The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-16
PUTTING NERVES.
An Epidemic Among Famous
Golfers.
by II, I'm DEl4sBY HOW tI<D.


Aingling with famous golfers
amateurs and professionale-this
81 ason. one is struck by confess
sion In which they are unanimous.
I'm all right up TO the green. but
I can't putt" IL their melancholy
s.eclaration. What ls the cause of
this lore OF faith and efficiency near
the hole
Prominent players have had their
pertods Of putting paraly sis" sn the
leading individuals have been a.
fected at the same time. 1t has been
Mr.. John Ball for a few months.
Braid perhaps for a year. vardon
even for two years Never has there
been anything like the epidemic OF
1873
Some part of IT may be due to the
present condition OF putting green's.
They received little attention dur
ing the war. and although many Of
them now hook all right. they are
changed In texture.
The alteration IN noticeable only
to the expert eye. Mr.. Frederic -.
Hawtree honorary secretary OF the
me that he has observed it on near
iy every course he has visited this
! season
The fine grasses which were
reared In the old era and nourished
with top-dressinG have been mas
tered by stronger and coarser
growth. Consequently. although the
closely chr green rtay De the sarue
In appearance tn the person who is
a golfer rather than a botanfst the
surface is in truth sitter and there
are more changes OF the susceptible
rubber -cored ball being diverted
from its path.
Worms toe. have returned in bat
talionA Greens which before the
war were practically cleared OF
these nulsances by the diitgent Us"
OF worm killer are now infested as
badly as ever.
We may seize upon this state Of
affairs to explain the prevalence oI
unsuccessful putting among the
leading players But then we iAc@
faced by tfre fart shat pierey'of goif-
ers who are not famous seem TO be
able to lay the ball dead from the
edge OF the green or hole out from
three or four feet with perfect
serenity.
Perhaps the truth Is that most of
the men who dominated their TEL
lows in the former era were vet
Grams even then and that person
nerves do not improve with years
For putting Is largely matter or
nerve
A Standard Stance.
II IL the fact. however. that put
ting Is extraordinarily inconsistent
in this country Its standard Is not
maintained in anything like the
same degree as in America. where,
emong the leading players. 1t varies
very little
In America there Is a more or less
standard method. consisting OF
standing upright with the heels
touching or virtually touching. The
PROFESSIONALS practice TINS pfih-
ciple almost to a man, and 1t IL the
opinion OF everybody qualified to
Judge that their putting Is uhNary
ing in its excellence.
our own veterans in spite OF tneir
setbacks. are sticking 10 their guns
Vardon has been using the same
y OGDEN putter all the year. II mas
not served him very well, but ne
has made up his mind TO stand by
it He has in his bag the putting
cleek with which he won his first
open championship in 1896, but
only as n charm-~-so far sadlS 4tf-
potent one
Braid has been perservering for
over "a month with long headed
~ooden putter. Neither Is trying
any new tangled stances, and VAR
oon has given up endeaVourulg
even to get the ball into the hole
standing the wrorg way round ana
putting eft-handed-a desperate
remedy which met with wondrouS
success when first he put II INTO
operation,
THIS persistency on fixed lines Is
at least hopeful. One fancies that
much OF the ehangea blenesS or
ability on the greens in this country
Is due to constant experimenting
with stance, pose and ciub.-ton-
don Daily Mail.
Filters poi'a shrd tshruI shrolu
Mo.hcr-Eow CO you IKE your
new teacher, Artief
Seven Y ear Old-Fine: she hasn
spoken to me yet.---Bufalo Express.
Purchaser fwho is selecting wed
b.