The sun., 1919-06-29

-
club with deep scored face and letting
1t do all the work. 30 far as stoppago Is
concerned. the only attention being to
see that the ball is hit properly.
No one will deny that Taylor Is the
premier master OF all time with the first
mentioned style of club. but since now
adays 1t Is only results which count in
! the game and people are not concerned
with the form or manner OF club con-
struction there 10 reason to discount the
moro difficult art and simply compare
results.
Every golfer has some pet club which
he trusts implicitly. believing with his
whole soul that he can accomplish won
ders with that club II with none other.
Some crack golfers such as Boy Mac
Donald can line out drives to the $50
yard mark time after time I watched
| the tall Chicabo pro hit q dozen on the
nose at Brae Burn and then asked to
| see the club. Its a pet OF NINE" said
| he. "a ladies' driver Weighing less than
| twelve and half ounces" And the
average weight of the drivers in use at
| the open would be nearer thirteen and a
half, while some went as high as six
teen and a half. J. d. Edgar OF Atlanta
! leading all In the weightiness Of wooden
clubs.
Confidence fn Clubs.
Almost all the pros and amateurs
indeed have some one shot which they
perform n bit better than the others, due
oftentimes to the fact that they have
| the utmost confidence in the club which
does the trick. So II Is with the mashie
niblick OF Walter Hagen's, a brightly
| polished affair, smoothly rounded at the
bottom, with balance true as the finest
| compass, with the weight feeling so dis
| tributed that the effort in swinging does
not require any additional force at the
moment of impact.
with that well laid back slightly
scored weapon Hagen is confidence su-
! preme. The last hole at Brae Burn Is
| usually a drive and q good midiron.
| On the final day Of the regular ~ hole
play. when Hagen needed to tie
Brady for the championship. he did not
dare trust any other club for his second
| shot and he smashed away at that
drive of his. risking the chance Of
topping or hooking. in his pressing ef-
forts. In order that the distance for
his second shot might be possible to
his mashie niblick.
| He succeeded and the result was
second shot which left him within a
| few feet Of the hole. with a sure half
and an actual putt for the win. a shot
missed because he was bit too bold.
In the final round 1t was my job TO be
| Hagens bodyguard helping him through
the crowds and so on. and watched his
play with that club more closely than
ever. 1t Is my belief that Taylor at his
best could not have excelled in any par
ticular the splendid mashie work or the
Detroit pro.
Both Taylor and Hagen have a SINH
| lar method of attack with the weight
resting q bit more on the right than the
left foot, a clipping OF the ball Just De-
| fore the turf Is met. q straight follow
through. with Hagen inclined to finish
with his hands higher. the need for
cut being put on the ball being lessened
by the indentures on the face OF the
club. Hagen will hit the ball half again
as high as does Taylor. the ball will
take the same short bounce TO the left
with a partial stopping and then come
to rest within a few yards OF where II
| struck the turf.
Test OF Good Mashie Player.
The real test of a great masf!e player
lies In his ability to play into the wind
with good and steady results. Here Is
where both Taylor and Hagen top on
a bit over their chief rivals In mashis
work. Both play what Is termed play
ing from the inside that Is having the
ball come In from tho left and fade away
to the right upon lighting. No matter
what direction the wind blows IL Is
easier TO gauge distances and force II
there Is no pull given the ball II the dis
ltance Is correct for the mashie or mashie
Iniblick.
IL one were TO choose the probable
better player In this respect he would
select Taylor, who has demonstrated so
many times In gales Of wind that he
alone can keep straight with tho mashie.
but day in and day out the placing OF
the ball from $50 yards near the pin
would find no advantage for the Brit
Usher over the American homebred.
That Is why when Hagen goes abroad
next year to take part In the open
championships OF Great Britain and
France he will carry the confident hopes
OF thousands upon thousands OF the golf
ers OF this country especially those who
have seen him play In matches. McDer-
mott failed at Muirfleld because he could
not drive straight or keep out of the
rough from the tee. the same was true of
the other professionals. Brady among
them, who tried at Hoylake and failed
to qualify.
That year McDermott was on his drive
and MacNamara also and they qualified
with the former finishing in fifth place.
But II was his wonderful mashie play
which gave him the chances for good
I
In action and Hagen as we'll and while
there may be some who will differ ] am
of the opinion that Hagen Is the equal
OF the unfortunate McDermott whose
illness robbed this country of the mos,
brilliant homebred or all time.
I cannot sec where McDermott e1-
celled Hagen. Surely not in the drive OF
long iron shots. not in brassie shots. and
not In the mashie shots which are played
with a scored" club-a weapon which
was not In use frequently. at any rate
when McDermott was in his prime. In
putting Jack was a bit superior but no,
a mite more bold. To each OF these
we can give equal worth with the knowl-
edge that Hagen will win moro cham.
. pionships and In the usual course OF
, events improve. q. bit through winning
i. experience.
TayIor-YaPdon Match.
The most interesting contest Is 4
watch two pros who excel at the SAM
shot, driving, iron play. putting o.
mashie work. A match next year be
, tween Taylor and Hagen-it is likel,
{ that Taylor vardon. Braid. Duncan ap'
Ray will visit here for a two months
trlp-would be the finest kind OF {
| contARt for the two play very mucl