The New York herald., 1921-01-25
BACK SPIN GOLF
CLUBS SOON TO GO
Il. s. G.. A. Feels Rib Faced I'm
plement Is Unfair to
Skilful Player.
ny KERR N. PETRIE.

Al the dinner OF the +. G.. A. the
other night Howard r. Whitney, the
United states Golf Association presi-
dent, touched on a subject that has been
interesting all golfers recently when he
remarked that it was only matter Of
time when the powers that be would
have TO turn their attention to legisla-
tend TO make the stop shot easy. For
the last year or more manufacturers of
ibs appear 90 have given as much at
tontion TO the simplification OF the game
as the ball makers were wont to devote
IN their particular sphere.
Mr.. Whitney's statement shows that
The authorities are fully alive to the
dangers creeping into the game from
the direction OF the club. and IL. as has
been said, there Is TO be a visit this
year from the representatives. Of the
Royal and Ancient Golf Club OF st. An
BreWE n IA not too much 10 suppose that
hn matter VIII be taken up the coming
summer and thoroughly thrashed out
The 4. - q. A. Presidents contention
IL that with the ribbed and stop shot
clubs that they are making nowadays
the man who has given his time TO
studying the back spin shot does not
reap the reward OF his skill. as with
thesa clubs back spin Is within the
reach % an This argument. needless
tg say. holds n is something with
which those who have the best interests
of ths game NJ heart will agree.
While the golfer long has been ac-
cuNtoncd 70 the scoring on the face OF
hla Irons u h. only within recent times
thnt the tendency has been noted tow
ard despsning the scoring. This mark
inr gave tho club a better grip OF the
ball than vas possible with the of1
sfi1oth faced rnashics and midlrons
Frorn the scored 90 the fiuted face was
hut an easy and natural step. for II
ncorinr could hold the ball u was not
Ter a. travel 90 a face that not only
wouid held but actually ifnpart the
rotary motion necessary 10 cause the
ball to MO into the turf on tho impact
ana even 10 klch back.
c~-s~ Comment I'm England.
Thonar ~ Armour. the Scotch
holder "a the French amateur champion
nhip. who win be remembered as the
riayrr who lost 90 Francis Oulmct In
me round before the Acml-flnai OF the
last national amateur championship.
fook = 80 ~ these rih faced irons home
with him when be- left the United States
rot - many weeks ago. These clubs
caused quite a deal 81 comment In Eng
land ara. 20 Armour explained 90 his
frienda fhe possessor 0f one Of these
ald not have a. learn the back spin
shot The ribbinE puts all the stop on
a. n " yeu play a plain shot" was Ar
niours comment You can stop a full
shot within ave or six yards OF where
fhe bail drops on a green even II that
2rcsn IL an keen az y skating rink. 10
o. siHpiy q matter ~ judging the length
~ fight"
While they may have been new 20 the
British amateur. these clubs now are
pretty well known on this side OF the
ocean The clubs have lines an eighth
- an inch wide cut across the face OF
the club sometimes 20 the depth OF al
most an eighth of an inch. Tho lines
are about an eighth Of an inch apart
and an morne canea the edges are 20 sharp
that one could cut his hand on them
Armor played these clubs good deal
before he left this country and therefore
"a quite c0nversant with his subject His
experience was that sometimes on duh
greens the ball kicked back a foot or
eighteen inches Hc had been taught
10 regard the club as n very expensive
affair. however. for he declares that he
found that about three ~ these shots
with the deep ribbed club finished q ball.