New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-11
Tales of a Wayside Tee
Copyright 1920. New York Tribune Inc.

George Duncan, the new open
champion of Great Britain. has been
called "the lightning champion"
He has drawn this name from the
fact that he takes no time over any
stroke, once he has taken his stance
by the hall.
We wish to call the close attention
of some million or so golfers who play
between 80 and 120 to this fact. Also
the attention of few who play under
90.
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 moment-you who stand
petrified by the ball or you who insist
upon waggling your club head eight or
ten times before finally delivering the
blow.
Did it ever occur to you that the
longer you stand over the ball, on the
average, the less chance you have to
make a irst-class shot?
Did it 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, developing strained
tensity Of feeling and giving your
| imagination wide opening to bring
about disaster? Probably not And
that may be one Of the reasons why
you are still above 90 or perhaps are
(, still above 100.
To Hit the Ball
Frequently pitcher, facing a
nervous batsman, will deliberately take
a lot of tine as the batsman waits at
the plate. By that we mean take as
much tire as he Is allowed under the
rules.
He knows that once the batsman is
set for the swing every second of
DELAY is telling against his nerve re-
straint and is affecting the ease and
comfort Of his mind.
The smart pitcher knows this delay
| isn't going to do the batsman any
good. Once TIE 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 hit
ting, at a fast ball or curve 7A
Yet thousands Of golfers having de-
cided on the club to use and having
decided upon the correct direction, in
sist upon standing over the ball in a
| young trance or nervously waggling
is jumping sideways. They are de-
| liberately putting themselves in the
same hole the pitcher puts the nervous
batsman in.
1 They are handing themselves the
same handicap their opponent would
hand them if he had the chance.
/ They are making it as hard for
themselves as they possibly know how
! to make it, and all with the general
/ belief that they are being careful and
deliberate in their play.
Go To 1t
Once you have decided on the club
i to use and have secured your stance
i and obtained your direction, all mat
ters of moments thought on the
average, you have but one considera-
4 ton left.
This is to hit the ball--and the
longer you delay the greater trouble
you will have ahead.
4 The peculiar feature is that the
golfer, who takes all this time rarely
has deliberate back swing AS a rule
after all this fuss you will find him
4 whirling the club back at lightning
i pace, his muscular force being driven
by his jumpy nerves that at last have
p broken through their restraint. Dun
cans style will be too fast to copy
Il but why not watch Vardon or Ray
when they come over? Or Hagen .ol
j Barnes, Evans or Ouimet, Heron o.
4 Jones, Brady or Huth
I After all, the main object in goli
y is to hit the ball in the proper way
Tho matter Of stance and grip auc