The New York herald., 1921-01-23
STANDARD GOLF
BALL TOO SMALL
Duncan Says Mistake Has Been
Made in Fixing Minimum
at 1852 Inches.
BY JOHN G. ANDERSON.

/ lUdt Is QutSllOH WHICH dPPcdiS " pc
pertinent in view of the new regulations
which nave been agreed upon by the
ruling golf bodies. 1t will be remem-
bered that golf ball can be made with
n minimum diameter of 1852 inches and
a maximum weight OF l.62 ounces
! which correspond to about twenty
and a half pennyweight. There Is no
restriction whatsoever concerning other
weights or sizes provided that these
limits are kept, which means, of course.
that there will be other styles aplenty,
as in past years
Already they have done much expert
menting on the other side with stand
ardized golf balls, and clouds OF doubt
concerning the wisdom of the selections
of maximum weight and minimum size
have appeared. To give the matter an
actual test golf balls were manufactured
to correspond exactly to those above
mentioned defining limits, and to say
that the results shown were surprising
/ is indeed TO put it mildly.
/ Having in mind that restrictions were
made to limit the power OF the ball,
there was great surprise TO note that
such players as Duncan and Mitchell
were able to drive the new balls yards
/ further (Mitchell said about fifteen and
| Duncan said about ten) than was usual
/ Will the Olu Weight anu size pdii' ~
made no difference whether the play was
with the wind or against the wind or
across wind. The balls were driven fur
ther thanithe old thirty-one pennyweght.
| The reason was found in the size of the
! ball, which was smaller than any which
we have seen in this country with the
possible exception of the small size 70
diac which had a brief run in this coun-
! try back in 1910. OF the new crop OF
! balls Mitchell, the p. G. A. champion Of
Great Britain says:
~'I have had the pleasure of seeing
this week and playing with real standard
balls. Compared with the large sized
balls in use the standard is like a pea.
/ While it may be good ball to play
against the wind, | fancy that on a
grassy inland course 1t will hide itself
as nicely as the modest daisy. ] am
certain that ball made exactly to
standard size will not be suitable to the
great bulk of golfers. Only an expert
viii be able to play with 1t, it seems to
me, and then only on seaside courses
where the ball sits up "
Like Old Remade "Guttie."
in like manner George Duncan open
champion of Great Britain, says: THE
( mistake has been made in fixing the
/ minimum size so small as 1.62 inches.
! 1t Is the smallest ball have ever seen
save perhaps the remade gutta percha
variety. What has been lost in weight
has been more than compensated for by
the reduction in size, for this very small
standard ball bores through the air like
no other. 1t suffers less atmospheric
res stance. At the same time, i do not
think that it will suit the ordinary
player. On grassy courses or in cuppy
fl / lins II cn INT tA
tions that you might have to take n
mashie to 1t where ord ma ly
| straighter faced club would do"
i 1t would seem, therefore, after such
testimony that golfers will carry along
a few of these little bullets for use
where tho :'"f gives promise of good
lies, but that t'"y will use as formerly
the golf balls whic,l "sit up" Distance
undoubtedly there is In the newly de-
fined sphere If it is carried out to exact
ness, for on two occasions Mitchell drove
315 yards. while Duncan was over $40
yards in a cross wind.
Only by personal trial, perhaps, will
4 golfer decide for himself what style
he prefers as a steady diet. Personally
we believe he will cling to the cd size
ball made to lesser weight.
In the amateur championship at
Brookline in 1910 dozen golfers started
out with the small size Zodiac and not
one Of them but found some fault with
the way the ball snuggled down into the
turf. There was an agency of some sort
In Boston. and it would have been pos
siblc for the golfe~s to have secured
/ these balls. but there was no demand.
The ball would fly. would putt about the
same, but II was hard TO get away from
4 close lie. Those who care more for
their scores than they do for a brilliant
I drive or so in the course of the round
will stick TO the standard ball with a
! larger diameter.
British Amateurs May Train.
It is interesting and n bit amusing.
too TO note the various suggestions be-
ing put forward by British golfers
having as their basis the keeping of
British supremacy in amateur golf.
Evans" says one correspondent
will not be feared because he uses a
club built on the principle of n Schenec-
tady and he will not be permitted to
use that club"
Chick wouldn't have a chance any
where for n title, even III ha we're the
best putter in the wo~lf. unless he had
back of him "a good MP TO the pin
game. That he does possess. and we
/ fancy that he will secure n putter
. WHICH VIII give lnc pest TtSullS, IL
he does go across. a report from Chi
cago recently having cast doubt on that
decision.
Another suggestion was made that
a group of British amateurs be selected
some time previous to the championship
at Hoylake and that they be coached
in preparation by professional Amer
leans are called specialists In fact this
writer says THAT method might meet
the danger and combat Il with success.
But we have never been nation OF
specialists In sport and ] shall be sur
prlsed If golf leads the way But II Is
OF course Just what America would 10.
for thcy have always been propd OF their
specialists men who train with the thor
orghness of tho professional and who
devote their whole time TO perfecting
one pastime."
Well that is n lot OF nonsense. too.
Bob Gardner won the amateur cham
pionshin In 1909 and year later broke
the worlds record In pole vauting, the
FIRST man to go thirteen feet. Francis
Ouimct had greater success before he
nnvef goif So ewtoneivelv than ho has
had since and Bobby Jones spends most
- his time at school with little to
bother him wheU college session IL on
hut his studios, Travere has won title
after title with little preparation and
go II goes down the whole line. Our
golfers who soen1 their summers m
north md their winters down south
and who piav rolf all the time may
devote their who'c tive 10 perfect their