Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-10
MOST GOLFERS
POORLY TAUGHT
Chick Evans Believes Pros
Try to Teach Too Much
to NOvices
LEARN THE ESSENTIALS
By CHARLES (CHICKr EVANS Jr

There are times when 7 have a very
strong feeling that many PLAYERS are
sadly overreaching themselves in their
efforts TO absorb useless and unneces-
sarily intricate methods o. play. have
listened to golf instructions literally by
the hour. and have watched the noyice
IN his mental and physical struggle trv-
ing to retain all the instructions in his
mind and execute them with his muscle
The result was usually rerfcctlv futile
Personally never went through this
period which most PLAYERS have TO live
through. as my game was acquired when
boy by observation. imitation and
later as I learned more Of the game .bv
elimination and selection
AS a result of my own experience
and observation. l am convinced that
instruction is not simple enough. It
carries with it too much detail. be-
lleve if were 70 undertake the instrlc-
tion or beginner J should teach him
the underlying principles, for thev are
essential; but ] should allow details to
pretty largely take care of themselves.
so long as the details the pla yer worked
out for himself did not interfere with
the underlying laws of the game. SFor
II seems TO ma an obvious and neces-
.
from another in many details. because of
physical differences. but which need not
in any way interfere with sound golf
| II seems to me nonsensical not to saw
impossible, to try to have tightening
/ sensations in the left hand. to remember
to keep your head so absolutely still
and the various other minutiae of golf
| that are echoed from one golf course
! to another. | believe it is best to be
as natural in golf as possible Just
grip the club with your fingers as IL
falls In your hand. according to any
of the three grips, which / described IN
previous articles and if you will keep
your eye on your ball your head will
he still without giving any more thought
| to the matter Then hit the ball with
thought, of course, but. nevertheless.
with a certain abandon. Too many
jerky ideas interfere with rhythm and
the goltng swing is rhythmicaI stroke
If ii is anything in the world.
| have never achieved a good result
by hitting the ball carelessly. Always
have a definite idea in my mind Per.
haps ! can convey my meaning best by
saying that you should hit the ball in a
care-free, crisp style, but yet not care.
lessly for golf is a difficult game. After
all, IL SINNERS down to a process OF
elimination and you must take from the
| rules those most helpful to you indi.
vidually. | believe that every player
will get his best results. IL after HI
understands thoroughly the fundamen-
tails he will have a few golden rules OF
his own, selected after trial, practice and
advice. The player should remembel
that the swing Of no two golfers is ex
actly alike, but stances, grips and tn,
general ideas should be governed by tn.
general ideas, plus your individua
characteristics. There Is but one methot
Of gripping the club that is universal
and that is gripping 1t with the fingers
OF the finger grip there are three ac
|. cepted variations. There Is a genera
stance that is best. and with II ] an
sure my readers are familiar, whil
there Is a general method of describing
an are with the club which is ais,
fundamental Knowing these funda
mentals adapt details to your indi
viduality.