The Washington herald., 1920-07-12
CLEVELAND wins FINAL GAME TO ORU1H SOCKS HOMER NO. 27RESO REL

champion Of Great Britain, has been
called "the lightning champion"
He has drawa this name from the
fact that he takes no time over any
stroke. once he has taken his stance
by the ball.
We wish to call the close atten-
tion of some million or so golfers
who play between 80 and 100 to this
falt. Also the attention of a few
who play under 30.
One of the outstanding features of
Duncan's play is the fact that he
wastes no time over hitting the ball
Think over this for a moment-you
who stand petrified by the ball or
you who insist upon wagging your
club head eight or ten times before
finally delivering the blow.
Did 1t ever occur to you that the
longer you stand over the ball, on.
the average, the less chance you
have to make a first class shot?
Did IL ever occur to you that
while you were standing over the
ball In an attitude of rigidity or In
an act of club waggling you were
wasting needed nervous energy, de-
veloping a strained tensity of feel
ing and giving your Imagination a
wide opening to bring about dis
aster? Probably not. And that may
be one of the reasons why you are
still above 80 or perhaps are still
above 100.
To Hit the Ball.
Frequently a pitcher, facing
nervous batsman, will deliberately
waits at the plate. By that we
saL
allowed under the rules.
He knows that once the batsman
is set for the swing every second
Of delay is telling against his nerve
restraint and Is affecting the ease
and comfort of his mind.
The smart pitcher knows this de-
lay isn't going to do the batsman
any good. Once the ball leaves the
pitchers hands the batsman has
about one-half of one second or
less in which to make up his mind
whether he is hitting at a fast ball
or a curve.
Yet thousands of golfers having
decided on the club to use and hav-
ing decided upon the correct di-
rection, insist upon standing over
the ball in a young trance or
nervousle waggling their clubs un-
til every nerve they carry is jump
ing sideways. They are deliberately
putting themselves in the same hole
the pitcher puts the nervous bats
man in.
They are handing themselves the
same handicap their opponent would
hand them if he had the chance.
They are making 1t as hard for
themselves as they possibly know
how to make ii and all with the gen.
eral belief that they are being
careful and deliberate in their play.
Go To Ii.
Once you have decided on the club
to use and have secured your stance
and obtained your direction, all mat
ters of a moments thought on the
alton left.
This is to hit the ball-and the
longer you delay the greater trou-
BILE ycu will have ahead.
The peculiar feature is that the
golfer who takes all this time rare
ly. has a deliberate back swing. AS
a rule after all this fuss you will
find him whirling the club back at
a lightning pace, his muscular force
being driven by his jumping nerves
that at last have broken through
theit. restraint. DUncan's style will
be too fast to copy, but why not
watch Nardon or Ray when they
come over? Or Hagen or Barnes.
Evans or Ouimet. Heron or Jones.
Brady or HUH?
The Main Object.
After all, the main object in golf
is to hit the ball in the proper way.
The matter Of stance and grip and
swing must be developed by practice.
Once you have taken your stance
you have no time then to be think
ing of three or four things. If you
do a general blur will follow in
which your swing goes wrong or
your head comes up.
Having taken your stance-hit
the ball. A waggle or two is all
well enough. but eliminate the
trance and the long wait.
Over Here.
Having lost a large crop of his
laurels at Deal, in the British open.
Walter Hagen now faces the hardest
sort of competition in defense of his
title at Inverness. Toledo, Ohio, next
month.
In addition to Vardon and Ray he