness in the mental attitude that pro-
duces the desired effect. Some things-
such as swaying the body during the
movement Of the club-are bad. but the
question as to what is good opens up a
wide field for exploration In which
everybody can spend an interesting
hour. what l would propose Is that.
when the player has discovered the
confidence. he should remain faithful to
II unless II fails him long and badly
at some later stage. and practice II for
quarter Of an hour whenever he has
the opportunity. In these periods he viii
required in striking the ball and the
degree Of borrow" that In necessary on
sloping greens-that is. IL he pursues
his studies, as he should do. on a green
which boasts a certain amount OF I'M
dulation.
Whenever discuss this subject. am
reminded Of an elderly amateur who
used to play on the Mid-Surrey course.
near London. and who was wont to as
tonish strangers by his putting pro-
cedure. One day he was engaged In a
Ancient Club who prided himself on be-
Ing STEPPED to the finger tips in the ira
ditions OF the game. On the first three
greens. the elderly gentleman. standing
consplcuously straddle-legged. as was
driver. Look here" said the st. An
drew's visitor. do you use that thing
for short puts as wcll?''
sihSrt Rqs ssS the Short Sf"' putt
80 I hnN
always take this for short putts"-and
diving to the bottom OF his bag he pro-
duced a specimen OF the ordinary house
hold hammer!
Choose Own Club.
/ hesitate to think that anyone need
have gone to such extremes as these.
but there Is every reason why the play
err should select the club that takes his
fancy, whether II be made OF wood.
iron, or aluminium. without paying
slavish attention to the types preferred
by other and possibly better golfers.
FOR three or four years. l suppose that
was about the worst putter In the
world TAT any. rate rs reE1rds short
putts) and during that period the only
relief that ] obtained from my. oppres-
sion when II became absolutely over
whelming was by means of a rather
foolish looking club. I had a putter
made about foot long. and took II
with me to play In the French open
championship at Versailles; faris,
II served me very well for two
rounds q was leading at the end of
IS hoies), but it's virtues disappeared
in the third round, and i finished
striving to hole out with an iron
Still. 1t was my own fault that the little
he saved me day of misery to
which l had grown accustomed:
The one point on which ] would be
dogmatic in connection with putting
Is that the body should be kept alb
solutely still while the swing Is In
progress 1t is presumed that the
player appreciates the necessity OF
keeping, his eye fixed on the ball until
1t has been struck, and that he is q
believer in a rhythmic fOliow;,throug,h ?,
connection with every shot in the
game, and the fundamental principle
in which putting differs from the
other strokes In golf is that II Il
kept absolutely .stiil, the whips not
turning or moving in the slightest
degree, and the arms swinging the
club back and forward like the
pendulum OF clock. i have learnt
| this from experience.
All of my bad short putts-Gnd they
have been many-havc been the result
OF moving the body, which, in turn, has
been the outcome of a Merry amp In
the right. forearm. caused / know moi
how. Doctors have been puzzled eX-
ceedlngly by that nerve which nearly
always dumped" the instant before the
4 impact for a short putt. CuriouslS
enough, 1t never affected me when
was playing a long putt. One doctor
encased the arm for several days in q
substance like plaster OF paris. but
| am not sure that any distinct improve
ment cnsued. Probably loss of conf
dence was the whole secret OF tn,
trouble.
Putting Is an Art.
During recent years, putting has re-
sumed in a large degree the dignity o.
an art. which was Its Just reputation
in the age of the gutta percha ball. !
was the light and skittish rubber-coreC
ball that prevailed for some time afte
the suppression of the guilty. tina
put the experienced golfer on tenter
hooks. He did not know quite how I,
deal with IT.: sometimes the smnles
scuttling Oft the line. Since the intro
duction of the smaller and heavie
ruhber-cored ball. putting has had
pleasanter resemblance to It's old sta
bility.
At the same time. I believe now 1,
tie pendulum strokc-thc still head an,
body. and the arms swinging the clul
| backward and forward-aS onnoead n