Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-10
BY CHARLES oCHlCK) EVANS. JR.

There seems TO be a peculiar fascina-
ton about driving ball a long distance
and the query most frequently made of
prominent golfers is how they get dis
lance. Every golfer seems proud OF
any achievement along this line and
know myself how feeling of self-satis-
fed pride swept over me when one OF
my golf friends told me that | had
driven farther on Il long hole on the
old Elm course in Chicago than any
one had ever done before. | must say
however, that | usually consider the
easiest man to beat in match is the
long driver long driver, naturally
takes pride in his ability and conse-
quently forces himself to the utmost to
get yardage. The result all too fire.
quently is that such a player sacrifices
rhythm and usually displays a decided
tendency to hook or slice,
This last fault is necessary corollary
of using strength at the expense OF
rhythm | remember well an old gen
tleman who never drove more than from
100 to l25 yards who used to take an
especial delight in inveigling some stall
wart young college boy into a match
The youngsters would usually look with
sort of dsdain on the contest, but
that was only at the start
Outdistance Veterans
They would step up to the ball and.
with a mighty swat, get twice the dis
tance Of the veteran but he almost in
variably took their measure and enjoyed
a good laugh on them in the finish be-
cause his l00-yard drive always went
the right direction while they. with
alarming frequency, landed in the rough
The classic instance OF the short driver
defeating the cannon BALI artists is
the match of Travis who, playing against
Edward Blackwell Of England. was fire.
quently outdriven as much as $50 yards
on some holes by the muscular English
man in d British championship. Travis
didn't have the drive, but he had every.
thing else, and took the honors by @
comfortable margin. When one looks
/ over the list of golf champions he sees
| the list of very very few players noted
| for particularly long, strong driving.
| And so we may say that while Ions
/ drive is, Of course. a golfing asset u
| must never be employed at the expense
of consistency and direction.
Hutchison Has System
! My friend Jock Hutchison drives
very long ball and his method is quite in
| terestlng, When he is going with th'
/ wind he puts his ball pointing upward oil
I the sand tee. when he is going agans
| the wind he places the ball pointing
/ downward This Is an idea which man!
| drivers striving for distance may wei
| follow The drive with the woodel
club is, Of course. the fullest stroke o
the game, but player should never for
get that II is better to get distance con
sistently than to get an extrabrdinaril!
long ball off the tee on a few holes ant
then perhaps, top. slice or hook severa
shots Aside from the thrill whicl
comes from driving particularly lonl
tall the shot Is not Of exceptional value
At least in my own personal experience
| It makes no difference to me II my oppo
nent outdrives me from the tee.
In trying for distance one must al
ways calculate the wind, direction, an
velocity, as pointed out above. TIL
condition Of the course is also a factor
for on a hard-naked course the rol
may be counted on to carry ball fur
ther than shot which is played with all
carry Walter Hagen, for example
drives high all-carry ball. always goo
for about $50 yards and he IL seldor
outdriven excepting by player who
favored bv hard-baked course.