The Washington times., 1921-05-01

stood at the southern end OF the
White House grounds yesterday
morning and looked toward the
house through the open space where
a celebrated landscape architect had
unknowingly formed beautiful
course, is q highly idealixed club
house. and ! imagined q green on
the slight terrace just underneath
the arc Of pillars.
1 pass the idea along to the Presi-
dent that a well-made green would
be . treat to the golfing friends who
visit him. He could put In the
evenings with Mrs. Harding. and
while he is silently hitting the lit
tie ball his clear brain could act
like a well-directed shot. One can
imagine the famous men who would
try their putting touch on what
would surely be the most famous
green in America
HARDING GOOD GOLFER.
/ believe there will never be .
better golfer in the White House
than Mr.. Harding. He loves to work
out strokes. He asked me q good
many questions about the making
OF strokes. and I am going to give
the answers now through the me-
uiuih VI OHiNttrti oSfNhS, ~ thAs
all the golfers who read II can find
out what they are doing wrong. In
1t, too. one may get an answer to
the question ever constant: How
does the President playf'
President Harding has an unusually
good swing for busy man-very
much better than / expected to see
and each stroke, has an especially
good length of back stroke. OF
course, II needs touching mp a bit
here and there. i begin with his full
shots, for be they wood or iron. they
should be played exactly alike.
Throughout all his shots he uses the
best grip-the vardon grip-making
the two hands work as one.
l am afraid. however, that he does
not allow his left thumb to be straight
down but more to tho right on the
full shots. His stance is excellent,
but should be opened up for the half
shots and less, for the square stance
il not so good for the short shots 1t
may seem a little thing. but I have
found Il a tremendous thing to turn
my feet out in all stances, but the
President plays them straight.
TELLS OF HIS SWING.
Now as to the actual swing: His
preparatory motions-sort of drawing
the ascending and descending line
arc good, except that 1t IL all done
In the air. 1t 10 my contention that
the clubhead must be solidly on the
ground before 1t is taken up for the
backward and forward press. Only
In this way can one get the crack-of-
the-whip effect In other words, Mr.
docs not let the clubhead do enough
work. 1t should be like a weight on
the end Of a string. and all force
should follow the head. One should
not have club and arms In one
straight line, because in that position
the wrists do not break enough.
The President is inclined to turn
the clubface in, instead of playing
from a natural lie, and this Is Of i'm
portance in getting the right angle.
His greatest fault, however lis quit
ting the stroke AZ soon as ciubhead
and ball are in contact The swing is
like the two halves of two circles.
and that cannot be. unless each half
Is tho same. There 10 the circle of
clubhead and the banda
The President should be glad that
his best shot 10 his mashie, for that
is the most difficult club of all to play,
and the Presidents shots were as gocd
az tho best golfer In America could
mako them. / want to see him brace
his left knee whom he goes through.
He Is bit faulty in the selection
of clubs. Repeatedly he took wooden
club out of tho rough, permissible In
rome classes, but with his habit Of
letting loose and stopping at bail, II
Is fatal. A frm grip 10 necessary
when playing out OF stiff grass, and
enc should always follow through.
Then, too, the President uses q pulitzer
off tho green trying to judge two
thicknesses Of grass, whereas q littls
loftsd run-up with ths jigEsr would
be the thing.