The Washington herald., 1921-09-04
ADY" TO DEFEND TTETOUCHE TAKES BELMONT FEATURE
Buildlqg Dbsll0ur Game
8y /0mesc cB. .80ynes
Open GoJf Champion Of pkhe United States
LESSON NO. a-cLuBs. GRIPS, AND STANCE.

IN the matter Of selecting goli
clubs want to say ct the star,
that am great believer In shorter
clubs than the average player uses
happen to be six feet thres
inches tall. SO my driver and bras
sic ere twenty-four and oAe-hali
inches in length.
height ! believe that farty -ont
inches is entirely long enough fol
a wooden club, with the iron clubs
in proportion.
With the 41-inch shaft the head
should be just a trifle heavier
with a slight give to the shaft. ]
would suggest a good average
weight at thirteen ounces.
Take tho case of Bob Mcdonald
He Is over six feet and one of the
longest drivers that ever lived
Yet he only uses a 41-inch clut
round l3h ounces in weight.
The man who doesn't get to play
very often should use a trtae
heavier club than the one who has
the opportunity to play more fire.
quently, as the slightly heavier club
prevent a fast, jerky back-swing.
3. The golfer with small hands and
slight wrists should have a Ntrifie
more whip to the shaft. where q
big man with big hands and wrists
will need but very little give"
Important Features Of the Grip.
I have had a number OF my pu.
pills ask me the most important
feature of the grip. :,
In my opinion, the most impor'
tant feature has to do with the
amount of pressure from the fin
gers.
Suppose. for example you were
going to throw a baseball. Taking
the ball with the thumb and first
two fingers of your right hand you
would never think Of gripping il
with all your force.
What you would do would be "a
hold it lightly but firmly. leaving
the opening for the snap at the
right moment.
You would never think of squeez-
ing the ball with all the power you
had in your hand. as so many golf
-ers squeeze the club head.
You should hold golf club with
exactly the same grip in the way OF
finger pressure that you use II
throwing a baseball. Entirely toe
many golfers make the mistake oi
gripping too tightly with the right
hand. The grip of the left should
always be firm. but never rigid. II
should be firmer and slightly tight
er on the back swin9than the right
Another important point to re-
member here is to grip with th'
fingers, not with the palm Of the
hand. 1t is from the fingers that
you get much of the snap and most
of the needed touch.
But the baseball illustration /:
the best one I can offer. as II hits
the case exactly. You grip a base
ball lightly but firmly in the fingers
and then snap ii through. That Is
exactly the way you should make
golf stroke. SO far as the grip i:
concerned.
Other Grip Features.
I use the Varden grip. with both
thumbs down the shaft and the lit
tie finger of the right hand over
lanping the forefinger of the left.
believe this is the soundest
safest grip that one can take.
know such fine golfers as Abe
Mitchell. Alex Smith. Tommy Ker-
rigan and others use the old-fash'
ioned two-handed V-grip in driv.
ing. but I notice when they come
to iron play they 60 back to the
Vardon grip for control which
after all, is what one seeks fol
first. For of what use is distance
without direction?
Chick" Evans doesn't overlap
but he keeps both thumbs down the
shaft. which is almost the same. as
the thumb of the left hand is COW
cred by the fingers of the right
making both hands work as one.
1 advocate the Vardon. or over
tapping grip for each player
R--