Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-07
Today They Drop, Tomorrow
They DOn'tPutting Fdudcy
Champion Says Average
Golfer Doesn'ts Take
Easiest Stroke Seri-
ously Enough; Good
Putters Not ''Born'
BY JESSE ?. GUILFORD

BY JESSE r. GUILFORD
Amateur Golf Champion Of the United States
THE average golfer does not take his
l. putting sufficiently seriously, he
probably being of the opinion that 1t is
is carried out by the great number OF
players who will 20 out and practice
diligently on every other stroke, but who
Will absolutely ignore putting practice.
Generally Ii is found that the novice in
the game, the man who has been play
ing year or two, considers that good
golf Is shown from the tee to the green,
that once on the green nothing matters
and whose game at this stage Ia not only
half hearted but absolutely careless.
More Wasted
IL Is the seasoned golfer who knows
that good golf is shown from tee to tee
and he probably has learned from bitter
experience that more shots can be wasted
on the greens than in any other angle
Of the game.
How often do we see good golfers. men
with low handicaps, and even cham
pion golfers, reach the green in the
allotted number of strokes, only to
take three or four more shots before
sinking the ball.
Occurrences like that should demon
strate to the. aspiring golfer the value
that they regard 1t as matter of luck,
and we hear them say, To-day they
sink and tomorrow they don't"
To the onlooker putting Is so simple.
Here the halt is six feet from the hole,
all 1t nceds.js q little tap to send 1t in,
but there's many slip.
The first qualification to becom-
tton, is to be good judge Of
IF THE ball is hit too hard it will go
l. into the hole and bound out ngain,
and to be shy shows lack of confidence.
How many people say, He Is a born
putter," inferring that good puttcrs
are born and not made. To be good
putter we hear that one must have an
extremely delicate touch, but / believe
this would be the only way in which
birth would enter into 1t, for / presume
people come naturally by either a deli
cate or awkward touch.
But the other factors which enter
into good putting can be acquired.
Take the matter of judging distance
and direction, for instance.
From Ball to Hole
Surely that is one thing which can be
acquired through patience and practice.
There Is no room on the putting green
for carelessness. We must observe the
slopes, the greens. around the cup and
draw an imaginary line from the ball to
the hole. Then We must carefully judge
the distance and make mental note
as to whether the greens are fast or
slow.
consideration. the ball should be hit
truly and confidently. A ball that is
hit truly, will, If there are slopes be-
tween it and the hole. travel on the
imaginary line as you intended it. but
n weakly hit ball will be detourcd on
the slightest provocation.
There is more variance Of play
in putting than I'm any other fea.
ture OF the game
COMETIMES we see men who have
- very good form in other parts Of
the game assume most awkward stance
that?" we ask; but, regardless of the
suited to the player.
In putting / staLd we'll over my ball
and hold my arms akimbo; that is. with
both elbows well out. The putter IS
thus, in addressing the ball. almost in a
perpendicular line. grip the club
firmly, and IN swlnglng-the length of
the swing, of course, dependent upon
the distance which l am seeking-the
forearm appears to do the work.
Wrist Action
The wrist action Is very slight, and
there is little or no body movement, and
this last is of the utmost importance.
I would not 60 so far az to say that in
putting / use the correct, or standard
form. TO be perfectly frank, l believe
there is no such thing as uniform
style In putting, for certainly in this
feature of the game those whom we
might expect to agree on the form which
is best all play and recommend different
methods.
MY stance is absolutely square,
and both toes arc pointed out. !
In this ,cdy feet that my ,ceight |
Is erenlv distributed.
COMEHOW or other I feel that in
- the absolutely square stance there is
aid given me in keeping my body still. !
In putting adopt the style in which .
you have best success, only be sure
hat in playing you keep your body out
,f the stroke. That, I think, is of the
Utmost importance.
And above all things, get the idea out
# your head that putting is chance,
hat the little white sphere either sinks
,r doesn't through no fault of your own.
Take pains with your shot. You will
.et most enjoyment out of your game
" trying and your opponent will get
more pleasure out of the match If he ;
ealizes that you are playing your very
,est. Hit confidently, for ball which
S not hit in this way is liable to be
hort, and would rather have my own
,all two feet over than six inches short.
Ioslng Match
When the player gets so that he can
inter- competition he will begin to real
re the Importance of the putting. Too
'ften he will find that he has lost his
match through his putting, and if he
,lays in medal competition he will after
lis card Is handed In. consider mental
core, deducting from his actual number
# strokes those puts which he could
ave had had he taken this feature Of
lis game more seriously.
Copyright bv Public Ledger Company
~ Fridays Article WIN Be on "The I'M
nf